State of Montana Newsroom
Gov. Gianforte Urges President Biden to Support the Resilient Federal Forests Act
HELENA, Mont. – Following their meeting in late July on wildfire, Governor Greg Gianforte today urged President Joe Biden to support the bipartisan Resilient Federal Forests Act.
“Introduced by 70 members of Congress in July with the backing of 90 organizations, this bill will support proactive, science-based forest management at a pace and scale that match the urgency of the forest health crisis we face,” the governor wrote in a letter to the President.
Outlining the benefits of the bill, the governor continued, “It gives the U.S. Forest Service additional tools to manage millions of acres of federal forest and reduce wildfire risk. It also addresses a concern raised in our conversation by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, which I was encouraged to hear you share, by helping to end frivolous lawsuits that delay essential forest management projects from moving forward.”
In his meeting with President Biden and other governors last month, the governor called for meaningful forest management to improve forest health and reduce the risk of wildfire. Several other governors joined him in that call.
At the state level, the governor has set out to more than double the number of acres treated this year as compared to last year in Montana.
In late July, the governor announced signed project agreements for 14 cross-boundary, active management projects associated with the Montana Forest Action Plan.
The governor’s letter to President Biden urging his administration’s support of meaningful forest management through the Resilient Federal Forests Act can be found here.
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