Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2022 — Senate Hearing (May 26, 2021)
Summary
Transcript of a May 26, 2021 hearing of the Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations on Department of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2022, on the United States Forest Service, with Jeff Merkley presiding as Chairman. Senator Merkley welcomes Chief Christiansen to a hearing on budgeting for the future of forest management while awaiting the details of President Biden's first budget request. Senator Merkley says the 2020 wildfire season was one of the most destructive in Oregon history and that the fires burned more than a million acres and took the lives of 11 Oregonians. A closing answer states that the Forest Service is continuing efforts to establish an agreement that may provide some monetary relief for Polk County.
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“Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2022 — Senate Hearing (May 26, 2021).”
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[Senate Hearing 117-]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT AND RELATED AGENCIES
APPROPRIATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022
----------
WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2021
U.S. Senate,
Subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met at 10:31 a.m.., in room SD 138,
Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Jeff Merkley (Chairman)
presiding.
Present: Senators Merkley, Feinstein, Heinrich, Murkowski,
and Hyde-Smith.
UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE
OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATOR JEFF MERKLEY
Senator Merkley. Ranking Member Murkowski and Chief
Christiansen and other colleagues and constituents joining us
in person and remotely. Welcome to this Appropriations hearing
on budgeting for the future of forest management. While we
eagerly await the release of the details of President Biden's
first budget request, we still have plenty to discuss today
about the impact that funding for the Forest Service makes in
forests and communities in Oregon, in Alaska, and in every
State across the United States.
Chief Christiansen, thank you for joining us today. As a
Washington State native and with your 26 years in the State
Department of Natural Resources, you are well versed in the
issues and ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest and the dangers
of climate chaos to our forests and future generations. Forests
are integral to the identity of my home State of Oregon. We
value forests as the headwaters for our State's clean drinking
water, the genesis of our salmon runs, and the backbone of our
outdoor recreation and rural economies. The Forest Service and
the dedicated professionals that make up its ranks are critical
to the State, our people, and our economy.
The 2020 wildfire season was one of the most destructive in
Oregon history. Fires devastated the towns of Detroit, Gates,
Phoenix, and Talent. I will never forget visiting those towns
and seeing the incinerated remains.
The fires burned more than a million acres and took the
lives of 11 Oregonians. Last summer, I drove from the Northern
boundary to the Southern boundary of the State and back, more
than 600 miles, and was never out of the smoke of the fires. It
is clear from the science that we need to restore our forests
because they play a significant role in curing the climate
crisis. I am ready to help the administration provide the
resources the Forest Service needs to improve forest management
practices, stop the incidence of catastrophic fire, and invest
in the small towns and rural areas that anchor our Nation's
natural resource and outdoor recreation economies.
One tool I have long supported for that goal is the
Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program in Oregon.
We have seen successful collaborative work to reduce the risk
of fire, bringing together all the stakeholders from across the
spectrum, restoring habitats, improving recreational
opportunities, and at the same time creating and maintaining
jobs.
It is critically important that the Forest Service
prioritize reducing the backlog of approved fuels management
projects that are sitting on the shelf in Oregon. There are
more than 2 million acres that have completed NEPA review and
are ready to be implemented. And I would really like to work
with you, Chief Christiansen, to reduce this backlog and
jumpstart these projects today as we examine the challenges and
opportunities for budgeting for the future of forest
management.
I am proud to say that the funding landscape has recently
changed significantly for the Forest Service. In less than 2
years, we have passed several landmark achievements that will
have lasting positive impacts on conservation, the health of
our forests, and management of public lands. First, the
wildfire suppression cap adjustment became operational in
fiscal year 2020, providing a funding stream outside regular
discretionary budget to protect the Forest Service from the
ruinous practice of fire borrowing. Fire borrowing, is that
situation when terrible fires occur and the budget exceeded,
the Forest Service has to borrow from all its other programs in
order to fight the fires, disrupting those critical other
programs.
But then we have a challenge because the budget caps are
expiring, and so the foundation of that solution also expires,
and we will have to come together and work to create a similar
pool of funds to turn to when the ordinary budget is exceeded.
If we fail, fire borrowing will come roaring back doing major
damage to the Forest Service and I don't think any of us want
to see that happen again.
In fiscal year 2021, the Forest Service proposed, and
Congress enacted a significant reorganization of its budget
structure. This restructuring created a new appropriations
account for general operations and consolidated personnel
costs.
This sounds a little bit like a sleepy accounting issue,
but these changes will improve workforce planning and foster
better understanding of forest activities, actual costs, and
help us target the appropriations where funds are needed most.
And last year we enacted the Great American Outdoors Act,
which provides permanent mandatory funding to the Land and
Water Conservation Fund. This monumental legislation will allow
the Forest Service to assist States in keeping working forests
as forests through the Forest Legacy Program championed by
Chairman Leahy and bring into Federal ownership special places
that deserve preservation. The Act also provided a 5 year
mandatory funding stream for deferred maintenance at our land
management agencies, of which the Forest Service will receive
$285 million per year for a total of $1.4 billion by fiscal
year 2025.
I am pleased, of course, that there are several Oregon
projects on the inaugural list of projects like replacing the
boiler at the historic and iconic Timberline Lodge. Yet that is
only one of the several very expensive repairs needed, at Mt.
Hood and across Forest Service lands, in the State, and across
the Nation. So I look forward to hearing about the process for
prioritizing future projects.
Chief Christiansen, there is a lot of work to do, and I
look forward to your presentation today and how the Forest
Service plans to undertake these enormous responsibilities. And
with that, I would like to turn to Ranking Member Murkowski for
any comments she would wish to make.
Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning,
and Chief, good morning. It is good to see you. Thank you for
the conversation that we had. Greatly appreciate it and looking
forward to the exchange here this morning. As we gather to
discuss how to make our forests healthier and more resilient,
you can't help but reflect on how that has always been the
goal, but the means and impediments to achieving that goal have
changed and in some ways seem like a moving target.
Now, with the availability of the fire fix and efforts to
modernize the Forest Service budgeting process, both the Forest
Service and Congress have the ability to identify long standing
gaps that stand in the way of the progress that we all want.
And while the process has sometimes been uncomfortable, on
balance, it is good for the agency, and I am grateful for the
continued collaboration to build on these efforts. Regardless
of the issues that we discuss whether it is wildland,
firefighting hazardous fuels management, special use permitting
and beyond, issues surrounding agency capacity are cited as
barriers to success.
So I am glad to hear that the Forest Service is taking the
need for human capital planning seriously. We had an
opportunity to speak to that. In some cases, lack of capacity
is directly linked to funding, and in others it is a function
of priority. Ensuring that the agency has the right people in
place to carry out a prioritized and coordinated strategy to
improve forest health is not going to happen overnight. But if
the Forest Service makes it a priority, it will yield important
benefits. I know that COVID presented additional challenges for
the Service, so I am going to look forward to hearing from you
on what you have learned from that and how it will impact the
long term thinking of the agency.
Last year, Alaska was spared the catastrophic fires that we
have seen in the lower 48 States, and certainly, Mr. Chairman,
in your State, that in Senator Feinstein and so many States. It
was just a devastating, devastating year. In Alaska, we are
increasingly concerned about the fire potential in areas with
severe spruce bark beetle outbreaks. I know that my colleagues
in the lower 48 are dealing with drought and other tree
mortality issues. So I am going to look forward to hearing from
you, Chief, about wildfire planning for the remainder of the
year.
As I mentioned, we have got our first notable fire in
Alaska. It is in the newspaper today. And oddly enough, it is
out in the Bristol Bay region. This is an area where we don't
have big trees, they are almost more shrub like and it is a
very, very wet, almost wetlands environment in many parts of
it. So it speaks to, I think, some of the impacts that we are
seeing from climate change, just warming temperatures in these
areas. And so how we address this, how we respond is important.
I was in Iceland last week at the Arctic Council Ministerial,
and it is fascinating to me that in the conversations that we
have among the Arctic nations, we are talking about the impact
from significant wildfires.
We saw the fires out of Russia these past couple seasons
and the impact that these fires have and then moving, literally
moving that ash and that cinder throughout the jet stream
there. So wildfires are significant for us throughout the
country and really throughout the world. It is no secret that
the Forest Service plays an outsized role in Southeast Alaska's
economy. Chief, I know that you are very aware of the
complexities associated with activities in the Tongass, and I
know that this administration is taking a different approach in
the Tongass than the previous one.
I am disappointed that rather than building on all of the
good work done over the past few years to evaluate the impact
of the roadless rule on the Tongass and the Tongass dependent
communities, that the administration has kind of hit the pause
button on all of this. And this is disheartening to those who
are involved with timber harvest. The timber program transition
from old to young growth timber in the forest is one that has
been underway. It hasn't been easy for a lot of folks to
accept, but many who have were hopeful, but they are losing
faith as the old growth bridge that was promised has failed to
materialize. Those that took a leap of faith and invested early
in the transition have also been disappointed by the Service's
lack of action.
And we had an opportunity to speak about the other issues
as they relate to tariffs and the impact that that has had. As
you know, the Roadless Rule in the Tongass is not just about
timber. The Roadless Rule has been the single largest
impediment to economic access in Southeast because it affects
all sectors of the economy, including mining, renewable energy,
and recreation and tourism. We don't have to choose between a
healthy forest and a healthy economy in the Southeast.
