Nick Smith

Environmental activists perpetuate the “timber wars” by arguing that any form of logging or active management in fire-prone forests is destructive. Thanks to obstruction and litigation, these same activists have had their way over the past four decades, ever since the Northern Spotted Owl crisis in Pacific Northwest effectively minimized timber harvesting on federal lands.

The resulting “hands-off” approach to public lands has led to worsening wildfires, increased carbon emissions, and communities at constant risk. It’s time for a new approach that restores balance to federal forest policy. The bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act offers just that.

Scientists and firefighters both understand reducing the amount of fuel in our forests — whether through logging, thinning, or controlled burns — is a proven way to reduce the severity of wildfires. Fire is a natural part of many forest ecosystems, but when forests become overgrown, fires that do ignite can quickly spiral out of control, leaving devastation in their wake.

The three elements that drive wildfires — oxygen, heat and fuel — are not all within our control. While we cannot eliminate oxygen or reduce temperatures, we can manage the fuel. By reducing excessive vegetation, we can prevent small fires from becoming catastrophic, protect vulnerable communities, and reduce the carbon emissions that result from severe wildfires.

The U.S. Forest Service has found that wildfires, exacerbated by dense and unhealthy forests, are turning our national forests into carbon emitters rather than carbon sinks. This trend is alarming, especially when combined with data suggesting that aging forests are losing their ability to sequester carbon effectively.

When it comes to sustaining old growth forests, a Forest Service analysis shows that in areas where timber harvesting is restricted, wildfires have led to a greater loss of old-growth and mature forests compared to areas where active management is allowed. In contrast to the hands-off approach, managed forests not only fare better during wildfires but also contribute to long-term carbon sequestration and overall forest health.

Activists reflexively oppose any legislative measure aimed at reducing conflict and paralysis in federal forest management, and the Fix Our Forests Act, introduced by Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., and Rep. Scott Peters, D-Calif., is no exception. This bipartisan effort represents a crucial step toward breaking this destructive cycle and restoring the health of our forests.

Under our current broken system of federal forest management, the Forest Service spends years navigating paperwork and lawsuits before they can even begin to reduce wildfire risks. According to an analysis by the Breakthrough Institute, forest management projects are the most common target of lawsuits brought under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

Between 2013 and 2022, the Breakthrough Institute found that just 10 organizations filed 67% of NEPA cases, underscoring that NEPA-driven lawsuits often originate from a small number of environmental groups. While these lawsuits rarely succeed in court, they often add years of delay to wildfire mitigation efforts. The institute found that lawsuits add an average of 3.7 years to the implementation of projects in cases where the plaintiffs lost. The Fix Our Forests Act would streamline these permitting processes, ensuring that necessary actions are taken before it is too late.

The bill proposes simplifying and expediting environmental reviews for critical forest management projects, reducing the time and cost associated with these reviews while maintaining rigorous environmental standards.

This is not about weakening environmental protections; it is about ensuring that projects designed to protect our forests and communities are not endlessly delayed by frivolous litigation.

Moreover, the Fix Our Forests Act emphasizes science-based management practices, targeting the forests most at risk of catastrophic wildfires. It also strengthens tools like the Good Neighbor Authority and Stewardship Contracting, which increase capacity for managing forests, support rural economies and encourage the use of innovative technologies to address threats like drought, insects and disease.

By focusing on proactive, rather than reactive, measures, the Fix Our Forests Act aims to protect not only our forests but also the communities and ecosystems that depend on them.

The Fix Our Forests Act is not just another piece of legislation — it is a lifeline for our forests and our future. By embracing active management and rejecting the failed policies of the past, we can restore the health of our forests, reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, and protect the air we breathe.