Representatives Daniel Bonham (R-The Dalles) and David Brock Smith (R-Coos Bay) released a statement on the Good Neighbor Authority and the recent investment made by the Legislative Emergency Board:

“We have let our natural and working lands become overburdened by fuel loads,” said Bonham. “Federal policy of containment and lack of investments into programs like the Good Neighbor Authority have put us in a position to suffer catastrophic effects from these mega-fires. Investments in this program are a step in the right direction to mitigate risks in the future. Conservation of Oregon’s forests, the communities around them, and the families that rely upon them must be our number one priority.”

Brock Smith added, “I’m grateful for the long overdue investment in this legislation that works cooperatively with our federal partners for resource management, focusing on the urban/wildland interface. Expanding these efforts will protect the health, life and safety of Oregonians and their communities.”

The Good Neighbor Authority allows the United States Forest Service to enter into agreements with states to enable states to perform forest management and watershed restoration services on federal lands. Together, Bonham and Brock Smith were chief sponsors of HB 4118 passed in 2018, which expanded Oregon’s Good Neighbor Authority.


--Ben Fisher

Post Date: 2020-09-30 10:50:37

Last Update: 2020-09-30 11:31:35