So I am certain that in a nearly 17 million acre forest, we
can find a way to have both. So I would hope that we can work
together, and you will work with me to provide some kind of
relief to the folks in the Southeast. Chief, I know we are
waiting to see the final outlines of the President's budget,
but I am looking forward to your testimony this morning as you
inform us of your vision on how we can improve resiliency in
our Nation's forest.
With that, Mr. Chairman, I thank you and I am looking
forward to the conversation.
Senator Merkley. Great. Thank you very much, Senator
Murkowski. And I know Alaska and Oregon and California and New
Mexico, represented by Senators who are present in the room,
all States that have a lot of issues connected to forests. We
are going to turn to question periods now. And because of
Senator Feinstein's other commitment, we will turn to her
first.
Senator Feinstein. I am sorry, I missed what you were
saying. That you are turning to me for----
Senator Merkley. For your first question period.
FEDERAL FIREFIGHTER PAY DISPARITY
Senator Feinstein. Oh, alright. Thank you. My main concern,
Mr. Chairman and distinguished Senator from Alaska, is the
salary situation. And let me put it right on the table. We have
19 million acres under Federal jurisdiction. State pay is
$70,000. That is what Cal Fire pays to a State firefighter. The
United States Forest Service pays $38,000. That is the
differential. That is the problem. And the loss in fire is just
tremendous.
I think that we have to move some way in a bill to make
that change, and I would like to turn to ask the question of
the leader of the Department. Chief, do you believe that this
inequity in pay makes a big difference in California, which has
19 million acres of Federal fire land?
Ms. Christiansen. Thank you, Senator. Good morning. Thank
you so much for the question and for acknowledging what is a
real gap in competitive pay. It is very acute in California,
but we have competitive pay issues when those are compared to
State, local, and even the private sector. You named it average
for a U.S. Forest Service firefighters is $38,000 a year.
State, local, and private entities can range from $70,000 to
$88,000 a year and their benefits are better.
We have folks that are absolutely committed to the mission
of the Forest Service. But at that wage--that gap in the wage,
they are going on to work for other entities. So we really
appreciate working with you to bridge this gap and to discuss,
we need more of a year-round workforce as well.
Senator Feinstein. Well, thank you, Chief. Thank you very
much for that, because I have been around a long time, was a
mayor for 9 years of the city, and I have never seen a pay
differential this stark as the difference between Federal
firefighter pay and State firefighter pay. And California is
paying with 19 million acres that burned last year, 10,000
structures burned, and half of those were homes. So the reason
I am here is to say we need to move and do something about it.
So let me ask another question, do you have the mobility,
Chief, to make the necessary moves to prevent this inequity
from showing in actual firefighting?
Ms. Christiansen. Senator, thank you. We certainly can
bring a strong voice to this problem, but we have to work
across the Federal Government with the Office of Personnel
Management and with, of course, other agencies, with the
Federal wildland firefighters, Department of Interior being the
largest with the U.S. Forest Service. Secretary Vilsack has
made a commitment to bring leadership to this, and we really
look forward to working with you here in Congress to address
this issue.
Senator Feinstein. Thank you. I don't want to take more
time, but I hope the Members of this subcommittee can see this
differential, a starting salary of $38,500, as opposed to
California foresters being paid $70,000 and having a State
where 58 percent of the forest is under Federal jurisdiction.
That is the situation, those are the actual numbers, so it is a
real problem, and I would hope the subcommittee would work with
me and others and try to solve it.
Senator Merkley. Thank you very much, Senator, for making
that important point. And we will now turn to an opening
statement from Chief Christiansen.
STATEMENT OF HON. VICKI CHRISTIANSEN, CHIEF, UNITED
STATES FOREST SERVICE
Ms. Christiansen. Chairman Merkley and Ranking Member
Murkowski and Members of the subcommittee, thanks for the
invitation. Today, I will highlight the work we are doing to
serve the American people and steward the Nation's forests. I
will share how this work lines up with the new administration's
highest priorities. Specifically, I will detail how the Forest
Service is backing the effort to end the COVID pandemic. I will
share our resolve to employ science to tackle climate change,
fight wildfires, and sustain productive, resilient forests.
We are also doing our part to spur job growth, boost
economies, and rebuild infrastructure. Lastly, I will touch on
our staunch commitment to advance racial equity as we create an
inclusive workplace where every employee feels respected and
valued. Controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. I am proud to say
last year, despite the pandemic as well as historic natural
disasters, the Forest Service rose to the challenge. We hosted
200 percent more visitors on the national forests as they
sought respite from the surge of the pandemic.
In the last 4 months, the Forest Service played a sizable
role in helping USDA administer well over 2 million COVID
vaccines across the United States. But the long term challenge
we must confront is the crisis facing America's forests and
grasslands. The crisis results from a changing climate. It
induces severe wildfires, droughts, insects, disease and
invasive species infestations. And the severity and the
frequency of our wildfires is increasing, significantly
impacting our Nation's forests at an unprecedented rate and
destroying homes and businesses. The 2020 fire year became a
call to action. We saw the most acres burned on the Forest
Service lands since the big burn of 1910.
In many places, forests will not come back on their own,
which impacts the potential for carbon storage and limits the
land's capacity to further mitigate climate change. Despite the
pandemic, the Forest Service sustained our hazardous fuels
reduction work. But we know it is not enough. We need a
paradigm shift. Under the President's jobs plan, President
Biden is calling on Congress to significantly invest in
protection from extreme wildfire after confronting record
wildfires last year, we expect another long and arduous fire
year in 2021. We are prepared, but we remain deeply concerned
about the welfare and the pay of our thousands of firefighters.
We are grateful for your help in finding solutions that address
pay equity, fatigue, and the mental well-being of our
firefighters.
Just this Monday, a Forest Service firefighter was
seriously injured in New Mexico. He is a smoke jumper from
Montana. And this demonstrates the seriousness of this
business. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,
as I know yours are as well. You know, our infrastructure needs
are pressing, as are the economic needs of Americans. When we
improve the infrastructure of the national forests by upgrading
roads, trails, and recreation sites, it spurs job growth and
boost economies. Thanks to the Great America Outdoor Act, we
expect to create an additional 4,400 jobs and contribute an
estimated $420 million to the GDP annually. And I understand
the expectations that come with the fire funding fix, which
went into effect this fiscal year, or fiscal year 2020. And I
want to assure you that the Forest Service remains a good
investment.
We understand congressional expectations for increasing
accountability and oversight of fire spending. And during
fiscal year 2021, we did transition to the new budget structure
that helps us increase the transparency of our spending.
National forests and grasslands belong to every American. There
should be equal access, and every American must feel a personal
invitation and a connection to their lands.
Every American deserves to have a motivated workforce that
reflects our values, provides exemplary service, and mirrors
our population. We are committed to both starting in our own
house. The Forest Service continues to work hard to end
harassment, manage conflict, and create a work environment
where every employee feels safe, valued, respected and has a
sense of belonging. Thank you so much. I look forward to your
questions.
[The statement follows:]
Prepared Statement of Hon. Victoria Christiansen
Chair Merkley, Ranking Member Murkowski, and Members of the
subcommittee, thank you for inviting me here today to testify on the
President's fiscal year 2022 budget for the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service.
Over the past year, the coronavirus pandemic brought human loss and
suffering to untold numbers of American families. Job losses,
challenges with social distancing, separation of loved ones, telework,
and virtual schooling, all impacted our society and agency workforce.
In response, the Forest Service found new and imaginative ways of
performing our mission-critical work, including suppressing wildfire
with minimal risk of spreading the coronavirus (COVID-19); safely
working with partners to improve forest conditions; and hosting
unprecedented numbers of visitors on the National Forest System,
enabling them to safely enjoy their public lands. All while keeping
fiscal accountability and employee well-being as a foundation for our
work.
Given the challenges of the pandemic, we were able to complete and
sustain forest treatment work on the ground. The Forest Service
continued its focus to improve forest conditions to reduce wildfire
risk to communities on over 2.65 million acres. These actions included
removing hazardous fuels like dead and downed trees, and combating
disease, insect and invasive species infestations. We also improved
more than 443,400 acres through watershed restoration, with many of
these projects designed to improve climate resiliency, improve passage
for aquatic wildlife, or protect sources of drinking water on National
Forest System lands. The Forest Service moved nine watersheds to an
improved condition by completing all the essential projects in the
respective Watershed Restoration Action Plans. The Forest Service also
focused on providing jobs and stability for local economies through a
year of historic timber production, selling more than 3.2 billion board
feet of timber, the second highest level in 20 years.
In fiscal year 2021, we have treated nearly 1.1 million acres to
reduce wildfire risk and improve forest conditions. We have had great
success in implementing prescribed fire projects thus far , and the
agency is on track to meet the goal of 3.5 million acres treated by the
end of the fiscal year. These prescribed burns are low-intensity
surface fires that release substantially less carbon dioxide than
wildfires of the same size.
The Forest Service is doing its part to support jobs and aid the
economic stability of communities and municipalities where citizens
have suffered significant economic downturns resulting from the ongoing
pandemic. Specifically, the Forest Service has invested CARES ACT
funding to create and sustain jobs in rural communities, including
opportunities for university STEM students, hiring field crews and
increasing funding in contracts and agreements with States to hire
field crews to conduct catch-up surveys of Forest Inventory and plots.
