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The Healthy Forests Initiative (or HFI), officially the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003, is a law originally proposed by President George W. Bush in response to the widespread forest fires during the summer of 2002. The main thrusts of the law are to thin overstocked stands, clear away vegetation and trees to create firebreaks, provide funding and guidance to reduce or eliminate hazardous fuels in National Forests, improve forest firefighting, and research new methods to halt destructive insects. Much of the basis for the law revolves around the overcrowding of forests due to the suppression of low intensity fires, which vary in their natural role of thinning small trees and clearing vegetative debris. The resulting build up of ground fuels and trees weakened by overpopulation (resource competition and spread of disease) pose a serious threat in some stands that can no longer be addressed through prescribed burnings. Disagreement exists concerning the role of private logging companies in thinning stands and clearing firebreaks.
Controversy
The Bush administration claims broad support for HFI, stating on the official website: "The Administration and a bipartisan majority in Congress supported the legislation and are joined by a variety of environmental conservation groups." This statement ignores the opposition to HFI by mainstream conservation groups such as the Sierra Club, the Natural Resources Defense Council, The Wilderness Society and the John Muir Project. Supporters include the Society of American Foresters and a large number of hunting and fishing advocacy groups.*
In March 2006, it was reported in the news section of the journal Environmental Science & Technology that timber interests created a front group called Project Protect to help pass the Healthy Forests legislation. From IRS records it was discovered that Project Protect was a $2.9 million media campaign which was created by Tim Wigley, the executive vice president of Pac/West communications, a PR/lobbying firm.*
Pro HFI
Proponents of HFI claim that private industry can be used to thin parts of federally-owned forests that are susceptible to forest fires, reducing the risk of large-scale conflagrations that endanger human lives and destroy valuable forests. Proponents argue that it is necessary to afford private industry some larger diameter trees to make profitable the removal of small trees and other flammable materials.Anti HFI
Opponents fear that logging companies will be allowed to unnecessarily cut large diameter trees under a false pretense, while neglecting the greater issue of ladder fuels (such as brush and small trees) and possibly leaving debris that would add to extremely volatile ground fuels. Some opponents also criticize the blanket prescription of thinnings to forests where low intensity fires did not historically play a pivotal role.External links
- Official Healthy Forests Website
- Whitehouse Healthy Forests Website
- Sierra Club's review opposing the Healthy Forests Initiative
- Society of American Foresters' review supporting the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
- Paul D. Thacker, "Hidden ties: Big environmental changes backed by big industry Lobbyists and industry officials who once pushed for the president’s Healthy Forests legislation now collaborate with Rep. * Pombo to alter the Endangered Species Act", Environmental Science & Technology, March 8, 2006.
"Healthy Forests Initiative"