Emergency Tweetstorm/Email – Stop H.R. 2936

As this is a last minute effort with a limited time frame, I will not go into detail on this post in regard to the stunning language of this proposal. Suffice it to say that this is one of the most extreme attacks, to date, on our national forests. Should you like more information please see this page, or to see the full list of egregious provisions within this bill, visit this blog post from the Western Environmental Law Center. For more in-depth information on the Resilient Federal Forests Act (HR 2936) please see this page from UCLA Berkeley Law.

An analysis of this bill can be found here. A letter from 71 organizations can be found here.

On November 1st, H.R. 2936 passed in the House of Representatives with a vote of 232-188. Below, please find a tweetsheet and email text, please take the time to contact your Senators: No on the #ResilientFederalForestsAct

Find your U.S. Senate members twitter handles below, and please add them to your tweets. Another option is to add an image to your tweet and “tag” your senators or representatives (feel free to use the images provided here). As this proposal has passed in the House, we will only be sending our tweets to the Senate.
Again, find your Senators twitter handles below, here, or access them from the menu at the top of our blog posts; the list will be updated with each new Congress.

All handles are linked. 😊 Either tap the link to send a personalized tweet, or copy the handle (text only) and add to the tweets which follow below.

SENATE TWITTER 115TH CONGRESS

Alabama: @SenShelby @lutherstrange

Alaska: @lisamurkowski @SenDanSullivan

Arizona: @SenJohnMcCain @JeffFlake

Arkansas: @SenTomCotton @JohnBoozman

California: @SenFeinstein @SenKamalaHarris

Colorado: @SenBennetCO @SenCoryGardner

Connecticut: @ChrisMurphyCT @SenBlumenthal

Delaware: @SenatorCarper @ChrisCoons

Florida: @SenBillNelson @marcorubio

Georgia: @SenDavidPerdue @SenatorIsakson

Hawaii: @maziehirono @brianschatz

Idaho: @MikeCrapo @SenatorRisch

Illinois: @SenDuckworth @SenatorDurbin

Indiana: @SenDonnelly @SenToddYoung

Iowa: @ChuckGrassley @joniernst

Kansas: @SenPatRoberts @JerryMoran

Kentucky: @SenateMajLdr @RandPaul

Louisiana: @BillCassidy @SenJohnKennedy

Maine: @SenAngusKing @SenatorCollins

Maryland: @ChrisVanHollen @SenatorCardin

Massachusetts: @senmarkey @SenWarren

Michigan: @SenGaryPeters @SenStabenow

Minnesota: @amyklobuchar @SenFranken

Mississippi: @SenThadCochran @SenatorWicker

Missouri: @clairemc @RoyBlunt

Montana: @SteveDaines @SenatorTester

Nebraska: @SenatorFischer @SenSasse

Nevada: @SenCortezMasto @SenDeanHeller

New Hampshire: @SenatorShaheen @SenatorHassan

New Jersey: @CoryBooker @SenatorMenendez

New Mexico: @SenatorTomUdall @MartinHeinrich

New York: @SenSchumer @SenGillibrand

North Carolina: @SenatorBurr @SenThomTillis

North Dakota: @SenatorHeitkamp @SenJohnHoeven

Ohio: @SenSherrodBrown @SenRobPortman

Oklahoma: @jiminhofe @SenatorLankford

Oregon: @RonWyden @SenJeffMerkley

Pennsylvania: @SenBobCasey @SenToomey

Rhode Island: @SenJackReed @SenWhitehouse

South Carolina: @LindseyGrahamSC @SenatorTimScott

South Dakota: @SenatorRounds @SenJohnThune

Tennessee: @SenAlexander @SenBobCorker

Texas: @JohnCornyn @SenTedCruz

Utah: @SenOrrinHatch @SenMikeLee

Vermont: @SenatorLeahy @SenSanders

Virginia: @timkaine @MarkWarner

Washington: @PattyMurray @SenatorCantwell

West Virginia: @SenCapito @Sen_JoeManchin

Wisconsin: @SenatorBaldwin @SenRonJohnson

Wyoming: @SenatorEnzi @SenJohnBarrasso

Tweets are automated and can be sent by tapping “Tweet It” at the end of each tweet. There should be plenty of room for you to add your Senator’s handle; do so once the tweet loads on Twitter (Or add an image and “tag” them). Please tweet to as many Senators as possible.
Onward. Happy tweeting and thanks very much for your help.

Shortly after completing this tweetsheet, twitter announced that they are increasing the length of tweet allowed to 280 characters (because a 140 character rant wasn’t enough). At the end of each tweet on this sheet I noted how many characters which remained for your handles, that remainder is now doubled…enjoy!