Plot surveys fell behind in fiscal year 2020 because of extreme
wildfires in the West and because of the pandemic. This additional
investment alone created more than 50 jobs. Moreover, the Forest
Inventory and Analysis program's data and analyses provide essential
information to industry to inform mill location and to guide business
planning in the forest products sector by monitoring and projecting
wood volume and supply. This enhances the viability and profitability
of the entire sector, directly affecting tens of thousands of jobs.
Over 900 timber sale contracts have been extended, providing additional
time for purchasers to harvest timber.
We are also working to sustain rural small businesses and
industries by relying on local communities to fulfill logistical
firefighting personnel needs rather than outsource to larger cities,
keeping communities open by supporting lodging, restaurants, grocery
stores, and hardware suppliers.
In a year where demand for outdoor recreation reached record levels
during the pandemic, we expect a modest rise in spending from $9.5
billion in 2019 to just under $10 billion in 2020 and economic
contributions to the Gross Domestic Product to rise from $11.4 billion
to $12 billion with over 148,000 jobs supported. We have helped
families that depend on firewood to meet both heating and cooking needs
by issuing free firewood permits in times of public disaster or
emergencies to assist those impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
I will now discuss how our ongoing work to implement the fiscal
year 2021 budget aligns with the Biden administration's priorities for
fiscal year 2022, including helping to control the COVID-19 pandemic;
tackle climate change; provide economic relief through job creation;
advance racial equity; and further improve our work environment.
controlling the covid-19 pandemic
Last year, despite the coronavirus pandemic as well as historic
natural disasters and civil unrest, the Forest Service rose to the
challenge. Our responsibility as an employer, a service provider to the
public, and a manager of Federal recreation sites, is to ensure the
safety of our employees, contractors, and the public. This is our top
priority. That is why agency policy requires our employees, contractors
and visitors to wear a mask, maintain physical distance, and have
access to essential Personal Protective Equipment.
Our 2021 field work and fire seasons are currently underway. In
accordance with the administration's priority in Executive Order 13987
to halt the spread of COVID-19, by relying on the best available data
and science-based public health measures, the Forest Service will
continue to follow guidance in USDA's Workplace Safety Plan This Plan
is a detailed, data-driven COVID-19 workplace safety plan that
prioritizes the health and safety of our Federal employees and
contractors--whether they work in offices or out in the field. National
Forests are evaluating local conditions and mitigating risks ahead of
reopening more visitor centers, recreation sites and other public
venues. We are working to continue the successes achieved last year in
wildfire suppression response in maintaining the safety of our
employees, contractors and partners in shared quarters and fire camps.
tackling climate change
Today, the need to address the climate crisis is more urgent than
ever. Fire seasons are longer with wildfires occurring outside the span
of historic fire seasons in different parts of the country. Other
climate change threats include regional drought, invasive species, and
major outbreaks of insects and disease. The Forest Service stands ready
to meet these challenges and advance the administration's climate
goals. These challenges include researching the vulnerability of water
supplies and watersheds to a changing climate; conducting assessments
and providing tools such as the National Insects and Disease Risk Map;
and identifying optimal fuel treatment practices and accelerating the
pace and scale of prescribed fire.
Wildfire Management.--The 2020 fire year was unprecedented in many
ways. Not only did we fight fire during a global pandemic, but more
acres burned on Forest Service-managed lands than in any previous year
since the historic Big Burn of 1910. The increased frequency of
wildfires in the wildland-urban interface continues to impact more
homes and communities than ever before, with more acres burned in
California than in any previous year on record. In 2020, wildfires
destroyed nearly 18,000 homes and outbuildings (structures).
In 2021, we are anticipating and are prepared for another long and
arduous fire year. We continue to invest in pre-planned response using
risk assessments and analytics to inform fire managers about resource
allocations needed and used on fires. We are also investing in several
key technology and modernization portfolios; including, Data
Management, Enhanced Real Time Operating Picture, Decision Support
Applications, and Modern Tools for a Modern Response. Additionally,
implementation of the Large Fire Assessment process, as directed by the
Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Fiscal Year 2021 Omnibus), is
helping us better account for our actions while fostering a learning
culture. Cooperation with partners at the Federal, State, and local
levels also ensures we have a strong workforce of firefighters and
equipment to provide for safe and effective wildfire response
throughout the year.
Climate Adaptation and Mitigation.--In line with Executive Order
(E.O.) 14008, Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad, the
Forest Service is using science to advance climate-smart land
management, restoration, fire management, and science innovation and
delivery for the benefit of current and future generations. We are
building on past work by leading USDA's Climate Hubs. These Hubs
provide practical, proactive tools informed by science for landowners
and land managers. Maintaining climate-resilient landscapes is central
to virtually all Forest Service research and land management activities
and goals. For example, we are implementing acquisition of conservation
easements on private lands and increasing capacity for carbon
sequestration through reforestation and production of woody biomass for
forest products. All these activities are furthering the goals of E.O.
14008 to conserve 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030. We are
also coordinating with the Department of the Interior to support a
strategy for creating a Civilian Climate Corps, drawing on the agency's
unique expertise and history that builds on the legacy of the New Deal
Civilian Conservation Corps. Through the Climate Conservation Corps, we
will work to deliver forest and watershed health and resilience, carbon
sequestration, wildfire risk reduction, innovation in science and
science delivery, and improvements in sustainable operating
infrastructure. In addition, a Civilian Climate Corps will provide
career opportunities for a diverse generation of Americans in critical
work to promote environmental sustainability.
Restoration and Reforestation.--Natural resource challenges are
best met with collective action. Stakeholders of the Forest Service
broadly agree on the need for active measures to address the threats
across many of the landscapes we manage. Congress is doing their part
as well. The Forest Service has plans for the reforestation of over 1.3
million acres of National Forest System land. These plans address only
one third of National Forest System reforestation needs, which are
estimated at 4 million acres. Wildfires create over 80 percent of
reforestation needs, including approximately 1 million acres from the
2020 wildfire season. The Forest Service is also placing special
emphasis on planting the right species, in the right place, under the
right conditions, so forests will remain healthy over time.
Moving forward we will maintain our Shared Stewardship approach of
working together in an integrated way to make decisions and take
actions on the land. With this shared approach, the Forest Service is
working more closely than ever with States, Tribes, and other partners
on priority projects across landscapes and across all land ownerships.
We are sharing decisions and risks and achieving measurable outcomes
that we mutually define. This strategy is dependent on our employees--
our largest and most important investment. The successful delivery of
services and work starts with a highly skilled, motivated workforce.
They are essential to confronting the climate-related challenges facing
America's forests and grasslands; they are integral to the services and
experiences we offer to citizens, local communities, and our partners.
The administration has also placed a priority to restore nature-
based infrastructure including our lands, forests, wetlands,
watersheds, and other natural resources. As part of the American Jobs
Plan, the administration is calling on Congress to invest in protection
from extreme wildfires and the restoration of major water and land
resources. To accomplish this, the plan empowers local leaders to shape
these restoration and resilience project funds in line with the Outdoor
Restoration Force Act.
providing economic relief
The fiscal year 2021 Omnibus authorized the Secretary of
Agriculture to use up to $200 million to provide financial relief to
timber harvesting and timber hauling businesses that have experienced
financial losses due to COVID-19. Timber harvesters and haulers are
critical to forest management across the country. COVID-19 relief
assistance is a top priority of the Biden administration, and Forest
Service staff are coordinating with USDA Farm Services Agency staff to
implement this provision and get financial assistance to timber
harvesting and hauling businesses as soon as possible.
The Forest Service will also make positive impacts on State and
local economies thanks to the innovative authorities Congress provided
in the recently enacted Great American Outdoors Act. This significant
legislation will enable us to repair and upgrade vital infrastructure
and facilities in our national forests, and permanently funds the Land
and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), investing in conservation and
recreation opportunities on public and private lands. Projects will
enrich the lives of current and future generations by improving
landscape resiliency and increasing access. Recent investments in these
areas are an indication of Congress' expectations and trust in us, and
I look forward to continuing to work with you to meet those
expectations and trust. There is much more work to be done, and we are
committed to doing the right work in the right places at the right
scale.
fiscal accountability and the fire funding fix
In fiscal year 2021, the Forest Service has transitioned to a new
budget structure that will help us increase transparency of our
spending over time. It also will result in enhanced budget discipline,
such as better planning to fund fixed costs and help overcome
longstanding systemic challenges without negative impacts to programs
that benefit the public. We are experiencing some growing pains and
learning from them. Realignment of the budget structure is illuminating
the need for changes to some of our business and cultural practices. We
are stewarding the Forest Service through this change with strategic
workforce planning and collaboratively managing all operations within
our allocated budgets. This requires making difficult decisions and
strengthening internal control to mitigate overspending.
