Earthjustice: TAKE ACTION! This bill would clear-cut our national forests and silence your voice

The so-called “Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017” (H.R. 2936) is a stunning setback to our public lands.

TAKE ACTION! This bill would clear-cut our national forests and silence your voice

A bill making its way through Congress threatens to destroy environmental and judicial protections. Tell your representative to vote NO on H.R. 2936.

Lawmakers in Congress with radical agendas are trying to slip through a bill that would clear-cut our cherished national forests and silence your voice. We need your help to defeat it. The so-called “Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017” (H.R. 2936) is a stunning setback to our public lands. It is one of the most extreme attacks we’ve ever seen on our national forests and many of the bedrock laws that protect our public lands, wildlife and the fabric of our democracy. A more appropriate name for this bill, which passed the House Natural Resources Committee in late June, would be the “Massive Gift to the Timber Industry at All Costs Act of 2017”. Here are just a few ways this bill threatens to destroy environmental and judicial protections: It not only leaves millions of acres of protected roadless areas vulnerable to harmful road building and logging, it also shifts funding away from environmental restoration to timber production. It attacks the Endangered Species Act by eliminating checks and balances designed to avoid jeopardizing listed species and destroying their habitat. It cuts out meaningful public involvement provided by the National Environmental Policy Act by creating multiple waivers for environmental review, and it eliminates the opportunity for public citizens to hold the government accountable in a court of law. It puts our national monuments at risk by overriding Cascade-Siskiyou’s National Monument designation. Our national forests and grasslands are a national treasure. They provide a broad range of values and benefits, including clean air and water, outstanding recreational opportunities, biodiversity, fish and wildlife habitat, forest products, erosion control, soil renewal and more. It is critical to preserve and protect these public lands for future generations to come, and to provide the Forest Service with the resources it needs to do so. Any day now, H.R. 2936 will be rushed to the House floor for a vote in time for certain lawmakers to return home to praise by their deep-pocketed timber industry buddies during the August congressional recess. Help prevent the clear cutting of our forests and our democracy: Tell your representative to vote NO on this dangerous bill. Sincerely,

Tracy Coppola Senior Legislative Counsel TAKE ACTION