1. Reject #HR2936 Forests with higher levels of protection have lower levels of fire severity. https://t.co/enYYEkb5FL Tweet It (24 characters remain)

2. Forests intensely managed over many yrs are more likely to suffer from severe/uncontrolled fires. NO on #HR2936 Tweet It (29 characters remain)

3. We should be considering science-backed ways to truly support forest resiliency, not #HR2936 Tweet It (48 characters remain)

4. #HR2936 exactly the kind of intense management that makes a forest more susceptible to catastrophic fires. Tweet It (31 characters remain)

5. Vote NO ☞ #ResilientFederalForestsAct #HR2936 is an extreme assault on our #NationalForests Tweet It (49 characters remain)

6. #HR2936 would devastate forest health and severely undermines the National Environmental Policy Act by exempting harmful activities from environmental review Tweet It (60 characters remain)

7. #HR2936 allows for the transferring of #EndangeredSpecies authority away from expert consulting agencies! Tweet It (25 characters remain)

8. NO☞ #ResilientFederalForestsAct which allows for unsustainable #logging – Oppose #HR2936 Tweet It (52 characters remain)

9. #HR2936 grants the @forestservice unilateral authority to forgo #EndangeredSpeciesAct consultation. Tweet It (41 characters remain)

10. #ResilientFederalForestsAct prevents consultation 4 #EndangeredSpecies after a mgmt plan changes! NO☞ #HR2936 Tweet It (31 characters remain)

11. The #ResilientFederalForestsAct claims to help solve the problem of wildfires in #NationalForests … /1 Tweet It (36 characters remain, but part 2 of this tweet has just 22 characters☟)

12. /2 But is a move to shift funding away from environmental protections & allow the #logging industry in. NO on #HR2936 Tweet It (22 characters remain)

13. Again, Forests with higher levels of protection have lower levels of fire severity. Vote NO☞ #HR2936 https://t.co/enYYEkb5FL Tweet It (16 characters remain)

14. #HR2936 also caps #endangeredspecies consultation for environmental issues arbitrarily at 90 days! Tweet It (42 characters remain)

15. #HR2936 allows for the elimination of environmental analysis for an enormous number of logging projects! Tweet It (36 characters remain)

16. NO ☞ #ResilientFederalForestsAct which allows for clear-cutting in our #NationalForests Tweet It (53 characters remain)

17. #HR2936 also allows unstudied logging, grazing, livestock infrastructure construction, and #herbicide application! Tweet It (26 characters remain)

18. #HR2936 contains numerous loopholes/exclusions for environmental, judicial, & public review. NO #ResilientFederalForestsAct Tweet It (17 characters remain)

19. Incredibly, this legislation gives away public lands to adjacent private land owners. Vote NO on #ResilientFederalForestsAct Tweet It (16 characters remain)

20. 1/ Logging industry’s political allies have fully embraced the deceptive “catastrophic wildfire” narrative (#HR2936)… Tweet It (21 characters remain)

21. 2/ to promote this giveaway of our #NationalForests to timber corporations! Vote No on the #ResilientFederalForestsAct Tweet It (22 characters remain)

22. #HR2936 is a scientifically bankrupt smoke screen 4 rampant commercial #logging on #PublicLands NO #ResilientFederalForestsAct Tweet It (14 characters remain)

23. Eliminating or weakening environmental laws — & increasing logging — will NOT curb or halt #forestfires Vote NO on #HR2936 Tweet It (18 characters remain)

24. #HR2936 is designed to boost extraction on #PublicLands to an unimaginable level. SHAME on @RepWesterman Tweet It (36 characters remain)

25. Due 2 logging/poor legislation just 5% of CA original old-growth coast redwoods remain No☞ #HR2936 https://t.co/TIuzfUdv3w Tweet It (18 characters remain)

26a. .@RepRobBishop prioritizes baseball and #logging over Rural American #children No on #HR2936 pic.twitter.com/cBqVRqOSbq Tweet It (23 characters remain)

26b. Shamefully #HR2936 sponsored by @RepWesterman diverts Secure Rules Schools Act funding Tweet It (54 characters remain)

26c. Essentially #HR2936 takes money that would fund #education and funnels it to the timber industry! Tweet It (43 characters remain)

26d. .@RepOHalleran amendment to reauthorize SRS sadly/shamefully failed 194-226! No #HR2936 Tweet It (53 characters remain)

27. #ResilientFederalForestsAct is a misguided bill that would seriously damage #NationalForests Tweet It (48 characters remain)

28. #ResilientFederalForestsAct fails to concentrate on #wildfire prevention programs & focuses on accelerated #logging. Tweet It (24 characters remain)

29. Contained in #HR2936 are numerous new “categorical exclusions” from the NEPA bit.ly/2iXhIau Tweet It (29 characters remain)