At the beginning of fiscal year 2021, fire activity was at its peak
with most resources committed throughout the country. In prior years
the end of the most severe part of the fire season typically occurred
in early to mid-September. This year, however, there were more than
24,000 firefighters engaged nationally on October 1, at the start of
the new fiscal year, which is substantially more than the early October
average of approximately 3,600. Pushing the severe part of the fire
season more than a month later into fiscal year 2021 shifted the high
spend rate the agency typically incurs in August and September into
October and November. As a result, the agency transferred $1.8 billion
from the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund (Fire Funding
Fix), to fund wildfire suppression operations in fiscal year 2021. We
understand congressional expectations for increasing accountability and
oversight of fire spending that come with the Fire Funding Fix. We will
continue to closely monitor and report on the status of spending to
ensure judicious use of suppression funds during the fiscal year.
advancing racial equity and improving our work environment
It is essential that we create a work environment that promotes the
safety of our employees and fosters equity and inclusion for all
people. USDA is committed to ensuring equity across its agencies,
removing barriers to access, and building a workforce more
representative of America. To that end, the Forest Service strives to
maintain a work environment that is equitable, respectful, and free of
harassment and bullying of any kind. The Forest Service has taken
significant steps to improve policies, raise accountability, upgrade
reporting systems, and conduct training focused on workplace
environment to stop harassment, bullying, and retaliation. We are
working to permanently change our culture. I am committed to ending
discrimination in all its forms wherever it exists. The Forest Service
is continuing the hard work that creates the work place our employees
deserve and building an organization where every individual, inside and
out of the agency, is treated with respect and dignity.
In closing, we are always mindful of the need to demonstrate to
Congress and the public we are striving to do our part to spend
taxpayer dollars as they are intended--to address the serious
challenges facing our land managing mission today. The President's
fiscal year 2022 budget request for the Forest Service will position us
to fulfill our mission and invest in the administration's immediate
priorities. I look forward to working with this subcommittee to fulfill
the President's goals and our key responsibilities for the long-term
benefit of the Nation's forests and grasslands, and for all Americans.
I welcome your questions.
Senator Merkley. We will now turn to questions from Senator
Murkowski.
TOURISM IN ALASKA--ENSURING ACCESS VIA SUP PROCESSING
Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And Chief,
thank you. Thank you for your comments. I want to start my
questions in this first round with some more parochial issues,
some of which you and I had an opportunity to discuss this
week. But as I mentioned to you, the roadless rule has had an
impact on our ability to do more in the Tongass area. We had
great news at the beginning of the week when President Biden
signed into law the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act that will
allow us to get some tourists back up into the State through
Southeast. That is going to be very, very helpful.
But when the tourists come, they want to be able to access
the opportunities that we have there in the Tongass. All of
Southeast is part of the Tongass National Forest. And so the
issue of special use permits is important. Last year with
COVID, we just didn't see the visitors, so we didn't have that
need to really handle many of the use permits. So if you can
explain or provide to me this morning information on what the
Forest Service is doing to prepare for visitors to both the
Tongass and the Chugach National Forest this summer.
We have talked yesterday or the day before yesterday about
the Forest Service enterprise approach to provide for
additional support for the special use permitting program. You
have made it through some of the backlog, but what else do we
have to do to address the matter of special use permits?
Ms. Christiansen. Yes, thank you, Senator. And certainly
put an emphasis point on how important tourism is for Southeast
Alaska, Tongass being--Tongass National Forest being a central
part of that. And let me just say, during last year, during
COVID, the region really worked on helping the business
opportunities, particularly for the outfitter and guides that
no longer had tourists to take out. You know, we worked to help
mitigate their hardships, putting--delaying, building or
billing or actually putting their special use permits into
abeyance. And then where we could, we hired them as contractors
to do some very important maintenance work so that at least
they had employment.
That got us through 2020. With the great news of the--the
cruise ships will be returning. You know, after you and I
talked on, I believe, Monday, I called our regional forester up
because he was so excited about the cruise ships coming back.
And I said, okay, Dave, you are ready, right? We can activate
all those permits. We can get access everywhere. And he says,
Chief, we are ready, and we have our arms open and really
excited to get tourists back in to Southeast and work with, you
know, the businesses that are so important.
In regards to our special use permitting, yes. You know,
our workforce planning is really pointing to our need to have
surge capacity where we have special emphasis. And an example
of that is we have an enterprise program that we can deploy to
any of our regions for special needs. And then the Chugach
particularly, there are several needs there on being more
responsive, as well as being more efficient with how we do our
special use permit. So there is some enterprise team resources
on the Chugach. In March, we issued three heli-skiing special
use permits that had been long worked on and we will add extra
capacity. Overall, we have reduced the backlog over special use
permits by over 40 percent.
We are putting a new system in place where we will be able
to map all these special use permits spatially and provide more
electronic services for those vendors that so want to choose to
work electronically in those special use permits. Those are
just a few of the top lines of what we are doing.
PEST INFESTATIONS AND FOREST HEALTH
Senator Murkowski. Good. Let me ask, in the short time I
have remaining, we discussed a little bit before the hearing
here the spruce bark beetle infestation that we have in Alaska.
It is in other parts of the country, and a real concern as we
are thinking about the impact of a fire and the spread, the
greater risk for wildland fire. I just--I want to make sure
that we are doing everything that we can, monitoring, public
education, and also making sure that we have adequate resources
provided for this Western Bark Beetle initiative, working with
the Alaska Division of Forestry.
But making sure that we are doing all that we can to help
facilitate robust tree removal and fuel breaks, and
implementing the community wildfire protection plans in these
spruce bark beetle impacted communities. Again, this is a big
issue in so many different areas. So this is not just of
interest to me, but to so many other colleagues.
Ms. Christiansen. It is, Senator. And I will just say we
are working very closely with the State of Alaska. We put it
through our State and private forestry--forest health funds. We
put extra dollars into the effort there in Southeast because it
is all of those components of preparedness and of, you know,
corralling where the spruce--the spruce the worm is at.
And our science is playing a critical role in helping to
develop pheromones that can attract the beetle into one place
for more easier treatment. So there is a lot going on and we
have several good neighbor agreements as well. So we are
working across boundaries there.
Senator Murkowski. Okay, you mentioned Southeast. I don't
think that we have got the spruce bark beetle in Southeast----
Ms. Christiansen. No, I misspoke. Thank you for correcting
me.
Senator Murkowski. Yes, I was going to say please keep it
out of the Tongass.
Ms. Christiansen. No, not it is not--it is not.
Senator Murkowski. Alright. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
FIRE HAZARD POTENTIAL REPORT
Senator Merkley. Thank you, Senator Murkowski. And Chief
Christiansen, the President's American jobs plan prioritizes
investments in protecting communities from wildfires, which is
great, and that means hazardous fuels reduction. The fiscal
year 2021 Interior Bureau bill directed you to provide Congress
an estimate of the Federal investment required to treat and
restore Federal and non-Federal acres classified as high risk
for wildfire. How are we doing on getting that report to
Congress?
Ms. Christiansen. Yes, thank you, Senator Merkley. The fire
hazard potential report you are referring to and you know,
that's with Department of Interior, the report is in its final
clearance, and it really has activated our collective science
on this paradigm shift of what we really have to do to
strategically treat at least two to four times more than what
we do now if we are going to--we have a scale mismatch and we
have to match the treatments for the needs on the landscape. So
you will be seeing it very soon after it makes it out of
clearance.
Senator Merkley. So I am almost happy with your answer, but
not quite, because the date in law was to deliver it by March
27. Very specific. Can you make calls and get that out of
clearance? We need to have it in order for this subcommittee to
be able to do its work to determine can we, do we need to
advance far more funds for forest treatments, which I think we
all believe we do. But we need--we really need the analysis.
Can you make sure we get that by the end of this month, a few
days from now?
Ms. Christiansen. I will do everything I can. I really hear
you on the need, Chairman.
Senator Merkley. Thank you very much, because I think
understanding the scope of the challenge is essential for us to
act appropriately.
FIRE FIX
Now we have the fire fix problem in which we had this pool
of funds that was outside of the Interior subcommittee's
regular discretionary funding, so essentially the equivalent of
a FEMA fund to cover the expenses if we had a terrible fire
year so you didn't have to do fire borrowing.
Now because the Budget Control Act expires for fiscal year
2022, we have the situation where we no longer have the
underlying foundation on which that fix existed. So have you
already connected to the Secretary of the Interior and OMB
about the importance of reestablishing the fire fix by having
an appropriate fire emergency fund?
Ms. Christiansen. Yes, Senator, I will say affirmatively,
but I just need to emphasize the importance of the fix. So you
said it, you know, it froze the rising 10 year average for
our--covering suppression from our regular budget and it
prevented the fire borrowing. Those are huge and really
important. USDA and OMB are aware of the situation as well.
Senator Merkley. Great. Well, I am happy to engage in
conference calls or anything else to make sure that this is
understood because we cannot fail in order to support your
agency, the Forest Service, we cannot fail to end fire
borrowing and let that return to be the norm in fiscal year
2022.
COLLABORATIVE FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORATION
Turning to collaborative forest landscape restoration, CFLR
projects. We have four them in Oregon. They are incredibly
effective at bringing people together across the spectrum, from
the timber side to the environmental side, work out
prescriptions for the forests for thinning and for treatments,
making the forest more fire resilient, producing sawlogs,
producing jobs. That is my opinion. What is your opinion? The
CFLR program--is it working?
