Shared by the COIN Climate, Energy, and Environment (CEE) Team
This Is a Call to Action!
The “Fix Our Forests” Act (FOFA) must be stopped. FOFA (H.R. 471 / S. 1462) is a terrible bill for our forests, public lands, and communities. It is due to be called to the Senate floor for a vote at any moment.
FOFA will…
- Deliver the power of forest management to those who support or engage in tree harvest exploitation.
- Take an ax to public oversight and input, scientific review, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA), judicial review, and the national forests we know and love.
- Abuse the intended use of the “categorical exclusion” tool, allowing for quick and superficial review of projects.
- Pressure Forest Service staff to meet mandatory timber targets, which could increase wildfire risk to local communities.
- Make our communities less safe from wildfires, landslides, and floods, yet it is marketed as a wildfire prevention bill. In reality, this is a bill to dramatically increase the timber cut on public lands.
In short, passing FOFA would be a gift to Trump and the creators of Project 2025.
FOFA passed the House in early 2025, and has been amended by the Senate. The Senate version is just as bad. The Senate may vote on this between now and early August.
Political Pressure is Needed NOW.
Oregon residents, write to our Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley as soon as possible to tell them to oppose FOFA (S. 1462).
If your Representative in the House is Val Hoyle or Janelle Bynum, it is vital that you also write to them to demand they vote NO. Indications are that both of them are leaning toward voting YES, to maintain support in their purple districts. Theirs could be the deciding votes. Remind them how important public lands, mature and old growth forests, healthy ecosystems, and wildlife habitat are to our state and communities. More logging is NOT the answer to wildfire concerns.
As for the other districts: Suzanne Bonamici, Maxine Dexter, and Andrea Salinas are solid NO votes. Thank-you messages to these Representatives are always helpful. Cliff Bentz is a solid YES vote, but constituents should also write to him, urge him to vote NO, and let him know you are paying attention.
Indivisible members in Oregon, please send postcards NOW: at least two for Wyden and Merkley, and one more if you are in Hoyle’s or Bynum’s District.
Also, call the offices as a follow-up action one week after sending your postcards, and use the same talking points.
Select and/or put these messages in your own words as you like:
I am writing to urge you to oppose the Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA) and any other legislation or executive action targeting our National Forests and public lands.
- The FOFA greatly expands logging on federal lands, and there are no restrictions on types of trees logged (e.g., old growth), their size, or extreme thinning that approaches clear cutting.
- We do not want to be saying goodbye to our most beloved wild places; forests decimated by Trump’s pro-corporate and reckless agenda.
- FOFA would give Trump’s buddies in the timber industry the greenlight to clearcut across millions of acres of iconic national forests.
- The passage of FOFA would result in massive elimination of the vegetation that sustains the water and soil and air across those landscapes, which would result in more drought, fires, landslides, floods. If it passes, the ecological damage could be irreparable.
- This situation would not just pose an immediate threat to our National Forests – but to surrounding communities vulnerable to wildfires as well.
- Unlimited logging across millions of acres of National Forests and public lands would not only worsen fire risk, but also soil erosion and water quality, plus harm imperiled wildlife and fish and their habitats.
- Unless you are in the MAGA camp, you don’t give the USFS expanded categorical exclusions, exemptions from NEPA, or relief from endangered species consultation.
- FOFA would hand new powers to the most lawless administration in American history.
- Don’t hand FOFA to this White House that is dismantling the United States government in broad daylight, handing over public lands to billionaires, gutting the agencies built to protect them, and ignoring the laws that get in the way.
- This administration is not protecting the forests from wildfire. They are protecting themselves from accountability, and Democrats that eagerly hand them a legislative get-out-of-jail-free card do not deserve our vote.
- FOFA is a terrible bill, both in terms of substance and democratic principles. It would not make us safer; it would make us less safe, and it would take an ax to public disclosure, public input, NEPA, the ESA, and judicial review. In short, it would be a gift to Trump and the creators of Project 2025.
- There are scientifically supported methods for minimizing wildfire risks. We should be focusing on home hardening and community preparedness, not handing control of our public forests to private interests, bulldozers, and chainsaws.
I urge you to do everything in your power to protect our National Forests, including opposing the Fix Our Forests Act, and any other actions promoting deforestation.
Do not hand over the keys to our forests and our future.
U.S. Senators for Oregon
Senator Jeff Merkley
- D.C. Office: 531 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington DC 20510 • (202) 224-3753
- Oregon addresses for Senator Merkley.
Senator Ron Wyden
- D.C. Office: 221 Dirksen Senate Office Bldg.Washington DC 20510 • (202) 224-5244
- Oregon addresses for Senator Wyden.
U.S. Representatives for Oregon
Unsure of your congressional district? Just enter your zip code in the House of Representatives Finder.
Suzanne Bonamici [1st District]
- D.C. Office: 2231 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC 20515 • (202) 225-0855
- District Office: 12725 SW Millikan Way, Suite 220, Beaverton OR 97005 • (503) 469-6010
Cliff Bentz [2nd District]
- D.C. Office: 409 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515 • (202) 225-6730
- Medford Office: 14 N. Central Avenue, Suite 112, Medford OR 97501 • (541) 776-4646
- Ontario Office: 2430 SW 4th Avenue, Suite 2, Ontario OR 97914 • (541) 709-2040
Maxine Dexter [3rd District]
- D.C. Office: 1502 Longworth House Office Building, Washington DC 20515 • (202) 225-4811
- District Office: 911 NE 11th Avenue, Portland OR 97232 • (503) 231-2300
Val Hoyle [4th District]
- D.C. Office: 1620 Longworth House Office Building, Washington DC 20515 • (202) 225-6416
- District Office: 940 Willamette Street, Suite 520, Eugene OR 97401 • (541) 465-6732
Janelle Bynum [5th District]
- D.C. Office: 1508 Longworth House Office Building, Washington DC 20515 • (202) 225-5711
- District Office: 502 7th Street, Suite 203, Oregon City OR 97045 • (503) 387-8651
Andrea Salinas [6th District]
- D.C. Office: 403 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515 • (202) 225-5643
- Salem Office: 530 Center Street NE, Suite 415, Salem OR 97301 • (503) 385-0906
- Tualatin Office: 18861 SW Martinazzi Avenue, Suite 200, Tualatin OR 97062 • (503) 385-0906