Tester: Zinke bill tough sell in Senate

Montana Sen. Jon Tester said recently that Congressman Ryan Zinke's forest management bill that passed the House will be a tough sell in the Senate.

Zinke's bill, the Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 allows for categorical exclusions on some timber sales up to 5,000 acres and even has provisions for categorical exclusions for sales up to 15,000 acres.

A categorical exclusion sale does not require an environmental review. Other sales call for a collaborative process with public involvement. If an environmental group wanted to challenge those sales, they'd have to post a bond under the law.

The law is designed to increase timber harvests on national forests lands.

Tester, while he said he understands the need for increased harvests, said the bill lacks any recreation or wilderness components.

Tester's Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, which has languished in Congress, has a blend of timber harvest and wilderness additions across the state.

"Today is a good day; after more than a decade of inaction, real forestry reform for Montana is within reach," Zinke said after the bill passed. "After talking with folks from every side of the issue - conservation, Forest Service, loggers, scientists, local governments, outdoor recreation representatives, etc. - it became clear that incentivizing and rewarding the collaborative process, where local groups work together for a timber project, is the best path forward because it puts Montana in the driver's seat, not the out-of-state special interests."

More than 170 groups supported the Zinke bill, including the Montana Logging Association and the Montana Wood Products Association. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation also supported the bill.

But other groups didn't support the bill.

"Unfortunately, Rep. Zinke's bill was crafted without input from Montanans," said John Todd, of the Montana Wilderness Association. "No listening sessions. No town halls. But more importantly, no support from the key Montana stakeholders who worked for decades to improve forest management."