{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2025/12/11/bennet-schiff-wyden-demand-answers-from-usfs-on-stalled-hazardous-fuel-reduction-projects/", "Bennet, Schiff, Wyden Demand Answers from USFS on Stalled Hazardous Fuel Reduction Projects", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "CO", "Michael F. Bennet", "B001267", "www.bennet.senate.gov", "bennet", "https://www.bennet.senate.gov/news/page/", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet, California U.S. Senator Adam Schiff, and Oregon U.S. Senator Ron Wyden sent a letter to United States Forest Service (USFS) Chief Tom Schultz demanding information on the number of hazardous fuels projects that have completed environmental reviews pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), but have not yet been implemented \u2013 commonly referred to as \u201cshelf stock.\u201d\n\n\u201cRecent reports indicate that the U.S. Forest Service\u2019s (USFS) work to reduce hazardous fuels across the national forest system in Fiscal Year 2025 was down nearly 40% from its previous four-year average. In a letter to Congress on August 6, 2025, you attributed your constrained \u201ccapacity to treat additional acres\u201d in part to \u201csignificant resource and personnel\u201d needs elsewhere at the agency. Given these issues, and the Trump administration\u2019s reduction of nearly 5,000 USFS staff, we are concerned that the decline in hazardous fuels projects stems from insufficient staffing needed to implement already-approved projects, including for mechanical thinning and prescribed fire,\u201d wrote the lawmakers.\n\nThe lawmakers highlight that the Trump Administration has failed to complete hazardous fuels reduction projects at the same pace and scale as in prior years or at the rate needed in their communities.\n\n\u201cAs you know, the best measures to protect lives and property from wildfire is preparedness \u2013 reducing fire risks before a conflagration ignites,\u201d concluded the lawmakers.\n\nThe text of the letter is available HERE and below.\n\nDear Chief Schultz:\n\nWe write to request information regarding the number of hazardous fuels projects that have completed environmental reviews pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), but have not yet been implemented (also known as \u201cshelf stock\u201d).\n\nRecent reports indicate that the U.S. Forest Service\u2019s (USFS) work to reduce hazardous fuels across the national forest system in Fiscal Year 2025 was down nearly 40% from its previous four-year average. In a letter to Congress on August 6, 2025, you attributed your constrained \u201ccapacity to treat additional acres\u201d in part to \u201csignificant resource and personnel\u201d needs elsewhere at the agency. Given these issues, and the Trump administration\u2019s reduction of nearly 5,000 USFS staff, we are concerned that the decline in hazardous fuels projects stems from insufficient staffing needed to implement already-approved projects, including for mechanical thinning and prescribed fire.\n\nIn order to help us understand why the Trump administration has failed to complete hazardous fuels reduction projects at a pace and scale commensurate with prior years and the clear needs on the ground, we request that you respond to the following inquiries within 30 days:\n\nPlease provide a report that lists each hazardous fuels reduction project for which a final environmental document, record of decision, or determination that a categorical exclusion applies has been completed consistent with the applicable forest plan and that has not commenced as of the date of this request.\n\nAs part of this report, please provide the approximate number of acres covered by each project;\n\nA breakdown of projects based on unit of the National Forest System; and\n\nAn expected timeline for project implementation.\n\nIf the USFS does not have a nation-wide tracking method for hazardous fuels shelf stock, please explain why the USFS does not track completion of environmental reviews and timelines for project implementation.\n\nIf a nation-wide tracking method does not exist, please provide a shelf stock report for, at a minimum, USFS Region 2 (Rocky Mountain Region), Region 6 (Pacific Northwest Region), and Region 5 (Pacific Southwest Region).\n\nPlease explain any barriers to implementing shelf stock projects and factors that are contributing to delays in implementation.\n\nAs you know, the best measures to protect lives and property from wildfire is preparedness \u2013 reducing fire risks before a conflagration ignites. We look forward to hearing from you about the hazardous fuels projects ready for implementation and how the USFS plans to implement these projects and speed up efforts to reduce wildfire risk.\n\nThank you for your consideration of this important matter.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/2025/12/11/bennet-schiff-wyden-demand-answers-from-usfs-on-stalled-hazardous-fuel-reduction-projects/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0403706692159176, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}