In mid-January, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the "Fix Our Forests Act" (FOFA), a deeply flawed piece of legislation. Despite its name and claims of reducing wildfire risk, the bill is largely industry-backed and would significantly weaken environmental protections. It threatens to increase clear-cut logging in national forests, diminish community involvement in decision-making, and endanger wildlife, habitats, and clean water sources. Moreover, the legislation could ultimately exacerbate wildfire risks rather than mitigate them.
Proponents of this bill are exploiting the devastation of the Los Angeles wildfires to advance a political agenda that benefits the logging industry. By tying California’s much-needed disaster relief to a long-standing industry effort to weaken environmental protections, they are effectively holding communities hostage. This cynical attempt to use a national tragedy for political and financial gain is unacceptable and must be opposed.
The claim that FOFA would have prevented the California wildfires is both false and dangerous. These devastating fires were urban and chaparral-based, not originating on federal forest lands. Instead of advancing misleading narratives, Congress should focus on implementing the bipartisan Wildfire Commission's recommendations such as legislation aimed at strengthening homes and communities against the growing threat of climate-driven wildfires. Additionally, swift disaster relief for affected communities must remain a top priority.
We urgently need your help in opposing three particularly harmful provisions in the bill:
Weakening Environmental Review and Public Input
FOFA undermines the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) by allowing environmental and community impact assessments for logging projects to occur after the fact, defeating the purpose of such reviews. Once trees are cut down, the damage is irreversible. This rollback is particularly harmful to local communities and Tribes that depend on forests for subsistence, cultural practices, and outdoor recreation economies.
The bill also grants massive and unprecedented 10,000-acre categorical exclusions (CEs) from NEPA oversight. The Forest Service already applies CEs to 85% of its projects, and expanding them from 3,000 to 10,000 acres would effectively eliminate meaningful oversight and public engagement. Without thorough environmental review, misguided projects could repeat past mistakes, leading to long-term ecological harm rather than wildfire risk reduction.
Weakening Endangered Species Protections
FOFA erodes key provisions of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) by exempting the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management from their obligation to reassess environmental impacts when new species are listed, new critical habitats are designated, or emerging science reveals greater threats to at-risk species. While reconsultation under Section 7 of the ESA is infrequent, it is essential for species recovery, especially as climate change accelerates habitat loss and extinction risks. Eliminating this safeguard could push more species toward irreversible decline.
Undermining Judicial Oversight and Public Accountability
Section 121 of the bill dangerously restricts judicial oversight by limiting citizens’ ability to challenge unlawful government actions in court. It slashes the statute of limitations for filing lawsuits from six years to just 120 days—an unreasonably short timeframe that would prevent many communities from having their voices heard. Additionally, the bill bars courts from requiring agencies that violated environmental laws to correct their unlawful actions, further eroding public accountability and government transparency.
These provisions represent an overreach that prioritizes industry interests at the expense of communities, ecosystems, and democratic safeguards. We must take action to ensure they do not become law. The Fix Our Forests Act is a misguided and dangerous piece of legislation that prioritizes industry profits over environmental protection, public safety, and democratic accountability. At a time when communities need real wildfire solutions and disaster relief, this bill moves us in the wrong direction.
Click here to contact the California U.S Senators and urge them to oppose any version of FOFA that includes these harmful provisions. Demand that Congress focus on real, science-based wildfire solutions that protect communities, safeguard public lands, and strengthen environmental protections rather than dismantling them.
You can also reach the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and an operator will connect you directly with your senators' offices.
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