2024 Comment Letters
March 14, 2024 —RVCC offered comments to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in Response to a Hearing on “A Nation on Fire: Responding to the Increasing Wildfire Threat”
RVCC offered comments to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs in support of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Report recommendations. Read the full comments here.
March 12, 2024 —RVCC offered comments to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources
in response to the Hearing: “Examine the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Final Report to Congress”
RVCC offered comments to the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in support of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Report recommendations. Read the full comments here.
March 8, 2024 —RVCC offered comments to the EPA on the Exceptional Events Rule in support of beneficial fire.
RVCC offered comments to the Environmental Protection Agency regarding on the Exceptional Events Rule in making it more accessible for states to further their use of beneficial fire. When administered effectively, the Exceptional Events Rule is key to preserving the ability to employ beneficial fire while simultaneously regulating particulate matter to ensure healthy air quality. Just as important as preserving the right and ability to employ beneficial fire is ensuring that state, local, and tribal air quality agencies are able to feasibly access the Exceptional Events Rule. Read the full comments here.
March 6, 2024 —RVCC offered comments to the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs Hearing regarding a hearing about “Advancing Tribal Self-Determination: Examining Bureau of Indian Affairs’ 638 Contracting”
RVCC offered comments in support of greater tribal participation in TFPA projects through the application of 638 contracting authority to carryout TFPA projects on Forest Service lands. Read the full comments here.
February 2, 2024 —RVCC offered comments the the USFS on the National Old Growth Amendment
RVCC offered comments to the U.S. Forest Services expressing our eagerness to contribute to the effort and participate in dialogue in order to establish a comprehensive and science-based management strategy that improves old growth conditions in the long term. The range of benefits produced by old growth trees cannot be understated. With the array of threats facing our forests, optimizing conditions to improve conservation and recruitment is essential. Our hope is that this national plan amendment will be socially sustainable and balance ecological as well as social and economic considerations. Read the full comments here.
February 2, 2024 —RVCC offered comments the the USFS on the Northwest Forest Plan Amendment
RVCC strongly endorses practices that align with what we have dubbed “the Stewardship Economy” - an economy shaped by the need, and responsibility, to manage for the sustainability of both land and communities. At the heart of this concept is the need to develop a more reciprocal relationship between our communities and landscapes. In developing the Northwest Forest Plan Amendment, we trust that the agency will strike a thoughtful balance between adaptive forest management, community well-being and quality of life, effective wildfire mitigation, and sustainable and accessible recreation. And we look forward to engaging in dialogue related to five interrelated topic areas of focus including:
Improving fire resistance and resilience across the NWFP planning area,
Strengthening the capacity of NWFP ecosystems to adapt to the ongoing effects of climate change,
Improving conservation and recruitment of mature and old-growth forest conditions, ensuring adequate habitat for species dependent upon mature and old growth ecosystems and supporting regional biodiversity,
Incorporating Indigenous Knowledge into planning, project design, and implementation to achieve forest management goals and meet the agency's general trust responsibilities, and
Providing a predictable supply of timber and non-timber products, and other economic opportunities to support the long-term sustainability of communities located proximate to National Forest System lands and economically connected to forest resources. Read the full comments here.
January 2, 2024 —RVCC offered comments to the US Forest Service on a proposed rule change: “Land Uses; Special Uses; Carbon Capture and Storage Exemption (88 FR 75530)
RVCC offered comments on aspects of the proposed rule change and noted the importance of community-based collaborative stewardship, Tribal sovereignty and co-stewardship, USFS forest management planning, NEPA, environmental justice and capacity constraints of rural communities and Tribes for meaningful engagement. Read the full comments here.
2023 Comment Letters
October 25, 2023 —RVCC submits letter to Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forest, and Mining
RVCC supports bipartisan solutions that provide much-needed resources and authority to mitigate the impact of wildfires. Specifically, robust resources for training and education to expand the use of prescribed fire, an essential tool for actively managing our nation’s forests, would go a long way to mitigate devastating wildfires. Our letter to the committee supported several provisions in legislation considered by the subcommittee, including:
The FIRESHED Act’s (S. 1719) establishment of emergency fireshed management areas and authorization of prescribed burning as an eligible project within such areas;
Funding for private landowners to conduct prescribed burns in the Western Wildfire Support Act of 2023 (S. 1764); and
Prescribed fire as a treatment option for invasive grasses in the America’s Revegetation and Carbon Sequestration Act of 2023 (S. 2991). Read the full letter here.
June 21, 2023 —RVCC submits letter to Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works regarding a Hearing on “Reauthorization of the Economic Development Administration: State and Local Perspectives”
The EDA has a proven track record of promoting economic development in distressed areas, enabling communities to overcome challenges and harness their full potential. By providing financial assistance, technical assistance, and targeted resources, the EDA has played a crucial role in supporting regional economic growth and improving the quality of life for millions of Americans. RVCC strongly encouraged the inclusion of additional community capacity building resources in legislation reauthorizing the EDA, updates to its statutory authority, plus the authorization of programming to support tailored workforce development. Read the full letter here.
May 2023 —RVCC submits letters to House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies and House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Letter to House Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies.
Letter to House Appropriations Subcommittee Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.
Memo: Brumidi Group - Appropriations Overview
2022 Comment Letters
April 14, 2022—RVCC joins the National Forest Foundation and Sustainable Northwest in offering recommendations and considerations to the Forest Service on the topic of developing a collaborative capacity support program
In light of language in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Fiscal Year 2022 Consolidated Appropriations Act that supports Forest Service funding of collaboration and collaborative capacity, RVCC worked with NFF and SNW to host listening sessions about how the agency could best fulfill this Congressional direction. The letter synthesizes feedback from four listening sessions as well as individual outreach and outlines five key messages, as well as potential strategies for operationalizing practitioner input. Read the recommendations and considerations here.
2021 Comment Letters
September 9, 2021—RVCC joins partners in proposing next steps on America the Beautiful initiative to Administration officials
RVCC signed on to a multi-partner comment letter organized by the Western Landowners Alliance offering recommendations to the Biden Administration as it pursues implementation of the conservation vision outlined in its America the Beautiful initiative.
The signatories proposed leading collaborative engagement around this effort by hosting facilitated work sessions with federal and non-federal stakeholders, identifying actionable, joint recommendations for the Departments of Interior and Agriculture from non-federal partners, and producing a public-facing report on the process and findings.
Seven key topics were identified in the letter as meriting discussion through this process, including a clarification of the definitions of “conservation,” “community,” and “locally-led,” funding of long-term ecological stewardship, and removing regulatory barriers to conservation. Read the Comment Letter here.
July 15, 2021—RVCC partners with Heart of the Rockies to provide recommendations to USDA on reaching rural communities
RVCC partnered with our colleagues at Heart of the Rockies (HOTR) to submit a comment letter in response to a recent request by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) soliciting feedback on how it can advance racial justice and equity for underserved communities as part of its implementation of Executive Order 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government. Specifically, RVCC and HOTR provided feedback to the administration on how best to change and enhance existing policies to reach rural communities – one of the groups defined by the Executive Order as “underserved.”
Highlights of the letter include a recommendation to consider how matching fund requirements can perpetuate inequity; recommendations to increase capacity funding to community-based groups and agency staff who serve partnership and coordination roles; and a recommendation to consider the importance of how programs define “rural.” The letter also urged increased investment in proven USDA Rural Development programs, such as the Rural Business Development Grant Program. Read the Comment Letter here.