Press Releases
Rep. Gosar Urges Obama Administration to Advance Important Arizona Forest Health Project
Washington, DC,
April 19, 2012
Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ) today urged the Obama Administration to end the unnecessary delays related to the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) contract and proceed with important thinning and wildfire reduction efforts expeditiously.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 18, 2012 CONTACT: Apryl Marie Fogel AprylMarie.Fogel@mail.house.gov Rep. Gosar Urges Obama Administration to Advance Important Arizona Forest Health Project 4FRI will restore 2.5 million acres of Arizona’s Forests and revitalizes the timber industry Congressman Paul Gosar (R-AZ) today urged the Obama Administration to end the unnecessary delays related to the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) contract and proceed with important thinning and wildfire reduction efforts expeditiously. The Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4-FRI) is a proposal that will restore 2.5 million acres of ponderosa pine forests on the Apache-Sitgraves, Coconino, Kaibab, and Tonto National Forests. This first of its kind large-scale treatment calls for the Forest Service to partner with private industry to reduce damaging wildfire impacts, as well as provide forest jobs, markets for wood products, and ecological restoration. The Request for Proposals (RFP) for the 4FRI was officially released by the U.S. Forest Service on July 15, 2011. The contract was supposed to be awarded late last year; however the agency has missed multiple deadlines. The Forest Service has not communicated the reasons for delays, despite multiple requests from member of the Arizona Congressional Delegation, Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, the affected counties and cities. *** A text of the letter to Chief Tom Tidwell follows. *** April 18, 2012 The Honorable Tom Tidwell Dear Chief Tidwell: First, I would like to thank you for willingness to work with my office on a wide variety of forest-related issues my constituents have grappled with over the past year and a half. I am proud of the progress we have made and remain committed to constructively working with you in order to solve the many challenges communities in my district continue to face. I am writing today regarding a topic we have discussed many times: the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI). The citizens of Arizona have become increasingly frustrated with the excessive administrative delays that have stymied the implementation of this important forest health project. Worse, if more delays continue, Arizona will likely face more severe wildfire catastrophes. Last year, over one million acres of Forest Service lands -- as well as another 600,000 acres of federal, state, and private lands -- burned throughout the American Southwest. The Wallow Fire in particular, a catastrophic mega-fire that burned more than half a million acres, supplanting the 2002 Rodeo-Chediski Fire as the largest wildfire in Arizona history, devastated numerous communities in my district. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the southwestern United States is currently experiencing drought conditions that are predicted to intensify in the coming months. These conditions leave my constituents vulnerable to yet another devastating fire season and underscore the need for progress in Arizona’s overgrown forests. On February 17th, 2012 before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, you personally stated “it is my understanding that in early March we'll be awarding the contract for that to be able to get that project up and going.” Over a month later, the contract has not been awarded, and no one within the Forest Service can provide my office a justification for the delay. This correspondence is not intended to influence the factors considered when awarding the contract. This matter should be handled in strict accordance with existing agency rules, regulations, and ethical guidelines. This correspondence is, however, intended to express the concerns I hear across Arizona. If there are legitimate problems that justify the need to hold up the award, the U.S. Forest Service has an obligation to communicate clearly with the people of Arizona. I strongly support the Four Forest Restoration Initiative. This first-of-its-kind large-scale treatment will reduce damaging wildfire impacts, as well as provide forest jobs, markets for wood products, and ecological restoration. If successful, the project will serve as a national model for landscape-scale, fiscally responsible forest restoration treatments. The project has garnered the support of the entire Arizona Congressional Delegation, Governor Brewer, leaders in the state legislature, the affected counties and cities, and an unprecedented range of environmental groups and industry partners. I am concerned unnecessary delays threaten the strength of this coalition. I know the setbacks have made many of my constituents skeptical that true progress towards forest health in our state will be realized. Rural Arizonans are tired of being victims of failed forest management policies. ### |