TPA Lobbies in Our Nation's Capitol
Twice over a five week span in February and March, TPA was represented in Washington, lobbying on behalf of Minnesota’s forest products industry.
Earlier this year, Minnesota Rep. Pete Stauber introduced a bill in the House called the ESA Flexibility Act, that would give the US Fish and Wildlife Service the ability to utilize protections under the Endangered Species Act’s 4(d) Rule for endangered listings, just like it currently can with threatened listings.
The bill received a hearing in February before the House Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries. In speaking on behalf of the bill, Stauber told the subcommittee, “this legislation simply provides our wildlife managers with the flexibility to enact more targeted protections when it makes sense. When the science tells us stricter protections are necessary, the agencies will continue to have the choice to enact those stricter protections.”
TPA’s Ray Higgins testified before the subcommittee in support of the bill. His testimony can be seen here, beginning at 51:50 of the hearing:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQcjHHjQq9M&t=1271s
In March, a Minnesota delegation returned to Washington, including TPA Vice President Kelly Kimball, Jim Parma of Bell Lumber and Pole, Rick Horton from Minnesota Forest Industries, and Ray Higgins from TPA. The group met with Rep. Stauber, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, staff for Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith, US Forest Service Deputy Chief Chris French, as well as representatives from other state forestry associations from around the country.
A major theme in all the DC meetings was the Forest Service’s proposed Mature and Old Growth Designation. In December, the US Department of Agriculture proposed an unprecedented nation-wide forest plan amendment that would supersede existing forest plans and implement consistent restrictions on old growth management across the entire National Forest System. Our message was that the designation is unnecessary, that in reality, industry doesn’t harvest “old growth” timber, and that the true problem with forest health is fire, reforestation, and disease.
The other major theme of Minnesota’s meetings on Capitol Hill was the need for more wood from federal forests, including the Chippewa and Superior National Forests.
“We need more fiber for our loggers and our mills,” Kimball told Sen. Klobuchar.
During the meeting with the Minnesota delegation, Sen. Klobuchar said that in her mind the number of devastating wildfires over the past few years across the US and Canada has shown the public that management is needed to mitigate the fire danger.
During the meeting, Sen. Klobuchar was also thanked for her vote in support of a Senate bill—originally authored in the House by Congressman Stauber—that would remove the endangered designation from the northern long-eared bat. The bill passed the Senate thanks to two Democrats joining Republicans in supporting the measure: Sen. Klobuchar and Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
The group also met with the Federal Forest Resources Coalition (FFRC), a group of state associations from around the country, including TPA. Parma is current FFRC President.
FFRC members met with Deputy Chief French, urging the Forest Service to ramp up timber offerings across the federal system.