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A new bill introduced today, co-sponsored by Senator Patty Murray, recognizes that when forests are healthy, clean water for communities is guaranteed. Additional Contacts: Mike Anderson, Senior Policy Analyst, The Wilderness Society 206-890-3529, mike_anderson@tws.org Thomas
O’Keefe, PNW Stewardship Director, American Whitewater 425-417-9012,
okeefe@americanwhitewater.org Portland, OR - Today U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and co-sponsors Patty Murray (D-WA) and Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) introduced a bill called the “Restoring America’s Watersheds Act”, which would give a big boost to efforts aimed at fixing watersheds in national forests across the West. Over 60 million Americans rely on drinking water flowing from our national forests. This bill aims to assure clean water in the future by supporting crucial programs which:
“We are happy to see the Forest Service’s Legacy Roads and Trails program having a prominent place in this legislation,” said Marlies Wierenga, coordinator for the Washington Watershed Restoration Initiative (WWRI). “Nearly 80% of Forest Service watersheds in Washington State are burdened with roads not being up to today’s standards. The WWRI coalition has championed Legacy Roads and Trails since it started in 2008. No other program has been as effective at reducing threats to our vital forest water supplies – particularly in the storm-ravaged Pacific Northwest.” Heinrich’s bill focuses on watershed health by making several effective programs such as Legacy Roads and Trails and the Watershed Condition Framework permanent and by increasing the funding level available for the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program for an additional five years. The bill would also establish the Water Source Protection Program, which would make it easier for partnerships and fund matching to happen between the Forest Service, cities, businesses, and water utilities. “People often forget that the Forest Service was created to protect community’s access to clean, safe, reliable drinking water,” said Mike Anderson, Senior Policy Analyst for The Wilderness Society. “This bill builds off of strong successes and partnerships so that water remains part of the forest vision.” Washington State would see direct benefits from this bill – particularly with the Legacy Roads and Trails program, which Senator Murray has championed since Congressman Norm Dick’s retirement. In the six years since the program started, nearly $22 million has been invested in Washington’s national forests to address water quality problems from the aging and frail forest road network. Local contractors have fixed over 1,700 miles of roads and 104 miles of trails to maintain access; improved 32 stream crossings for passage of salmon and trout; constructed 12 bridges to improve safety and reclaimed 204 miles of unneeded road. "For too long we have simply reacted to natural disasters on our National Forests," said Thomas O'Keefe the Pacific Northwest Stewardship Director for American Whitewater. "Unmaintained roads are bad for water quality and result in loss of access to our public lands. Making Legacy Roads and Trails a permanent program steers us down a proactive path of investing in problem roads now, to reduce environmental and social costs later.” “Over 86% of Washingtonians drink water drawn from our national forest lands. The ’Restoring America’s Watersheds’ bill helps guarantee that clean water keeps flowing,” said Marlies Wierenga. Text of the Restoring America's Watersheds Act is available here. A
fact sheet of the Restoring America's Watersheds Act is available here. For more information on Legacy Roads and Trails, visit the WWRI coalition’s website: |
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