Udall introduces beetle
relief bill
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A mountain pine beetle is seen
on the tip of forester Cal Wettstein's knife during the
examination of trees in the White River National Forest near
Vail.
AP Photo/Ed Andrieski
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Bob Berwyn
November 7, 2005
Draft legislation proposed by Democratic
congressmen Mark Udall and John Salazar aims to cut red tape that
complicates forest-thinning efforts and give incentives to private
industry to get involved in forest health projects.
Udall and Salazar are seeking input on the draft bill through Nov. 17.
Pine trees in the White River
National Forest near Vail glow rusty red after being killed by the
mountain pine beetle. Forest Service figures show that 8.6 million
acres of pine trees were killed in 12 western state last year by
the pine beetle.
AP Photo/Ed Andrieski
Browse Vail Daily Photos
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Specifically, the measure would:
• Allow bark beetle projects and projects under the Healthy Forests
Restoration Act to move forward under streamlined procedures, and
exempt the most urgent ones to from normal environmental review;
• Amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act to allow governors to
request that the Forest Service declare "emergency areas" in order to
conduct forest-thinning projects and community-protection projects
under a streamlined environmental review process;
• Provide economic incentives and tax exemptions for cutters and
haulers who derive income from the removal of beetle-killed trees or
other fuel-reduction projects;
• Direct the Forest Service to give a preference to anyone seeking a
federal grant to convert removed biomass (e.g. beetle-killed trees)
into energy to those that secure that biomass under a project to
reduce the affects of an insect-infested area;
• Direct that $5 million annually for five years (funded by royalties
from on-shore oil and gas development) be applied to grants to help
communities develop a community wildlife protection plan;
• Authorize the Forest Service to redirect existing personnel from
other regions to help respond to a beetle emergency in the Rocky
Mountain Region.
Vail, Colorado
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