You and I both know President Biden’s overly broad designation of critical habitat for the Northern Spotted Owl has stifled timber harvests and stalled our economy. In fact, this overly restrictive policy has already cost us 1,200 jobs and more than $66 million in wages.

This attempt to “protect” the habitat for the Northern Spotted Owl does nothing to address the threats they actually face, and our communities are paying the price. That’s why I helped introduce legislation to remove this burdensome regulation from lands that are not actually home to the owl.

Wildfires continue to be one of the biggest threats to the owls in our region. Freeing up this land will allow us to proactively manage more of our forests, prevent catastrophic wildfires in the first place, and protect real owl habitats in the process.  

This bill is a win-win for conservation and our entire Eastern Washington community, and I’m hopeful that it will be a real step towards a more balanced solution for our forests.