Federal Forest Resource Coalition

1. Federal Forest Resource Coalition Bill Imbergamo, Executive Director

2. FFRC in 2013 • Added new members in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Utah. • Michigan Members Increased Commitment 300% • Added first County Government Members • Now have presence in 32 States

3. FFRC Continues to Grow

4. FFRC Continues to Grow Expanded PAC to multi-candidate status OFW Staffing increased commitment from Legislative Team Developing new website and strategic communications plan

5. Forest Service Timber Sales vs. Total Acres of Wildfire, Since 1990:

6. Much of the National Forest System is off limits to Management Already 18.1% is designated Wilderness 31.9% is in Roadless Areas 25.3% is “Suited for Timber Production” Working to make that designation meaningful.

7. Growth has drastically exceeded removals for the last 3 decades: Federal Forest Resource Coalition

8. Forests and Wood Products Sequester CO2 WildlandFires Release CO2

9. Decreasing Investments in Forest Infrastructure have lead to a $6 Billion Deferred Maintenance Backlog:

10. Over the last 5 years, NFS sold 38% of the Allowable Sale Quantity called for in existing Forest Plans.

11. 2013: A Year of Running in Place: Timber output stable in spite of 5% Sequester to NFS budget. USDA predicted output would fall to 2.2 BBF (turned out to be wrong) USFS left 400 MBF on the table because of appeals, litigation Would have INCREASED outputs by 15%

12. 2013: A Year of Running in Place Government shutdown created unnecessary disruptions $600 million in fire borrowing starting in August. Supplementals and CR’s ultimately repaid all 2012 and 2013 fire borrowing

13. 2013: A Year of Running in Place: Some things DID get done: Objection Process for all Projects done under EA’s and EIS’s House moved a reform bill (HR 1526) FFRC testified in both the House and Senate on Reform Administration still refuses to engage

14. 2014: A Return to Regular Order? 2014 Omnibus Spending Bill: Good Neighbor Authority Expanded; CE Projects Exempted from Appeals FS directed to track payments to litigants under the Equal Access to Justice Act. Restored sequester cuts to timber and added $150 million to hazardous fuels

15. 2014: A Return to Regular Order? Farm Bill: Is this the year? Reauthorization of Stewardship Contracting with Fire Liability Fix Expanded forest health authority with 3,000 acre discretionary Categorical Exclusion Expansion of Designation by Description Exemption for Forest Roads?

16. Musical Chairs in Congress: House Approps Subcommittee on Interior: New Chairman (Ken Calvert, R-CA, Riverside) New Ranking Member in 2014 (Probably Betty McCollum, D-MN, St. Paul)

17. Musical Chairs in Congress: House Natural Resources Committee: New Ranking Member (Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-OR Eugene) Majority Committee Staff departed in January.

18. Musical Chairs in Congress: Senate Energy & Natural Resources: Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) to take the reigns in February Sen. Ron Wyden is retaining his seat while taking the gavel at Finance

19. Musical Chairs in Congress: Other Prominent Departures: Sen. James Coburn (R-OK) Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) Rep. George Miller (D-CA) Rep. Jo Bonner (R-AL)

20. Prospects on Budget • Omnibus sets up nearly 9 months of appropriations stability • We expect the Administration’s budget to be late again this year. • House and Senate have largely gone “down the middle” on the Forest Service Budget

21. Prospects on Budget Congress has: Not expanded IRR beyond pilot status Not agreed with Admin’s proposed increases in land acquisition Kept timber funding level while cutting other programs Allowed CI&M backlog to balloon from $5 billion in 2008 to over $6 billion today

22. Prospects for Fundamental Reform FFRC Proposal calls for “trust” approach some portion of the NFS Reduced requirements for analysis, limits on appeals and litigation Trust model with strong fiduciary responsibility

23. Pressing for Fundamental Reform One more Senate Hearing next Week (Feb 6th, FFRC will testify) Once Landrieu takes the reigns, we’ll see how much appetite there is for reform Apparent that leadership will come from Sen. Barrasso (R-WY)

24. Pressing for Fundamental Reform Barrasso Draft: • 7.5 million “suitable” acres designated as “Forest Management Emphasis Areas” • FS must conduct harvest on these over 15 years (16% of suitable base, 3.8% of the NFS). • 100 page EA; proposed action and 1 alternative, limits on cumulative effects analysis, FS conducts their own ESA consultation. • Projects subject to objection process and binding arbitration, rather than litigation.

25. Fire Borrowing: FLAME Act has FLAMED Out: • subjected to overhead, redirection to “deficit reduction,” treated as part of 10-year average. • First 3 years after enactment were “slow” fire years, funds were stolen in the name of fiscal probity • Slightly over $1 billion in Fire borrowing since 2012.

26. Fire Borrowing: • Wildfire Disaster Act (S. 1875) • Creates a “budget cap exemption” for firefighting expenses beyond 75% of the 10-year average. • FS required to submit a budget proposal that requests this funding level. • Beyond this the agency accesses mandated funds the same as FEMA. • FFRC working with a broad coalition to support enactment.

27. Prospects for Success? Instability and brinksmanship cratered Congressional approval ratings in 2013 Competitive Election in 2014 raises the prospects of action in 2015, so current leaders may try to control events by moving now. Improved chances for Farm Bill and “regular order”-like approach to Approps

28. Prospects for Success? Focusing on Senate to help “encourage” administration to engage constructively Preparing to engage heavily in rulemaking processes. Onward!