"Timberrrrrrrrrr!!"

I think the problem lies with how this administration deals with environmental issues. That is, they completely ignore science and the good health and safety of our environment, in favor of their special interest friends. Time and time again, they try to limit the public notification and input requirements that have been benchmarks of environmental law, and democracy for that matter, in America. They try to rewrite environmental legislation to gut public input, oversight, and enforcement.

This new forest bill allows them to sidestep the public input process and declare themselves in compliance with NEPA and ESA, just by saying so. It also gives carte blanche to the logging companies to turn it into a free-for-all money making operation, rather than a nice and necessary clean up following some Katrina-like disaster.

This bill also allows the administration to define emergency or disaaster as it sees fit. This essentially gives them the ability to open up an area, for excessive and inappropriate logging, based on the most flimsy of excuses. For example, a large logging company determines they may have to shut down operations in a specific plant. Some people may lose their jobs as a result. They contact their friends the Bushes, hey I need a favor, remember the $$ we sent your family over and over, blah blah. The administration declares an "emergency" (which they could do under this new legislation), give the contract to this company, and let the games begin.

As for reforesting, great idea. This bill doesn't require it however. Reforesting has nothing to do with this. Forest re-forest themselves, if not clear cut by humans, after fire or natural catastrophe. It's all part of the natural process, which we humans can't seem to let alone.