Senate Passes Legislation to Improve Forest Health and Housing Supply

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry recently passed the Fix Our Forests Act, legislation that will contribute to better forest management practices and strengthen the nation’s housing supply chain.

The Fix Our Forests Act will expedite environmental analyses, reducing lawsuits and increasing the pace and scale of forest restoration projects. The bill will also provide agencies with tools to implement the most vital forest management projects immediately.

Overgrown and poorly managed forests have dramatically increased the risk of catastrophic wildfires across the country due to legal obstacles and administrative blockages that have contributed to the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management’s inability to effectively manage land.

According to an analysis by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), lumber and wood products account for around 15% of the cost of construction for a single-family house. Better forest management has positive ecological benefits along with the economic benefits of increasing the supply of federal timber products.