Ms. Christiansen. It is very much working. It is--it has
outsized itself in the results for the investments. You know,
there is 11 percent treatable national forest acres and just 9
percent of the agency's spending went to CFLRP. And with that
11 percent of the funding, 19 percent of the agency's total
hazardous fuels were accomplished through CFLRP, 15 percent of
our timber volume, and 15 percent of our habitat enhancement
was accomplished.
Senator Merkley. So given it is so successful, we have
already authorized doubling the size of the program. I think it
is time we try to fund the doubling of the size to $80 million.
My understanding is we currently have 24 projects across the
country. With double the funding, can we get to 48 projects? I
think there are plenty of candidates being submitted.
Ms. Christiansen. There are. There are very much.
CONTRACTING TRANSPARENCY--DOMESTIC LABOR PREFERENCE
Senator Merkley. Great. Look forward to working with you on
that. And when we do this work in the forests, we have had a
challenge in which the Forest Service has not been completely
transparent about its contracting process and the role of
domestic American workers versus crews brought in from out of
country. This was an issue that came up in 2009 when Senator
Wyden and I and others pushed for a big increase in funding for
hazardous fuels reductions. And the contracting process was one
in which crews were recruited out of State, required out of
country, required foreign languages, never consulted with the
5,000 people who were on the list who want to do this work
inside Oregon. We need to make sure that H2B is a backup for
workers when Americans are not ready to fill these jobs. Can we
get full transparency from the Forest Service on this issue?
Ms. Christiansen. Yes, sir. We are happy to work with you
on this and we are already providing information. I--you know,
I am really drilling into the implementation of the Great
America's Outdoors Act. And 70 percent of that work will be
done through contracts and agreements. But we have a special
focus on small businesses and minorities and in the local area.
And the other piece of the work through the agreements is some
really important work being done by the Civilian Conservation
Corps or the Conservation Corps. So we are working with NGOs
there. So I will be happy to track with you how we are doing on
GAOA as well, Senator.
Senator Merkley. Thank you. And one aspect of this that I
want to emphasize is the possibility of having firefighters
become year round crews where they turn from firefighting to
forest restoration, which could be great as family jobs, really
pillars in our forest communities. I come from Douglas County.
It is one of the most timber intensive counties in the entire
United States. People are kind of born, let's say, with a
chainsaw in their hand, ready to do work in the woods. Want to
make sure they are never unaware of opportunities to pursue
that work. We will now turn to Senator Hyde-Smith.
MASTER PLAN FOR THE HOMOCHITTO NATIONAL FOREST
Senator Hyde-Smith. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you for
convening today's hearing and to discuss the President's budget
here for the United States Forest Service. And I would like to
thank Chief Christiansen for appearing before the subcommittee
and walking us through these highlights. Enjoyed my visit with
you prior to the meeting. And I look forward to a thorough
review of the President's request when it is released later
this week. The first question that I have, Chief, I was pleased
to hear in your testimony that the Forest Service is finding
new and innovative ways to host more visitors to the national
forest system.
And I am also glad to hear that the service is focused on
providing jobs, additional outdoor recreation opportunities,
and stability for rural and local economies. Mississippi is a
rural State and that is really important to us. And as we
discussed, we are a wood basket in Mississippi. And have raised
this issue before with the Forest Service, but I want to raise
it again because it is really important and significant to
rural communities in my State, to the rural economic
development in Southwest Mississippi, which is really one of
the prettiest parts of our States.
That is what we can capitalize on, is the forest there. And
it just has tremendous potential. Section 8631 of the 2018 Farm
Bill is the amendment that I got in there to authorize the
transfer of 150 acres on the Homochitto National Forest from
the U.S. Forest Service to the Scenic Rivers Development
Alliance, which is a regional organization dedicated to rural
economic development and outdoor recreation there in Southwest
Mississippi. The land surrounds Oxalate Lake. It is a 1,075
acre recreational lake for fishing, boating, picnicking and
swimming, and it is just absolutely beautiful. Unfortunately,
the lake alone is not doing very much for the surrounding rural
communities. We spent a lot of money developing that lake, but
it is just not offering enough because there is nowhere to stay
there or the surrounding areas for overnight visiting. But the
provision that's in the 2018 Farm Bill was included
specifically to support that rural economic development in the
areas around the lake so we can truly capitalize on the
investment that we spent in developing it.
The Forest Service has worked very well with scenic rivers
and that transfer is nearly complete. They tell me the deed is
in the mail, but the development plan for the lake, it includes
a lifestyle hotel, a conference center, and several other
amenities to attract visitors to this remote, underserved
region of our State. And an updated Forest Service master plan
for the Homochitto National Forest could really complement
Scenic Rivers development plan in a very significant way. It
would provide additional hiking, bike trails, picnic areas,
swimming areas, and many other things to really enhance what we
are doing there to try to create jobs in that area of the
State.
And it has just kind of been an issue of getting them to
really get engaged on giving us this plan. So my question is,
should Congress provide additional funding and direction in
fiscal year 2022 for the Forest Service to update and improve
its master plan for the Homochitto National Forest?
Will you help to ensure the Forest Service works closely
with Scenic Rivers Development Alliance to ensure the maximum
benefit from this rural economic development project that
everybody in Mississippi is excited about? But we really do
need your help in getting that plan.
Ms. Christiansen. Thank you, Senator, and thank you for
describing that very special place in Mississippi. I understand
it is a really a fisherman's paradise and I am a fisher person,
so I want to go there. Yes, and thank you for recognizing the
limited resources on our capability. We will be happy to work
with you at the will of Congress. We will certainly engage in
how we can help with the economic development there. I think we
all know that we have a backlog of $5.9 billion of our current
infrastructure and of course, great American Outdoors Act at
$285 million a year for the next 5 years will go a long way.
That is where we are really focusing on the job creation. But
doing a master plan, working across boundaries for a special
place in the forest in Southwest Mississippi, we will certainly
do everything that we can with the right resources.
COVID RELIEF AND RESPONSIVE ACT PROVISION TO PROVIDE RELIEF TO THE
TIMBER INDUSTRY
Senator Hyde-Smith. Thank you. I so much appreciate that.
My second question, since I have some time left, is as we
discussed, Mississippi has 19.7 million acres of forest land.
And in a pretty small State, less than 3 million people, we
have 125,000 forest landowners. In good years, forest related
economic activity in Mississippi can generate 60,000 jobs and
nearly $3 billion in income. And like many other States,
production was down in Mississippi in 2020 for obvious reasons.
And the fiscal year 2021 Omnibus and COVID Relief and
Responsive Act enacted last December, provides $200 million for
the Secretary of Agriculture to provide relief to timber
harvesting and timber hauling businesses that experienced
revenue losses during the pandemic, which was very significant.
And I was a strong supporter of this provision, and I am really
pleased that the timber industry is now actually eligible for
this relief. Can you give us the status of the implementation
of this provision? And how has the Forest Service been working
with the USDA Farm Service Agency to ensure that we can get
relief to timber harvesting and hauling businesses as quickly
as possible?
Ms. Christiansen. Thank you. Thank you, Senator. USDA writ
large, we take this very serious to get this relief out. And,
you know, we don't advise on annual crops very much, but when
it comes to forests and the timber sector, the Farm Service
Agency has reached out to us and we have a strike team, quite
frankly.
We are the subject matter experts working with FSA because
the vehicle is through their processes, of course, to allocate
all of the recovery across the Ag sector, but very much
inclusive of the forest--of the needs in the forest sector as
well. It will be sometime mid to late summer that those moneys
will be available, as I understand it. But we will keep your
office updated if that changes.
Senator Hyde-Smith. Thank you very much, and I really look
forward to working with you.
Ms. Christiansen. Thank you.
Senator Merkley. Thank you, Senator. Senator Heinrich.
RETIRE GRAZING PERMITS BUT KEEP FAMILY BASE PROPERTY
Senator Heinrich. Thank you, Chairman. Chief, welcome.
Ms. Christiansen. Thank you.
Senator Heinrich. Across the west, you know, balancing the
multiple use mandate of the Forest Service can be very
challenging. And one of the places we have seen this in the
Southwest is where we have occasionally had livestock wildlife
conflicts, particularly with bighorn sheep, native cutthroat
trout, and endangered Mexican gray wolves. And one of the tools
to resolve wildlife, livestock conflicts that has been
successful in a very limited number of cases, but quite
successful, is the voluntary retirement of grazing allotment
permits. And it has provided quite a bit of economic certainty
to individual producers.
I have heard from several livestock producers in New Mexico
who would like to retire their permits and also very much want
to keep their families based property because so many family
memories are tied up in those places. But there is really no
clear process for doing this, even in cases where there is a
very obvious and demonstrated sort of local conflict that we
are trying to resolve.
So can you explain why there is not a clear administrative
procedure for the Forest Service to accept and retired grazing
allotments at the request of the permit holder as a way to
resolve some of these long term resource conflicts?
Ms. Christiansen. Yes, I think--but there is two issues
that need to be responded to. First, a permitee may choose to
waive their grazing permit back to the Forest Service at any
time. That is--there is no prohibition on that. The decision to
actually close the grazing allotment is made by the Forest
Service and it is guided by the goals and the objectives of the
land management plan of that particular forest. But then you
mentioned, you know, different conflicts. So that would be a
part of the decision evaluation that the Forest Service would
make.
