Forest Thinning Legislation

In late November of 2003, the House and Senate passed compromise legislation intended to protect communities from wildfire – H.R. 1904, the Healthy Forest Restoration Act. I have had a long history of involvement with this legislation.

Now, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (which houses the Forest Service) are beginning the implementation of the Healthy Forest bill. However, despite the fact that Congress authorized over $760 million in funding to undertake thinning projects and despite the fact hat President Bush held numerous public events to express his concern for preventing wildfires, the president’s budget this year did not include adequate resources to accomplish the much needed work on the ground. To make matters worse, the non-partisan General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, released a report in early June found that internal money transfers related to the Forest Service’s fire program disrupted the flow of money to forest health projects.

When considering must-pass spending legislation for the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior, the appropriations subcommittee added an additional $200 million to the Bush budget to pay for thinning work. Unfortunately, because of the record deficits and the tax cuts, this funding for thinning was taken from arts programs, land acquisition, and energy research.

I am deeply troubled that the Bush Administration urged Congress to act on the Healthy Forest bill but then did not include funding in their budget to appropriately implement the bill. It is a pattern we have seen repeatedly with the education bill, port security, and equipment for our troops. I am hopeful that before the final spending measure is passed, Congress will find a way to pay for fire prevention projects without dipping into important funding for other programs.

1. Letter -- November 18, 2005 (pdf file)
   Letter from Congressman Miller to Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo on abuses in the U.S. Forest Service guest worker program
   
2. Press Release -- July 20, 2004
   Miller Urges Constituents to Make Voices Heard on National Forest Rules
   
3. Press Release -- July 12, 2004
   Special Interests Trump Public Interest in Bush Decision on Roadless Rule
   
4. Press Release -- January 22, 2004
   Forest Service Plan Fails to Address Californians' Environmental Concerns, Says Representative Miller
   
5. Press Release -- May 20, 2003
   Statement by George Miller on House Consideration of Wildfire Legislation, H.R. 1904 and the Democratic Alternative to H.R. 1904
   
6. Judiciary Committee Views -- May 20, 2003
   Statement by George Miller on House Consideration of Wildfire Legislation, H.R. 1904 and the Democratic Alternative to H.R. 1904
   
7. Judiciary Committee Views -- May 20, 2003
   House Judiciary Committee Democrats Oppose the McInnis Wildfire Bill
   
8. New York Times Article -- May 20, 2003
   A Flawed Fire Bill
   
9. Chart used by Congressman Miller on the House Floor -- May 20, 2003
   Republicans are Cutting Forest Protections
   
10. Chart used by Congressman Miller on the House Floor -- May 20, 2003
    Who Will Protect Communities?
    
11. Dear Colleague Letter -- May 19, 2003
    What's the Difference Between the Democratic Wildfire Bill and the Republican Wildfire Bill?
    
12. Press Release -- April 30, 2003
    Miller Statement on Consideration of Wildfire Legislation before the Resources Committee
    
13. Background Information -- April 29, 2003
    Wildfire Legislation: Side-by-side Comparison of Democratic Substitute and Republican Committee Print
    
14. Press Release -- April 25, 2003
    Miller Statement on Republican Resources Committee Print Released Today
    
15. Press Release -- April 3, 2003
    New Wildfire Bill Would Protect Western Communities and Forests