{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?id=4756CB74-A6C7-E239-19F1-47974A38EDDB", "Bennet Applauds Forest Service Action to Restart Timber and Stewardship Contracts", "2013-10-17", "2013", "2013-10", "Democrat", "House", "CO", "Michael Bennet", "B001267", "www.bennet.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennetapplauded theForest Service'sdecisiontodayto reinstate timber sales and stewardship contracts on national forest landsfollowingthe reopening of the federal government.The decision comes on the heels of a letterBennet sentto Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwelltoday urging the immediatereinstatementofthese important tools.Colorado's timber industryis already in need of additional timber from federal lands to continue their operations, a situation exacerbated by the government shutdown.\nStewardship contractingis a critical tool that allowstheForest Service to employ public-private partnerships to carry out projectsthatmaintain healthy forests and create employment and businessopportunities. Colorado is among the states with the most stewardship contracts underway.\nIn the letter to Chief Tidwelltoday, Bennet wrote,\"As you know, these sales and contracts are important economic drivers in rural communities. The treatments carried out through timber sales and stewardship contracts also contribute to the overall health of our national forests and helpguardagainst catastrophic wildfire and insect outbreaks.\"\n\"Now that the shutdown is over, allowing purchasers and restorationprofessionalsto promptly get back to work in the woods should be a priority for the Forest Service; particularly when manyregionsare facing only a few short weeksbefore winter logging restrictions take effect.\"\nAsChairman of the Subcommitteeon Forestry, Conservation, and Natural ResourcesBennet successfully fought to include the permanent reauthorization of stewardship contracting in the Senate version of the 2013 Farm Bill, which passed the Senate in June. Recently, Bennet was appointed to serve as a member of the Farm Bill Conference Committee which will work out the differences between the Senate and House passed versions of the bill.\nFull Text of the letter is below:\nOctober 17, 2013\nDear Chief Tidwell:\nFollowing the reopening of the federal government this morning, I write to request your swift action to reinstate suspended timber sales and stewardship contracts on national forest lands across the country. As you know, these sales and contracts are important economic drivers in rural communities. The treatments carried out through timber sales and stewardship contracts also contribute to the overall health of our national forests and help guard against catastrophic wildfire and insect outbreaks.\nEven before the shutdown, I heard from a variety of stakeholders in my home state of Colorado about the current lack of timber to supply local mills. This is why the Senate Agriculture Committee included a reauthorization of stewardship contracting authority in the Senate Farm Bill, and why securing that reauthorization is a top priority of mine as the Farm Bill conference committee convenes. After the October 1stshutdown, the chorus of concerns about the volume of timber coming off federal lands only grew louder. Now that the shutdown is over, allowing purchasers and restoration professionals to promptly get back to work in the woods should be a priority for the Forest Service; particularly when many regions are facing only a few short weeks before winter logging restrictions take effect.\nI urge you to move quickly to resume the work needed to keep our forests healthy and to keep the engines of our rural economies churning. Thank you for your consideration.\nSincerely,\nMichael F. Bennet  Member, Senate Committee of Agriculture  Chairman, Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry and Natural Resources", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "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/public/index.cfm/press-releases?id=4756CB74-A6C7-E239-19F1-47974A38EDDB"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9447876363992691, "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"}