Senator Heinrich. I think this is a place that warrants
additional focus, and particularly the idea of making sure that
families can keep their base properties as well as part of the
process of resolving some of these conflicts. And certainly, I
look forward to working with you on these----
Ms. Christiansen. Would be glad to do that. Yes, thank you.
COLLABORATIVE FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORATION PROGRAM BACKLOG
Senator Heinrich [continuing]. Through some these. You
heard a lot about CFLRP. And, you know, one of the challenges
we have--we all recognize how many acres of forest need to be
treated right now, both with hazardous fuels and more broadly
towards a goal of restoration. And in New Mexico, we have a
large backlog of already NEPA already permitted projects where
the backlog is not delays because of environmental permits,
NEPA processing, or lawsuits, just because we have not
adequately funded these projects and because of staff
constraints. So I wanted to get your thoughts on the need for
increasing the scale of some of these programs that we know
work and that all of us, if you listen to, you know,
Republicans and Democrats from the West on these issues, we
know we need to do more. So is the biggest solution available
to us just scaling up those existing programs like CFRP?
Ms. Christiansen. Thank you, Senator. I could--yes, and
those CFLRP, good neighbor agreements, stewardship contracting,
they are all really important tools and to leverage in the
right place and we have to look at the whole landscape. And we
use what we do best, right. But the States have some resources.
They are good at some things. The Forest Service might be a
good at some other things. The Tribes bring incredible
traditional knowledge. I mean, we need to work on the whole mix
on the landscape. And all those tools are important. And the
State forest action plans. And New Mexico has just completed
their State forest action plan.
And it calls for significant increase. But it is not just
an increase. It is strategically placing those treatments. You
know, we have, our scientists have mapped the fire spreads
across the whole country. We know where the highest priority
fire sheds are that transmit the most fire, and if we can treat
strategically 40 percent of that landscape, we can bring it
back into balance.
So we need to be strategic, and we need to up our game two
to four times more than what we do now already. And that is
going to take resources and that is going to take significant
resources and significant staffing capacity.
Senator Heinrich. Chairman, you heard two to four times
what we are doing now, and I think that is something we should
all be supporting. I think your concept of marrying up the need
for firefighters throughout much of the year now, if not the
entire year, with restoration as well, so that we can get the
forests back in a condition where prescribed fire can actually
be used much more readily to maintain that forest condition, is
a path to a lot more sustainable and healthy forests in the
future.
Senator Merkley. Thank you very much, Senator. And I look
forward to exploring that idea thoroughly with the Forest
Service. I think that that has a lot of potential value.
Senator Murkowski.
Senator Murkowski. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Just to follow
up on the comments from the Senator from New Mexico and what
you have mentioned, Chief, about the local knowledge that we
have. Again, I mentioned my time in Iceland last week, and in
the conversation about wildfires in the Arctic, a good
discussion with some of the permanent participants. These are
the indigenous peoples from different parts of the Arctic. And
there is a working group that is focused on wildland fires that
the permanent participants are involved with. A discussion
about how, not necessarily applicable to New Mexico, but how
you can safely do prescribed burns in not in the summer, but in
this spring where you still have protective layers of snow, or
the roots of the trees are still frozen.
And so you can do some pretty impressive management without
the risk. But it is--these are ways of management that have
been in practice for many, many years by local people on the
ground who know and understand. So tapping into some of that as
a resource, I think is wise for us.
PRE-COMMERCIAL THINNING BACKLOG
I wanted to ask about pre-commercial thinning and
recognizing the value that we certainly see for healthy forests
and for wildlife habitat, as well as to grow the economic
timber stands.
The scale of timber harvest during the pulp mill era, that
is, you know, decades ago, back in the 60s to the 90s, resulted
in just a proliferation of young growth that is now in
significant need of thinning. You know Chief because you have
seen it yourself. It is approximately 85,000 acres across the
forest. But I think we recognize, you have got a window of time
in which you can actually have thinning be effective. After
they get too big, thinning is not a viable strategy.
So to do this, to address PCT backlog, Forest Service needs
to treat about 6,000 to 8,000 acres per year. There is so much
support among the stakeholders to do this work, but we are not
seeing that level of activity happening. So, Chief, can you let
us know what is going on with regards to addressing this
backlog in the pre-commercial thinning? And what more do you
need to be more effective here?
Ms. Christiansen. Thank you. Thank you so much, Senator.
You know, I am not a forester from Alaska, but the closest
State, next Washington State, so you are bringing back, you
know, practices that are near and dear to my heart. And pre-
commercial thinning is really important to grow those
structures of the mature forests that we need for habitat and
other critical benefits that flow from the forests. You know,
it is--we would be glad to work with you. There are needs.
And, you know, it is prioritization and resources. So it is
a part of the young growth transition strategy that we create
some structure in these young growth forests, and that includes
these entries are called pre-commercial prior to the commercial
entry. So we would be glad to work with you and the
subcommittee on what we need to accelerate those efforts.
TARIFFS ON LUMBER EXPORTS
Senator Murkowski. Well, I would like to explore that
further. I have raised with Secretary Vilsack, you know, it was
it was really during his tenure that there was this big push to
do this transition from old growth to young growth. And so,
again, it was hard to do. Not everybody embraced it. But we are
now trying to move to that, and so if we want to have
opportunity for good habitat, we want to have opportunity for
some economic benefit there, making these investments,
prioritizing the pre-commercial thinning, I think, is going to
be an important part of fulfilling that plan, that vision for
the Secretary.
I raised with him as I raised with you the concern that we
are seeing right now from the Chinese tariffs on the spruce and
hemlock coming out of Southeast. Those who made the investment
to move to young growth, at considerable expense to themselves,
developed and created that market over in China, and then they
get hit with these Chinese tariffs that have literally crippled
the efforts that they had made with regards to any form of a
timber industry there.
So I raised with you this week the possibility of perhaps
expanding the COVID timber program to recover losses that we
saw as a result of these tariffs. That is something, again, I
would ask that you work with us to see if there aren't any--if
there isn't anything more that we can do to help in this
regard. But trying to deal with the impacts of these Chinese
tariffs on region 10 has just been really hard. We have asked
for help nicely and politely. But in fairness, people are
really quite anxious and many quite angry. So we need some
relief here.
Ms. Christiansen. We will absolutely work with you,
Senator. Thank you for highlighting those important issues.
Senator Murkowski. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
FUEL REDUCTION BACKLOG
Senator Merkley. Thank you. Chief Christiansen, as you and
I have discussed, there is a significant backlog of fuel
reduction projects in Oregon that already had their
environmental reviews. I was interested to hear Senator
Heinrich say that they also have a backlog of acres ready in
New Mexico. What does it take to get these projects that have
already cleared the environmental controls underway? Is it a
single limitation? Is it just money or is it anything else?
Ms. Christiansen. It is--it certainly is resources. And if
you think about environmental clearance, you know, we take
whole projects, right, of everything that really needs to be
done from restoration to timber harvest to maybe some
recreation upgrades. And some of those activities, such as
timber sales, we can begin immediately. While others we don't
have the resources, the money, or the service contracts that
are needed and that takes resources in place. So as a result,
we have to be opportunistic about doing the right resources and
the right match for these projects. So we are leveraging a lot
more work on the ground through our good neighbor agreements,
through stewardship contracting----
Senator Merkley. I am going to have you shorten it a little
bit there. I think your answer was essentially, yes, it is
funds.
Ms. Christiansen. It is funds, but there is always things
we can do to prove how we get work done on the ground. But it
is funds at the end of the day, absolutely.
Senator Merkley. Twenty-five percent of that backlog in
Oregon is of high hazard, and I am going to want to see how
those acres correspond to the woodland, urban interface so that
we can really understand where we can get the maximum effect on
protecting the towns that fear the kind of results that we had
last September when towns were burned to the ground.
WILDFIRE RECOVERY/DISASTER SUPPLEMENTAL
I want to turn to recovery from those 2020 wildfires. The
damage on Forest Service lands alone are estimated to be $100
million of infrastructure and $1 billion of forest restoration
work. That is some big numbers. Is that disaster restoration
something that you are tracking both on the need for
infrastructure and natural resource restoration?
Ms. Christiansen. Oh, we most certainly are, Chairman
Merkley. The impacts from the 2020 fire year, and we had
significant impacts from the hurricanes as well in the
Southeast. We have tracked--we are always ready for the
questions when asked to what were the impacts. So we have all
that data. What are we--you know, without supplemental funds,
we are, quite frankly, we are prioritizing our appropriated
funds to get the most critical hazardous fuel--hazardous trees
and recovery done where we can.
Senator Merkley. So I heard that magic word, supplemental.
And I think that is something very important for the Senate to
take a look at, a disaster supplemental to address that
devastating destruction and the backlog of unfunded restoration
projects. Is that something that the administration can
support?
Ms. Christiansen. Senator, what I can say is that we can
give you the effects on the ground and what is needed to get
the right restoration. I absolutely can say that with a firm--
affirmatively.
