Fact Sheet: = President Bush Signs Healthy Forests Restoration Act Into Law

President Bush today signed into law the Healthy Forests = Restoration Act=20 of 2003 to reduce the threat of destructive wildfires while upholding=20 environmental standards and encouraging early public input during = review and=20 planning processes. The legislation is based on sound science and = helps=20 further the President's Healthy Forests Initiative pledge to care for=20 America's forests and rangelands, reduce the risk of catastrophic fire = to=20 communities, help save the lives of firefighters and citizens, and = protect=20 threatened and endangered species.=20
The Healthy Forests Restoration Act:=20
- Strengthens public participation in developing high priority = forest=20 health projects;=20
- Reduces the complexity of environmental analysis allowing = federal land=20 agencies to use the best science available to actively manage land = under=20 their protection;=20
- Provides a more effective appeals process encouraging early = public=20 participation in project planning; and=20
- Issues clear guidance for court action against forest health = projects.=20
The Administration and a bipartisan majority in Congress supported = the=20 legislation and are joined by a variety of environmental conservation = groups.=20

The Need for Common-Sense Forest Legislation

Catastrophic fires, particularly those experienced in California, = Arizona,=20 Colorado, Montana and Oregon over the past two years, burn hotter and = faster=20 than most ordinary fires.=20
Visibility and air quality are reduced, threatening even the = health of=20 many who do not live near the fires.=20
The habitat for endangered species and other wildlife is = destroyed.=20
Federal forests and rangelands also face threats from the spread = of=20 invasive species and insect attacks.=20
In the past two years alone, 147,049 fires burned nearly 11 = million=20 acres
- 2002: 88,458 fires burned roughly 7 million acres and = caused the=20 deaths of 23 firefighters;=20
- 2003 (thus far): 59,149 fires have burned 3.8 million = acres and=20 caused the deaths of 28 firefighters.=20
- Nearly 6,800 structures have been destroyed in 2003 = (approximately 4,800=20 in California).=20
- The California fires alone cost $250 million to contain and 22 = civilians=20 have died as a result.

Bush Administration Actions to Promote Healthy Forests=20

In August 2002, in the midst of one of the worst fire seasons in = recent=20 history, the President launched his Healthy Forests Initiative (HFI). = HFI=20 focuses on reducing the risk of catastrophic fire by thinning dense = undergrowth=20 and brush in priority locations that are on a collaborative basis with = selected=20 Federal, state, tribal, and local officials and communities. The = initiative also=20 provides for more timely responses to disease and insect infestations = that=20 threaten to devastate forests. Using the President's Healthy Forests = Initiative,=20 the Bush Administration has taken steps to establish a more effective = and timely=20 process to protect communities, wildlife habitats, and municipal = watersheds from=20 catastrophic fires.=20

The Forest Service has implemented at least 46 high priority = thinning and=20 restoration projects using new procedures established under the = National=20 Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Bureau of Land Management is = currently=20 implementing more than 20 projects.=20
The Departments of Agriculture and the Interior have improved=20 environmental assessments (EAs) for priority forest health projects.=20
The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management have approved = stewardship=20 contracts using the new authority requested by the President and = provided by=20 Congress. Stewardship contracting will increase as NEPA work is = completed in=20 2004. These contracts are a tool to restore landscapes, reduce = hazardous fuel=20 loads, and restore water quality and wildlife habitat.

The Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 will:=20

Reduce dense undergrowth that fuels catastrophic fires through = thinning=20 and prescribed burns;=20
Improve the public involvement in the review process by providing=20 opportunities for earlier participation, thus accomplishing projects = in a more=20 timely fashion;=20
Select projects on a collaborative basis involving local, tribal, = state,=20 Federal and non-governmental entities;=20
Focus projects on Federal lands that meet strict criteria for risk = of=20 wildfire damage to communities, water supply systems and the = environment;=20
Authorize the Healthy Forests Reserve Program, to protect, restore = and=20 enhance degraded forest ecosystems on private lands to promote the = recovery of=20 threatened and endangered species;=20
Encourage biomass energy production through grants and assistance = to local=20 communities creating market incentives for removal of otherwise = valueless=20 forest material; and=20
Develop an accelerated program on certain Federal lands to combat = insect=20 infestations.

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