“The National Forest management program in this Region falls far short of meeting the need for hazardous fuels reduction and forest restoration. In our region alone, the U.S. Forest Service recognizes that millions of acres are in need of restoration, yet the timber target for Fiscal Year 2013, which includes both timber sales and stewardship contracts, was only about 450,000 CCF. Our states are home to re-emerging forest products businesses that can partner with the U.S. Forest Service, yet the dramatic gap between what these businesses can manage and the timber targets of the RMR endanger their viability and success just as they are about to reach a scale that could meaningfully contribute to more proactive management of forest health.” Read the full letter from Rocky Mountain Region U.S. Senators and Representatives to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack by clicking here.
