Jeff Bingaman: “The first amendment I want to discuss is amendment No. 4279 related to bark beetles. This is a serious problem all of us…”

“The first amendment I want to discuss is amendment No. 4279 related to bark beetles. This is a serious problem all of us in the West have observed. This amendment is cosponsored by Senator Murkowski, who is the ranking member on our Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator Udall of Colorado, and Senator Bennet of Colorado. We are, of course, looking for additional cosponsors. This amendment addresses an important issue we have in our forests in the West. Bark beetles have affected some 6.5 million acres of these forests. The epidemic has resulted in a dangerous situation where dead trees are falling onto roads, trails, campgrounds, utility lines, and other infrastructure, posing a substantial risk of personal injury or death and property damage. The Forest Service and National Park Service already have had to redirect tens of millions of dollars of funds that were appropriated for other projects and priorities in order to remove trees killed by bark beetles.”