Rounds Leads Legislation to Increase Timber Sales in the Black Hills National Forest

WASHINGTON– U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today reintroduced the Timber Harvesting Restoration Act in the 119th Congress. This legislation would require the United States Forest Service (USFS) to improve timber sales numbers in the Black Hills National Forest. Rounds originally introduced this legislation in the 118th Congress in March 2024.
In recent years, timber sales in the Black Hills National Forest have steadily decreased, putting a significant strain on manufacturers of timber products. USFS has been unable to justify these harvesting shortfalls in the Black Hills National Forest. To accommodate for the shortage and keep up with demand, local timber businesses must pay additional shipping costs to bring in timber from farther away.
“Timber manufacturers in the Black Hills area are being negatively impacted by harvesting shortages in the Black Hills National Forest,”said Rounds. “They should not have to bring in timber from long distances to meet the demand for lumber, especially when there’s no reasonable explanation offered by USFS for these shortfalls. In addition, timber harvesting is necessary to keep the Black Hills healthy, prevent wildfires and preserve its beauty for generations to come. I’m pleased to once again introduce this legislation that takes steps toward getting our timber production back up to normal levels.”
“We appreciate this legislation from Senator Rounds which would help the US Forest Service succeed and the communities depending on that success,”said Ben Wudtke, Executive Director of the Black Hills Forest Resource Association.“The US Forest Service has recognized a tremendous need for treating an additional 20 million acres through their Wildfire Crisis Strategy. Recognizing the need is the first step. This legislation is a logical next step that would help better position individual national forests for accomplishing those goals through development of tailored plans where needed.”
Specifically, the Timber Harvesting Restoration Act would:
ClickHEREfor full bill text.
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