The United States consists of over 117 million acres of ineffectively managed, fire-prone forests. Today, House Republicans will bring to the Floor H.R. 8790, the Fix Our Forests Act, which revives and prioritizes forest health while safeguarding communities by streamlining environmental studies, minimizing lawsuits, and accelerating the implementation of necessary forest restoration projects. 
 
FACTS ABOUT H.R. 8790 – Fix Our Forests Act (Courtesy of the House Committee on Natural Resources Republicans): 

• Simplify: 
  • Simplify and expedite environmental reviews to reduce costs and planning times for critical forest management projects while maintaining rigorous environmental standards.
  • End frivolous litigation that delays needed forest management projects.
• Prioritize: 
  • Utilize state-of-the-art science to prioritize the treatment of forests at the highest risk of wildfire.
  • Incentivize forest management projects of up to 10,000 acres to increase the pace and scale of active management.
• Foster Relationships: 
  • Promote federal, state, tribal, and local collaboration by creating a new Fireshed Center and codifying the Shared Stewardship initiative.
  • Make communities more resilient to wildfire by coordinating existing grant programs and incentivizing new research.
  • Give agencies new tools to restore watersheds, protect communities in the wildland-urban interface and prevent forest conversion.
• Renew: 
  • Revitalize rural economies by strengthening tools such as Good Neighbor Authority and Stewardship Contracting.
  • Adopt new and innovative technologies to address forest health threats like wildfires, drought, insects and disease.
  • Harden utility rights-of-way against wildfire by encouraging more active management and removal of dangerous hazard trees.