Forest Management Archives - Page 5 of 6

Daines: Montana Counties Set to Receive $2.3 Million in Additional PILT Payments

November 4, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today announced that the Department of Interior has allocated nearly $2.3 million in additional Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funds to Montana rural counties. The Department of Interior has issued nationwide an additional $34,484,000 in payments under the 2015 PILT program. The funds have been made available as a result of a technical fix Daines fought for in the Continuing Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2015 passed on September 30, 2015. “These payments are welcome news for numerous Montana communities who have suffered from severe economic challenges due to declining timber harvests and natural

Tester, Daines, and Zinke meet with Canadian ambassador regarding timber concerns

October 21, 2015

Montana delegation calls for new Softwood Lumber Agreement (U.S. Senate) – Senator Jon Tester, Senator Steve Daines and Congressman Ryan Zinke are working together with Montana’s neighbor to the north to ensure the state’s lumber mills are treated fairly. Montana’s Congressional delegation today sat down with Canadian Ambassador Gary Doer to urge him to begin negotiating a new Softwood Lumber Agreement. The agreement expired on October 12 and is creating uncertainty for mills in Montana and across the country. The delegation requested that the Canadians come to the table to hammer out a deal to avoid future litigation and take

Daines Works to Expand Access to Public Lands

September 17, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today sought to improve and expand access to public lands in Montana and throughout the country for sportsmen, outfitters and guides. During an Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the reauthorization of the Federal Land Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA), Daines sought answers on how to streamline and improve access by cutting down red tape on public access to public lands. Additionally, Daines emphasized his work to end fire borrowing and reform federal forest management in light of one of the worst fire seasons for Montana and other western states in recent memory. Click here to watch Daines’ remarks. Click here to download

Daines Reiterates Call to End Fire Borrowing

August 6, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today reiterated his call for the federal government to end the practice of fire borrowing, following the U.S. Forest Service’s recent report on the rising cost of wildfire operations: “Montana has already experienced several high-intensity fires this year. The fire season thus far has been one of the worst in the past decade and has only made more evident the urgent need for a wildfire funding solution. It is critical that Congress end fire borrowing and ensure that the Forest Service can spend more of its budget on making our National Forests more resilient

Daines, Forest Service Affirm Importance of Categorical Exclusions as Forest Restoration Tool

July 16, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today pressed the U.S. Forest Service to outline reforms needed to restore the health of the National Forest system and clarify the importance of Categorical Exclusions (CEs) as utilized by the Forest Service in forest health restoration projects. Click here to download Daines’ questioning. Click here to watch Daines’ questioning. During today’s Energy and Natural Resources hearing, Daines reaffirmed his commitment to forest management reform and asked Forest Service Chief Thomas Tidwell about how CEs are used to expedite forest restoration projects and enhance the environment. “I’m very determined, I’m very motivated to pass

Daines Statement on BBER Study on Timber Sale Litigation

May 7, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement on the University of Montana’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research’s (BBER) study examining the costs and impacts associated with litigation of U.S. Forest Service timber sales in the Northern Region. “This eye-opening study confirms what we long suspected: Litigation against commonsense timber projects is having far-reaching, damaging impacts on Montana jobs, access to recreation and our environment,” Daines stated. “It is unacceptable that mills in Montana have to go far outside of our state to get logs, largely because 40 to 50 percent of the timber sale volume

Daines: Increased Forest Management Vital to Reducing Threat of Wildfire in Montana

May 5, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today emphasized the importance of proper management of Montana’s National Forests to reduce the costly threat of devastating wildfires in Montana. During today’s Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the federal government’s role in wildfire management, the impact of fires on communities and potential improvements to be made in fire operations, Daines called on Congress to find long-term solutions for funding wildfire suppression. “I’ve spent a lot of time traveling across Montana hearing from conservation groups, sportsmen groups and the timber industry, and I think we’ve got great, broad spectrum agreement that we have to change

Tester, Daines push for swift Secure Rural Schools payments

April 29, 2015

(U.S. Senate)—Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines are pushing the U.S. Forest Service to expedite Secure Rural Schools (SRS) payments to rural Montana counties. In a letter to Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, Tester and Daines demanded the Forest Service distribute SRS payments to rural counties as quickly as possible. “For rural America to thrive, communities must be able to maintain quality schools, protect public safety, and invest in roads and bridges,” Tester and Daines wrote. “As we work to improve economic opportunities in our forested counties through responsible timber harvest, increased tourism and outdoor recreation, the Secure Rural Schools program

Daines: Montana Counties Set to Receive Long-Awaited SRS Payments

April 28, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today announced that the U.S. Forest Service will allocate nearly $18 million to Montana’s rural and forested counties under the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program. The Forest Service this week released 2014 SRS payment levels for Montana counties following the recent reauthorization of the critical program. “The Secure Rural Schools program is a lifeline for Montana’s rural counties – many of which have suffered from severe economic challenges in the wake of declining timber harvests and natural resource production. These payments are welcome news for the dozens of Montana counties that are already stretching their

Tester, Daines and Zinke to Forest Service: We need to see more

April 23, 2015

(Washington, D.C) – Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines and Congressman Ryan Zinke are pushing the Forest Service for answers about how the agency plans to implement the forestry provisions in the 2014 Farm Bill. In a letter to Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell, the entire Montana delegation noted that after the Farm Bill passed over a year ago the Department was quick to approve Montana’s recommended areas that deserve expedited treatment for timber harvest, but since then there has been little action. “We need to see more,” the members wrote. “The health of the approximately 17 million acres of National

Tag: Forest Management