WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 25, 2018) – Today, Eastern Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (WA-05) sent a letter to Interim Chief of the United States Forest Service Vicki Christensen inviting her to Eastern Washington to visit the Colville National Forest and see the great work being done on the A to Z Project.

In the letter the Congresswoman says, “I write today to invite you to Eastern Washington to tour the Colville National Forest (CNF). She continued, “The [Colville National Forest] has become one of the most productive national forests nationwide. In 2018, we are expecting to sell over 150 million board feet of timber (MMBF). It is estimated that every MMBF creates four full time jobs and brings $2 million to the local economy… I worked collaboratively with [a local coalition] to come up with the A to Z concept. A to Z is a forest restoration project on 54,000 acres of forest land on the [Colville National Forest]. This innovative concept allows private funds to be used to meet National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requirements.”

NOTE: The Congresswoman wants the A to Z Project to be a national model for local collaboration and a public-private partnership that benefits the community, industry, and the environment.

Read the Congresswoman’s full letter by clicking here.

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