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WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04)released the following statement after the House passed his Good Neighbor Authority for Counties Amendment this week as part of H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act:
"Allowing local communities to assist with actively managing our nation’s forests will help mitigate the threat of catastrophic wildfire, reduce flooding, enhance forest health and improve water quality. Some counties have actual foresters or other land management professionals on-staff and want to do this kind of work themselves. All that’s missing is an authorization from Congress. This common sense amendment provides that authority and puts more power in the hands of local communities who need work done but have nowhere to turn under the status quo. With 80 million acres of forest currently considered high-risk and 43 active large fires currently burning throughout the country, the more people treating and actively managing our forests the better."
Background:
On June 21, 2018, the House passed H.R. 2, the Agriculture and Nutrition Act, commonly referred to as the Farm Bill. H.R. 2 included Congressman Gosar’s amendment that allows counties to enter into Good Neighbor Authority cooperative agreements and contracts with the U.S. Forest Service in order to improve forest health and bolster watershed restoration.
Currently, Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) authorizes the Forest Service to enter into cooperative agreements and contracts with States and Puerto Rico to execute projects that perform watershed restoration and forest management services on National Forest System lands. The original text of the Farm Bill included language to expand Good Neighbor Authority to Indian Tribes. The Gosar amendment builds on that common sense provision by authorizing the Forest Service to also include counties as partners to these agreements.
Good Neighbor Authority Projects have been remarkably successful. From 2002-2013, 63 projects treated more than 4,100 acres in Colorado and Utah.
2017 one of the worst wildfire seasons on record. The Forest Service spent $2.9 billion on suppression costs - a new record.More than 12,300 structures were lost and fires burned approximately 10 million acres. According to the Forest Service, another 80 million acres throughout the country are currently considered high-risk.
Counties on both sides of the aisle requested this amendment and new authority. The problem in Coconino County, Arizona is that the wood is low-value timber so they can’t attract private industry to thin their forest for pending work they need completed. Coconino County has a Forest Restoration Director who would be in charge of these county Good Neighbor Authority Agreements. This is a director-level executive position that reports directly to the Deputy County Manager. Adams County, Idaho, population of 4,000, has a natural resources committee that is chaired by a retired Forest Service employee, who also serves on the local forest collaborative. While some counties will likely contract with outside entities to perform the work, county contracts will be overseen by someone such as an auditor or clerk.
The National Association of Counties supported this amendment stating, “NACo stands ready to work with you to promote locally supported, consensus-driven solutions to address forest management challenges and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. NACo encourages the U.S. House of Representatives to adopt your amendment to H.R. 2, and give counties the opportunity to assist our federal partners to make our national forests healthy again.”
Cosponsors of the Gosar amendment included: Representatives Greg Gianforte (MT-AT Large), Steve Pearce (NM-02), Chris Stewart UT-02), Scott Tipton (CO-03).
The Gosar amendment was endorsed by: the American Forest Resource Council, American Loggers Council, Associated California Loggers, Federal Forest Resource Coalition, Great Lakes Timber Professionals, the National Association of Counties (NACo), National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, National Water Resources Association, Public Lands Council, Arizona Association of Conservation Districts, Agribusiness & Water Council of Arizona, Golden Vertex Corp., SRT Outdoors, AZ BASS Nation, The Bass Federation-AZ, Colorado Pork Producers Council, Alaska Miners Association, Arizona Cattlemen’s Association, Apache County Supervisor Doyel Shamley, Yavapai Cattle Growers Association, Bullhead Area Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee, Arizona State Senator Sylvia Allen, Arizona Mining Association, Arizona Rock Products Association, American Exploration & Mining Association, Sulphur Springs Valley Electric Cooperative, Inc., Arizona Pork Council, Women's Mining Coalition, Salt River Project, Grand Canyon State Electric Cooperative Association, Pima Natural Resource Conservation District, Placer County Water Agency.
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