RESEARCH TOPICS FOR THE FORESTS
Senator Merkley. Thank you. I want to turn to the
importance of research on the forest. Just thinking about
things that are going on in Oregon. We have sudden oak death,
an invasive waterborne pathogen that is killing oak trees and
can have a big impact on our production of shrubs for the
landscape world, as well as the impacts on the forest. We are
very concerned about that. We are very concerned about
understanding exactly the role of forests in carbon absorption
and storage or as often referred to as sequestration. We are
very interested in the impact of fires on carbon storage and on
forest management practices, both directly and in terms of
their impact on the fires. So in other words, how do we really
think about the forest in this role of carbon storage?
Also about how different forest management practices work
in different types of forests to increase fire resilience. We
had the Milli Fire that was bearing down on a town in central
Oregon, Sisters, and it came to an area where the Ponderosa
pine had been thinned, had been mowed, had had prescribed
burns. And the fire essentially came to a stop not only because
the fuels were reduced, but also because the thinned forest let
the fire fighters get access to the front line of the fire far
more effectively.
We want to understand how the different practices work in
different types of forests. Do those same practices work as
well in the West side, wetter forest, Douglas Fir forest and so
forth, or does thinning the forest there increase the fire
risk, affecting the amount of oxygen that is provided to the
trees, to the fire's effect in the trees? So, because this
sense of using forest management to increase fire resilience,
produce sawlogs, produce jobs, just sounds like a win, win,
win, but we want to make sure we are getting it right. And we
also want to understand the role of mass timber products in
sequestration of carbon and how in replacing concrete and steel
in 4 to 14 story buildings, we can create a great market for
our lumber products, but also do something that sounds like it
could be very environmentally valuable as well, given the
difference between the carbon impacts of steel and concrete
versus mass timber.
And we do have to--it was exciting to me to visit the first
cross laminated timber mill in Riddle, Oregon, just south of
Myrtle Creek, where I was born. The D.R. Johnson Company put
together a handmade press, and Riddle was where my father was a
millwright when I was born. So it seemed like particularly
closing a loop. But we also have a very sophisticated, almost
science fiction automated mass plywood mill. So there are many
options in this mass timber role for engineered products.
So my basic point here is we need to have the research that
is necessary to answer these questions. And then we need to
have it compiled into reports that are digestible to inform
this subcommittee, to inform Congress as a whole, to inform the
public debate. Can we work with you to make sure that the
research is being targeted to these types of questions that are
important?
There are other important questions, of course, in
different parts of the country, but then that we get the type
of reports that will really help inform our discussion.
Ms. Christiansen. Absolutely. Senator, we would be glad to
let you know what we are working on. Let me just make two quick
points. Our research stations, the Pacific Northwest Research
Station and the Pacific Southwest, you know, where we saw so
much fire across Oregon and California in particular. It is in
the don't waste a crisis, what can we learn from these West
side forests compared to the forests in the Sierra Nevada and
the whole spectrum? It is not a one size fits all answer. And
working with our universities and other collaborators are
really putting together a package of what the key questions
are.
Relative to the innovation, you have mentioned mass timber.
Here is a little known fact that I don't think everyone--many
people don't realize that the Forest Service has incredible
work in innovation, and we actually have patents, and we have
increased the ability of patents. And these are patents for the
public. Just in the last 3 years, we have had 24 patents just
from our direct Forest Service scientists. And, you know, we
work through cooperative research development agreements with
private industry and those have led to at least 150 patents.
And here is just a couple examples, super strong carbon
foam, mobile biochar production unit, and non-formaldehyde wood
adhesives for some of these mass timber and plywood products.
Those are just examples, and the general technical reports that
we issue are consumable for the regular practitioners. But if
there is more we can do, we would be glad to work with this
subcommittee.
MOBILE BIOCHAR
Senator Merkley. Just one point before I turn this over to
Senator Murkowski. And that is, you mentioned biochar, and I
just heard from a wheat farmer about a mobile biochar unit that
is going into the piles of leftover waste that we normally
would just burn out in the forest, the byproducts of timber
thinning projects or logging contracts, turning it into biochar
and then plowing it into the soil for the wheat farms, and they
produce the largest wheat bushels per acre and the largest
organic content that we have ever seen. And having had this
story told to me, I am anxious to both see the mobile biochar
report that you referred to and to actually do a little bit of
research to make sure to understand better the results of this
experiment.
Ms. Christiansen. Great.
Senator Merkley. Senator.
VEGETATION MANAGEMENT AND UTILITY OPERATING PLANS
Senator Murkowski. Chief, I want to ask you about where we
are with vegetation management issues. As you know, in the in
the fiscal year 2018 Omnibus we included language to amend
existing vegetation management regulations. Forest Service
issued guidance, or proposed guidance directives in January
that include implementing guidelines for proposed utility
operating plans and agreements that cover the vegetation
management, the inspection, the operation and maintenance
activities along the power lines that are located on Forest
Service lands.
So the question to you this morning is, is how is Forest
Service working with collaborating with utilities in terms of
developing an efficient process for reviewing and approving the
plans? And more specific to that, I worry about our smaller
utilities. As you know, in Alaska, they are really pretty local
co-ops.
We don't want them to be left behind when it comes to
taking advantage of the authorities to reduce the wildfire risk
by managing the vegetation in the rights away. So if you can,
speak to what is going on in working with the utilities and
then also the level of coordination that Forest Service is
participating in with the Bureau of Land Management to ensure
that we have got compliance that is consistent across our
Federal agencies.
Ms. Christiansen. Thank you for that question. And I am
really pleased to say we have made significant progress. We
have a very collaborative relationship working across the
utility sectors because it is not a one size fits all. There is
the public, the rural cooperatives. And in fact, I personally
participate in their highest level roundtables every quarter
because they--we want to make sure that when the leaders speak,
that we are having the actions of this work, that we are doing
it together on the ground.
We did take some time to make sure we could bring, as you
said, the Department of Interior, primarily BLM and the Forest
Service, that we could, you know, have alignments so folks
didn't have to do two different sets of interpretations, if you
will. And then what is--and the practices and the learning of
how we have these master operating agreements.
And, you know, some places like Alaska, maybe you might
just work on one forest. But in utilities in California, 18
national forests, some of these very linear projects might go
through and have to work with 18 different forests is not easy
work. So one master agreement that then they keep the local
relationships about, you know, what they are doing for the
utility--the hazard treatment removals and whatnot. That is
working really well. We have learned a lot. We are adopting
those practices in other places as well in the Department of
Interior.
And then we are doing joint--now they are webinars, which
actually can turn out better. But we were--you know, we are all
planned for joint trainings. We switched it to virtual with our
actual on the ground managers and the on the ground utility
sector managers so we can understand, you know, what an issue
might be or how do we understand, you know, the way the utility
works in linear sectors and we work more in, you know, large
land sector, those kinds of things.
All of that is going really well. We have more work to do,
but we are keeping a priority on all of this collective work.
Senator Murkowski. Okay, well, know that that is a priority
for so, so many. I think we recognize that this is where some
of their frustration is, is where we see some of these fires
that take hold, and if we had done a better job on the
vegetation management, perhaps we wouldn't be in this place.
And sometimes it is literally the agencies not talking the same
language or they breakdown with the utilities. So good to know
that you are prioritizing it.
CHUGACH REGION LAND STUDY/DINGELL ACT
I mentioned yesterday or a Monday in our conversation, I
would asked for an update on where we are with the Chugach
Region Land Study that is required as part of the Dingell Act.
You indicated to me that with COVID and just all that went
on last year, that that is delayed a little bit. I don't know
if you had an opportunity to get a better read on when we might
anticipate the delivery of that study so that we can move
forward with this land exchange.
Ms. Christiansen. Thank you, Senator. I have not been able
to get a precise update. As you know, the Department of
Interior was lead, but we were primary in working with them. So
all the comments are in. As far as we know, it is a final
package. And I will reach out to Department of Interior to see
when we can expect that to get up here to the Congress.
Senator Murkowski. Okay, I would appreciate if you can get
back with us on that.
Ms. Christiansen. Sure.
ALASKA LONG TRAIL
Senator Murkowski. We also had a good conversation about
one of the fun projects that I am working on, the Alaska long
trail. So we will continue to keep close with you about what
the agency is doing in terms of prioritizing some of the
operations and maintenance, and a recognition about what we can
be doing to better facilitate that.
FOREST SERVICE CABINS
We also want to have further discussions, probably with
Dave Schmidt about the situation with the Forest Service cabins
and just making sure that this extraordinary opportunity that
exists on our public lands, in our forest, these very--I think
they are pretty unique and in what they provide to families,
and quite honestly, for those who just need a safe place out of
a storm. We want to make sure that they are maintained and that
local residents can also feel welcomed and participate as we
ensure that these cabins are there for years going forward.
So we have got a few issues on our list and certainly
welcome you up to the State at any point in time to come and
visit and look at some of our good projects that we have
ongoing. And I am going to hope, we are all going to keep our
fingers crossed that this year, for purposes of a fire season,
does not have the intensity that it brought last year.
But give our thanks to the men and women who get out there,
go into the fire to provide for protection of life and safety.
We appreciate the workers and all that they do. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
Ms. Christiansen. Thank you, Senator. I will. And thank you
for the touch back with our great employees.
LEGACY ROADS AND TRAILS REMEDIATION PROGRAM
Senator Merkley. Thank you. Chief Christiansen, there is
hundreds of miles of old timber roads in our national forests
that often are eroding and creating silt in the streams, which
really affects our salmon runs. And so there is the Legacy
Roads and Trails Remediation Program. Do you have a--and I
think you are probably very familiar with this from your work
in Washington State?
