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U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell.
Bark beetles, climate change and firefighting among the key concerns in U.S. Senate hearing
By Bob Berwyn
SUMMIT COUNTY — Intertwined concerns about overall forest health, bark beetles, climate change and wildfires took center state Tuesday at a full hearing of the U.S. Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, as lawmakers from both sides of the aisle questioned Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell about his agency’s ability to meet its obligations to address the multiple challenges.
U.S. Senator Mark Udall, a Colorado Democrat, said it’s critical to engage the private sector and encourage the use of beetle kill products by expanding markets for forest products. That requires streamlining contracting procedures and giving incentives to companies that use beetle-killed wood for construction, as well as wood pellets and biomass for energy production. (more…)
Filed under: climate and weather, Colorado, Environment, forest fires, Forest health, forests, global warming, pine beetles and wildfires | Tagged: bark beetles, Forest health, Forest Service 2012 budget, Sen. Mark Udall, U.S. Forest Service, Wildfires | 1 Comment »
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