30. Thinning/logging should be done in context of forest plans/executed at ecologically appropriate scales. No☞ #HR2936 Tweet It (25 characters remain)

31. #HR2936 exempts the @forestservice analysis of cumulative environmental effects of many CatEx projects! Tweet It (37 characters remain)

32. Improvement of forest conditions and wildlife habitat should be planned w/input of qualified biologists NO☞ #HR2936 Tweet It (25 characters remain)

33. The exemptions from environmental law in #HR2936 are an aggressive legislative assault on our #NationalForests Tweet It (30 characters remain)

34. The exemptions from environmental law in #HR2936 are an aggressive legislative assault on public participation. Tweet It (29 characters remain)

35. Management of our #NationalForests should not fall victim to political posturing! No on #HR2936 Tweet It (45 characters remain)

36. Better legislative options, than #HR2936, that provide necessary resources for those “on the ground” are needed. Tweet It (29 characters remain)

37. Better legislative options, than #HR2936, that maintain the ecological health of forests are needed. Tweet It (40 characters remain)

38. Better legislative options, than #HR2936, that keep the voice of the American people are needed. Tweet It (45 characters remain)

39. Vote NO on #HR2936 #ResilientFederalForestsAct – Horrific Logging Without Laws Act! Tweet It (57 characters remain)

40. #HR2936 is a profit-driven timber industry initiative thinly disguised as restoration. Tweet It (54 characters remain)

41. #HR2936 guts our bedrock laws in order to clearcut our public forests in an unimaginable magnitude. Tweet It (41 characters remain)

42. #HR2936 is a fraud which is diametrically opposite to hard-earned knowledge about #ForestFires Tweet It (46 characters remain)

43. #HR2936 is a cynical betrayal of the public in its attempt to eviscerate #NationalForest policy. Tweet It (44 characters remain)

44. Shamefully introduced by @RepWesterman #HR2936 is a gift to the timber industry. Tweet It (60 characters remain)

45. .@RepWesterman has received more campaign contributions from Big Timber than any other industry! NO #HR2936 Tweet It (33 characters remain)

46. .@RepWesterman attempts to use this year’s fire season as an excuse for dramatically increased #logging. NO #HR2936 Tweet It (25 characters remain)

47. Leading scientists state post-fire #logging generally only further harms #ecosystems @RepWesterman NO #HR2936 Tweet It (30 characters remain)

48. Leading scientists state post-fire #logging undermines forest recovery @RepWesterman Vote NO on #HR2936 Tweet It (37 characters remain)

49. Leading scientists state post-fire #logging increases risks for #ForestFires @RepWesterman NO #HR2936 Tweet It (49 characters remain)

50. I agree with 71 groups @RepWesterman & stand in opposition to #HR2936 bit.ly/2he3SA0 Tweet It (47 characters remain)

51. The @RepWesterman Bill: The Timber Industry’s Wet Dream – bit.ly/2AwAv07 Vote NO on the #ResilientFederalForestsAct #HR2936 pic.twitter.com/BxVvQW0WCp Tweet It (65 characters remain)

Please email your Senators as soon as possible asking them to vote against the so-called “Resilient Federal Forests Act” when it comes to the floor for consideration.
Find your Senators here, and please feel free to utilize and personalize this sample letter:

Dear (Your Senator),

As your constituent, I urge you to vote NO on H.R. 2936 – the Resilient Federal Forests Act when it comes to the floor for a vote.

The bill contains an incredible amount of loopholes and exclusions for environmental, judicial, and public review. Incredibly, this legislation gives away public lands to adjacent private land owners.

H.R. 2936 would devastate forest health and severely undermines the National Environmental Policy Act by exempting harmful activities from environmental review and allows for:

• Unsustainable logging.

• The transferring of endangered species authority away from the expert consulting agencies. The legislation also caps endangered species consultation for environmental issues arbitrarily at 90 days, and grants the Forest Service unilateral authority to forgo Endangered Species Act consultation.

• The elimination of environmental analysis for an enormous number of logging projects.

• The bill also allows unstudied logging, grazing, livestock infrastructure construction, and herbicide application under the guise of wildfire risk mitigation for areas under 10,000 acres.

This proposal would devastate forest health, and by exempting harmful activities from environmental review, including forest clearing for up to 30,000 acres, which is an area nearly 429 times larger than what is currently allowed to take place without review, is a shameful piece of legislation.

The so-called “Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017 (H.R. 2936) claims to help solve the problem of wildfires in National Forests, but is an obvious move to shift federal funding away from environmental protections on federal lands and allow the logging industry in.

Again, as your constituent, I urge you to vote NO on H.R. 2936 – the Resilient Federal Forests Act when it comes to the floor for a vote.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this extremely important matter.

Regards,

(Your name)

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