Congressmen Salazar And Udall Unveil Proposal  To Address Bark Beetle Problem

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Reps. John Salazar (D-Manassa) and Mark Udall (D-Eldorado Springs) today released draft legislation to address the impacts of bark beetles and the increased fire danger that they pose to communities near Colorado’s forests.  The provisions of the draft legislation are based on discussions that Udall and Salazar have had with local elected officials, representatives of the Forest Service, the timber and ski industries, homeowners, and others.

“Colorado’s forests are experiencing a major infestation of bark beetles.  Large stands of beetle-killed trees pose a threat of severe wildfires, putting lives and property at risk in many Colorado communities.  We believe legislation is needed to cut the red tape that complicates efforts to do needed thinning, and we want to include private industry, state and local governments in helping with the needed work.  We invite Coloradans to provide us with their input on this proposed legislation and join us in working together to address this problem,” said Salazar and Udall.

The proposed bill does the following:
• allows bark beetle projects—as well as projects under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act —to move forward under streamlined procedures, and the most urgent ones to move under a “categorical exclusion” from normal environmental review; 
• amends the Healthy Forests Restoration Act to allow governors to request that the Forest Service declare “emergency areas” in order to conduct forest thinning projects and community protection projects under a streamlined environmental review process;
• provides economic incentives and tax exemptions for cutters and haulers who derive income from the removal of beetle-killed trees or other fuel reduction projects; 
• directs the Forest Service to give a preference to anyone seeking a federal grant to convert removed biomass (e.g. beetle-killed trees) into energy to those that secure that biomass under a project to reduce the affects of an insect-infested area;
• directs that $5 million annually for 5 years produced from the royalties from on-shore oil and gas development be applied to grants to help communities develop a community wildlife protection plan; and
• authorizes the Forest Service to redirect existing personnel from other regions to help respond to a beetle emergency in the Rocky Mountain Region.

Udall and Salazar are asking interested parties to provide their input on the legislation to their offices by November 17.  (A copy of the proposed bill is attached.)