Time to Manage our Forests and Stop Allowing Fringe Groups to Win in Court
Last Tuesday, I chaired a forest management roundtable with U.S. Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen, Department of the Interior Assistant Secretary Susan Combs and Wyoming County Commissioner Joel Bousman.
We focused on the devastating impact frivolous litigation has on forest management projects, specifically how the Ninth Circuit Court’s Cottonwood decision is being used by fringe environmental groups to block forest management projects without benefit to conservation or species protections.
Today, there are approximately nine active lawsuits in Montana threatening important forest management projects. Even worse… RY Timber in Townsend just shut down largely due to litigation.
These radical environmentalists are killing jobs all across Montana, and that’s why I’m fighting to bring commonsense forest management back to Montana.
I’ll soon be introducing bipartisan forestry legislation to address the Cottonwood decision and help us better manage our forests from deadly wildfires.
Best Wishes,
Steve Daines
United States Senate
