Lee, Zinke Push for Senate Confirmation of Forest Service Chief

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and Representative Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.-01), introduced the Forest Service Accountability Act.

This legislation would bring greater transparency and public accountability to the leadership of the U.S. Forest Service by changing the Chief of the Forest Service position from a career appointment to a presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed role. Senators John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), John Curtis (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) are cosponsors of this bill.

“It is time for the American people to hold the Chief of the Forest Service accountable. The U.S. Forest Service has a profound impact on countless communities and millions of acres across the nation, including in Utah, making it crucial for the head of the department to be a Senate-confirmed position. The Forest Service Accountability Act will ensure Congress has input over the management of our National Forest System lands,” said Chairman Lee.

“The Forest Service effects Montanans daily, and yet, the people get no say in who runs it,” said Congressman Zinke. “From forest fires and grazing, to recreation, the forest service plays a huge part in Montanans’ lives. They manage 17 million acres of land in Montana, so it is important that the Chief of the Forest Service can be held accountable by the people through Congress.”

Key Provisions of the Forest Service Accountability Act:

• Requires the President to nominate a Chief of the Forest Service, subject to Senate confirmation

• Establishes qualification criteria, requiring nominees to have substantial experience and demonstrated competence in forest and natural resource management

• Refers nominations to both the Senate Committee on Agriculture and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for thorough review

• Mandates the President to submit a nomination for the position within 30 days of the bill’s enactment

The Forest Service Accountability Act is supported by the Federal Forest Resource Coalition:

“FFRC supports the Forest Service Accountability Act. The fact is, for more than 30 years, every time the White House changes hands, the Chief of the Forest Service changes. It’s long past time to recognize this reality and make the Chief accountable to both the Administration and the elected officials in Congress, just like the leaders of the Fish & Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the National Park Service. Those agencies are staffed by professional land managers who have worked successfully with politically appointed leaders for decades,” said the Federal Forest Resource Coalition.