Rep. Schrier’s Bipartisan Bill to Clean-Up Damaged Forest Lands Signed into Law

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Kim Schrier, M.D. (WA-08) announced that her bipartisan bill to fund the remediation and restoration of damaged public lands was signed into law by President Joe Biden as part of the FY23 government funding bill. The National Forest Restoration and Remediation Act was introduced in 2021 with U.S. Representatives Matt Rosendale (R-MT), Joe Neguse (D-CO), and Doug LaMalfa (R-CA). This law will allow the Forest Service to collect and keep the interest earned on settlement funds in order to supplement restoration efforts. It passed unanimously in the House Agriculture Committee and through the House with strong bipartisan support.

Rep. Schrier’s remarks on her bill can be found here.

“The Forest Service is responsible for overseeing the remediation and restoration of lands damaged by mining activities and human-caused wildfires. When the negligent actions of companies or individuals result in damages to Forest Service property, officials enter a settlement agreement with the responsible parties to hold them accountable,” said Rep. Schrier. “This bipartisan, commonsense legislation would allow the Forest Service to collect and keep the interest earned on settlement funds, much like other Federal agencies do, in order to supplement restoration efforts. As the West continues to experience catastrophic wildfires every year, it’s important to ensure the Forest Service can use accrued interest to protect and remediate forests.”

“Congresswoman Schrier’s bill is a testament to her hard work and commitment to the people of her district and our Western forest communities. Coming off years of historic wildfires, ensuring that the Forest Service has every tool available for wildfire remediation and restoration is imperative. I enthusiastically support this bipartisan legislation,” said House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member David Scott.

Right now, the Forest Service does not have the authority to retain interest on settlement funds like other Federal agencies, such as the Department of Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency.

The National Forest Restoration and Remediation Act becoming law will now allow the Forest Service to retain interest on settlement funds and apply those additional resources to complete necessary restoration work. Without this additional funding, the value of settlement funds diminishes over time and the Forest Service can face long-term budget shortfalls for environmental clean-up.  If this bill had been in place between Fiscal Years 2015 and 2019, the Forest Service would have received more than $7.5 million to supplement environmental restoration.