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www.citizensclimatelobby.org

The Fix Our Forests Act

January 30, 2025

Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/fix-our-forests-slides

Housekeeping

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Raise Hand

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Chat

About the Speakers

Dana Nuccitelli

Research Coordinator for Citizens’ Climate Lobby

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Jennifer Tyler

Senior Director of

Government Affairs

for Citizens’ Climate Lobby

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Three Learning Goals

Learn about the proposed solutions in the Fix Our Forests Act

Discuss CCL’s planned role in supporting this bill

Review what’s happening with wildfires and what’s making them worse

Los Angeles Wildfires

• The hot, dry, and windy conditions were ~35% more likely due to global warming (now once per 17 years)
• Another ~35% more likely than today if we reach 2.6°C
• Low rainfall from Oct–Dec is now ~2.4x more likely
• 23 extra days each year of fire-prone conditions per year

Why are Wildfires Worsening?

• Climate change
• Forest Management
• Colonialism replacing Indigenous cultural burning
• Aggressive fire suppression
• Early timber harvest practices removing large trees

The Role of Climate Change

• Hotter temperatures
• Drier vegetation (vapor pressure deficit)
• Longer, more severe (mega)droughts
• Longer fire seasons
• Jet stream changes (maybe)
• Santa Ana wind changes? Probably not

More rain in winter

Less in fall

And in spring

The Role of Forest Management

Some Nasty Consequences

• Lost carbon storage
• Impacts on wildlife
• More wildfire smoke – very bad for health
• Lost lives, possessions, trauma
• Costs to recover & rebuild
• Headed toward an insurance crisis

What are some Solutions?

• Hardening of homes, communities
• Managed grazing
• Housing policy
• Managed retreat
• Better, faster forest management
• Prescribed burns (challenging)
• Smart forest thinning
• Curbing climate change!

Proposed Forest Management Bill

• Healthy Forests
• Permitting Reform

Why is the FOFA needed?

• Countless acres of federal lands have become susceptible to drought and wildfire due to poor land management practices, including:
• Suppressing all natural fires
• Invasive, fire-prone vegetation growing unabated
• Multiyear environmental reviews for critical practices like clearing dead trees and dry vegetation

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What does the bill do?

Comprehensive, bipartisan legislation that:

• Restores forest health
• Increases resiliency to catastrophic wildfires
• Builds fire-safety defenses for communities in high-risk areas

Detailed bill summary

• Simplifies and expedites the most critical forest management projects while maintaining strong environmental standards
• Reduces the threat of frivolous litigation and redundant agency consultations
• Adds new ways for communities to provide input early and often in planning and implementation

Detailed bill summary (cont’d.)

• Invests in innovative fire detection, suppressant technologies, modernizing construction standards
• Creates interagency Fireshed Center
• Provides support for wildland firefighters
• Hardens utility rights-of-way against wildfire

Status of FOFA

• Passed House by a vote of 279 to 141
• 215 Republican Yea
• 64 Democratic Yea
• 9 more Democratic Yea votes compared to last Congress
• California Democrats: 24 Yea, 15 Nay
• Awaiting consideration in the Senate

Supporting Organizations

The National Congress of American Indians, Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, the Western Fire Chiefs Association, the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, the National Association of Counties, the Federation of American Scientists, the California State Association of Counties, the Association of California Water Agencies, American Forests, the National Special Districts Coalition (NSDC), Citizens’ Climate Lobby, MegaFire Action, the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC), the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the Evangelical Environmental Network, the Edison Electric Institute, PG&E, the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Tall Timbers, Xcel Energy, Placer County Water Agency, Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition (RVCC)

Opposing Arguments

• Undermines core environmental protection laws
• Response: FOFA does not amend, alter, or rollback NEPA or the Endangered Species Act. Emergency authorities provided in the legislation are warranted given the ongoing wildfire crisis.
• The legislation expands categorical exclusions to 10,000 acres - a change requested by California and the U.S. Forest Service to better respond to wildfire risk.

Opposing Arguments

• Exempts logging from environmental review
• Response: Categorical exclusions are increased to 10,000 acres based on the need to reduce the risk of wildfires. All practices in the bill are scientifically proven methods to reduce wildfire risk. Nothing in the bill expands ability for Forest Service to log or do any other activity they don’t already have authority to do
• Prevents citizens from holding federal agencies accountable
• Response: FOFA places forest management plan litigation on the same standard as many surface transportation, energy, and aviation projects

Next Steps

• Appreciation to House Yea votes
• If your Member of Congress voted in favor of FOFA, send an appreciation to the office/post on social media
• https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/202525?Page=2
• In the coming weeks, we will begin to take action on the Senate side (please wait for our guidance)
• In the meantime, identify the best messages on FOFA for your specific Senator

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Time For Questions

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Thank You!

Email: Dana.Nuccitelli@citizensclimate.org

Jennifer.Tyler@citizensclimatelobby.org

Nerd Corner link: cclusa.org/nerd-corner

Questions? Ask on CCL Community’s Forums: https://community.citizensclimate.org/forums

www.citizensclimatelobby.org