Ms. Christiansen. You bet I am.
Senator Merkley. Mary and I, my wife and I have really
enjoyed just setting out on timber roads to explore and not
knowing where they'll lead or what we will see. And sometimes
we end up on roads that are incredibly eroded so that they are
no longer passable, even with four wheel drive. And so I just
want to draw attention to the importance of continuing the work
when these roads are doing damage to the streams.
Ms. Christiansen. Yes, we totally agree, Senator.
CLIMATE CONSERVATION CORPS/CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS
Senator Merkley. Thank you. The Civilian Conservation
Corps, the Job Corps mission, ties into the President's plan
for $10 billion investment in a civilian climate corps to
mobilize the next generation of conservation and resilience
workers. This Job Corps, Civilian Conservation Corps, the
existing programs, which I am a strong supporter of, is a model
that can play a significant role in guiding the development of
the new Climate Corps. I am sure we are all going to be
confused by the two CCCs into the future. Are you participating
or is your leadership team participating in discussions with
the administration on how to develop this new Climate
Conservation Corps or Civilian Climate Corps?
Ms. Christiansen. Yes, it does get a little confusing,
Chairman. Yes, we are working very closely with the
administration because Forest Service is, you know, has a
unique expertise in history and leadership with these Civilian
Conservation Corps dating all the way back to the original
CCCs, which now we are a part of the Job Corps Network and
operate 24 Job Corps that are the Civilian Conservation Corps
and then now the 21st Century Conservation Corps.
And the civil--excuse me, I did it. The Climate
Conservation Corps would be additive to the great work that
already is done, and it would bring more diverse Corps members
that would gain these conservation skills and be conservation
leaders and have employment opportunities for the future and
will just be able to expand and grow to do more resilience
related projects, including in urban areas.
Senator Merkley. And is it the case that these CCC
projects, both existing and the proposed--no, let me just speak
to the existing, play a significant role in giving a lot of
youth a second chance to get their feet on the ground, often
finding that they have lost a sense of purpose or mission and
joining a Corps gives them structure and purpose that can
really put lives back on track?
Ms. Christiansen. You said it. Spot on, Senator. You know,
there is some highlights of this work that I do and get to the
honor to serve as Chief. And when I get to connect with those
kids that now have a passion and have something that they care
about, it is the best part of this work.
Senator Merkley. Well, I really look forward to working
with the subcommittee and with you all to see this vision move
to reality of the new Civilian Climate Corps.
Ms. Christiansen. Great. I appreciate that. We look forward
to working with you.
BUDGET REFORMS
Senator Merkley. I am just going to close with asking a
little bit about the budget reforms that I spoke to in my
opening statement, which whenever this sort of thing occurs, it
requires significant restructuring efforts. It is a test of
leadership. And do you feel like the process is well underway
in the Forest Service to implement those budget reforms?
Ms. Christiansen. Senator, I am going to say, yes, it is
well underway, but I am going to, you know, be frank that it
is--it has been a challenge. It is opening up incredible
insights and opportunities for the future. So the purpose of
this budget reform is really good and needed. You know, I do
many employee and partner engagements. And this is top of mind
for many of our employees. I am not going to try to sugarcoat
this significant of a change on how we do business. So we are
putting a top priority. You know, we did have to manage through
COVID this year as well.
So I will say we had multiple top priorities. But the human
capital planning piece of what we are looking for in this
budget reform is very revealing. And we just completed phase
one and we are very excited about getting after phase two so we
can have far more transparent and coherent projections of what
our needs are. When you ask me, Chief, what do you need? What
is the gaps? We can be much more articulate and clear about
what that is.
Senator Merkley. And I think as you speak to that, it is
really speaking to what we had in the fiscal year 2021 bill for
a Strategic Workforce Planning Initiative, to basically help
right-size the agency for the near years and years down the
line. So I think that will be very valuable in your efforts to
guide the Forest Service and our efforts to help fund what you
need.
Ms. Christiansen. The contemporary workforce that we need
now and into the future. Absolutely.
Senator Merkley. Senator Murkowski, do you have any other
questions you would like to raise?
Senator Murkowski. Mr. Chairman, just thank you. Good
hearing.
ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE QUESTIONS
Senator Merkley. Well, thank you very much, Chief
Christiansen. And let me note that the hearing record will be
open until two weeks after the arrival of the President's
fiscal year 2022 budget request. Which day are we getting that
on?
Ms. Christiansen. Friday, sir.
[The following questions were not asked at the hearing, but
were submitted to the Forest Service for response subsequent to
the hearing:]
Questions Submitted to Hon. Victoria Christiansen
Questions Submitted by Senator Bill Hagerty
rethinking resiliency: budgeting for the future of forest management
Earlier this year, local officials in middle Tennessee reached out
to my office concerned about U.S. Forest Service funding for Land
Between the Lakes National Recreation Area. There seemed to be some
miscommunication within your Agency about the new budgeting structure
you mentioned during your opening statement.
I want to commend you and your staff for agreeing to meet with
representatives from my office, Minority Leader McConnell's office,
others from the Tennessee and Kentucky congressional delegation and
local leaders. My office spoke with those local leaders this week and
they tell me they are happy with the clarification provided by your
staff and will keep a close eye on Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations
process as it plays out in Congress.
Question 1. Chief Christiansen, can you go into a little more
detail about the Forest Service transition to this new budget
structure?
Answer. The Forest Service's new budget structure will increase
transparency and accountability and allow the agency to more
effectively deliver its mission and execute priorities. The most
significant changes to our budget are the elimination of cost pools to
fund indirect overhead costs, the addition of the new Forest Service
Operations Treasury symbol to establish transparent budget line items
for such costs, and the establishment of salary and expenses budget
line items for each of our main operational mission areas. These
changes are intended to improve congressional oversight and help the
Forest Service more clearly articulate resource needs and to achieve
performance outcomes.
Question 2. How will this transition increase transparency and what
more can be done to educate local leaders and avoid problems like the
ones encountered at Land Between the Lakes?
Answer. The Forest Service's new budget structure breaks out key
costs that generate congressional interest such as Agency personnel
salary and expenses from program budget appropriations. One of the
goals of the new structure is to create a transparent budget that
depicts the amount of the Agency's fixed overhead costs (such as
salaries, leases, and information technology) while simplifying the
execution of the Agency's appropriations. The Forest Service has been
working on an allocation process that will inform long- and short-term
decisions and provide base level salary and expenses and program
funding. The process also includes prioritization of focused
investments. This collaborative effort is intended to include a field
voice that helps enhance transparency and both budget formulation and
execution.
The Forest Service has made a significant and sustained investment
in the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area (LBL) through
annual appropriations and other sources of funding authorized for LBL.
LBL leadership has spent several years working diligently and
purposefully to develop open discourse between the unit and local
leaders, including engagement and education on the unit's finances. The
Forest Service intends to continue its investment in LBL through our
people, funding, and the strong partnerships we have developed with
local organizations and the communities we serve. We continue to work
closely with local leaders and staff from the Kentucky and Tennessee
Congressional Delegations to be transparent with financial data. We are
committed to continuing local dialogue with county officials and
Congressional offices around strategic investments and opportunities at
LBL.
Last week the Sheriff of Polk County in my State reached out
regarding law enforcement issues he is facing. Polk County is a large
rural county in East Tennessee and he tells me that nearly 60 percent
of the land in Polk County is owned by the Federal Government,
primarily by your agency, additionally, the Federal tract of land
divides Polk County. As you can imagine, this presents unique
challenges for the Polk County Sheriffs. Sheriff Steve Ross tells me
that USFS's law enforcement division has been reduced over the years to
only one agent assigned to cover over 160,000 acres of Federal land.
Often, major crime investigations, responding to disturbances, and
other law enforcement activities on Federal land falls on the Polk
Sheriffs. Sheriff Ross tells me this force is already stretched thin
and this situation also creates major jurisdictional challenges.
Question 3. What can the USFS do to relieve a distressed county,
such as Polk, where their responsibility to patrol Federal lands has
greatly exhausted its law enforcement agencies?
Answer. This is a common issue in many National Forests. Staffing
for Forest Service law enforcement, as well as State, local, and county
law enforcement partners, is not always adequate to meet the challenges
of the area. Additionally, the large increase in visitation on National
Forest System lands over the last couple of years has increased
workloads and calls for service. The Agency's new budget structure will
allow us to focus attention and resources in law enforcement and inform
future investment decisions to address the adequacy of field staffing.
In Polk County, Forest Service law enforcement is anxious to
resolve these concerns with Polk county leaders and has proposed a
Cooperative Law Enforcement Agreement with Sheriff Ross to more
effectively leverage constrained Federal and county law enforcement
resources across jurisdictional boundaries. A Cooperative Law
Enforcement Agreement may also provide some monetary relief for Polk
County, and the Forest Service is continuing efforts to establish such
an agreement.
SUBCOMMITTEE RECESS
Senator Merkley. Alright. We are looking forward to
reviewing it. And thank you. This hearing is adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 11:52 a.m., Wednesday, May 26, the
subcommittee was recessed, to reconvene subject to the call of
the Chair.]
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