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News from Rep. Stephanie Herseth
For Immediate Release
Contact: Russ Levsen, 202-226-4449

HOUSE PASSES HERSETH BILL TO IMPROVE FOREST RECOVERY AND RESEARCH

The Forest Emergency Recovery and Research Act Is Balanced Common Sense Approach to Forest Management

May 17, 2006, Washington, D.C. - The U.S. House of Representatives today passed comprehensive legislation to assist forest managers in recovery after a natural disaster, such as a fire, a hurricane or a bug infestation. Rep. Stephanie Herseth is an original co-sponsor and leading advocate for the bill, H.R. 4200, the Forest Emergency Recovery and Research Act, or FERRA. Current regulatory framework does not give forest supervisors adequate latitude to respond to forest catastrophes. Herseth's bill will provide tools for a rapid response following a natural disaster, rely on the experience of forestry professionals, and promote new research to improve forestry practices.

Herseth said, "This bill represents a balanced and common sense approach to forest management. Just as a speedy response is crucial when fighting a fire, it is also necessary when planning forest recovery efforts. Long delays open the ground to invasive species and the trees to bug infestations. They open the soils to erosion and can threaten water supplies. Any recovery approach should recognize these realities and move quickly - whether the specific recovery project is harvesting dead trees or planting new ones."

Herseth has been working on many fronts to build bipartisan support for the bill in recent months. Last August, Herseth hosted a Resources Committee Field Hearing in Hill City, S.D. to examine the effect of the bill on forests like the Black Hills National Forest. During that hearing, the Committee heard testimony from local forestry officials, as well as representatives from the timber industry and from the environmental community. The hearing allowed for a specific focus on the beetle infestations that the Black Hills region has experienced. Additionally, Herseth sits on two committees with jurisdiction over the bill - Agriculture and Resources - and she has worked in those roles to demonstrate the specific value of recovery after a bug infestation.

Herseth noted that the bill does not require any specific action. She said, "This bill will enable us - but not require us - to act after a disaster. She also stressed the importance of science in forest management: "Science is essential. It should be the touchstone of our management decisions and, in the face of new scientific evidence, we should adjust the way we manage our forests. H.R. 4200 recognizes that need and creates a new program to analyze and better understand forest regeneration. In fact, the bill requires that 10 percent of the proceeds from any recovery project go toward new research. This emphasis will serve as an important check on forest management decisions and will complement the bill's numerous requirements that all actions must be consistent with the underlying forest management plan."

In 1988, fire burned a portion of the Custer National Forest in southwestern South Dakota. The Forest Service was unable to remove any of the dead trees and, in 2002, the same area burned again. The second fire consumed most of the organic matter and new generation - inflicting even more harm. The framework laid out in Herseth's bill would help prevent a situation like this from occurring.

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