Bipartisan legislation offered by U.S. Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT) would authorize $46 million to be appropriated annually for the next two fiscal years to address critical staffing shortages in National Forests and Grasslands needed to handle risk mitigation and response to wildfires.
“In Utah, we appreciate and understand the value of our lands. We also understand the importance of proactive management actions that protect these lands,” Rep. Moore said. “As fires continue to threaten our communities and natural resources, we must act to improve our ability to effectively manage these forests to ensure their health and longevity.”
Rep. Moore on Sept. 22 cosponsored the Save Our Forests Act of 2021, H.R. 5341, with bill sponsor U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-CA) to direct the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), to fill vacancies in National Forests and Grasslands for recreation management and planning staff, including recreation technicians, recreation officers, and natural resource managers, according to the text of the bill.
Additionally, H.R. 5341 would direct the USFS to provide Forest Protection Officer training and certification opportunities for individuals filling these vacancies, according to a bill summary provided by Rep. Moore’s office.
If approved, the legislation would “provide the funding necessary to rebuild the recreation management workforce in our federal forests, particularly those located in or near the wildland-urban interface,” said Rep. Panetta. “The more we can staff up our federal forests, the better chance we have at wildfire prevention.”
The Summit Land Conservancy, the Sierra Forest Legacy, Earthjustice, American Forests, the Western Environmental Law Center, the Center for Biological Diversity, the National Association of Conservation Districts, Sierra Club, the National Wildfire Institute, and Defenders of Wildlife support H.R. 5341.