But opponents worry provisions making it easier to manage forests could lead to large scale logging with less public input.
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Forest management is a big issue for Colorado, especially as the threat of wildfires has grown. So when Sen. John Hickenlooper heard that Republican Rep. Bruce Westerman, chair of the House Natural Resources committee and a certified forester, was working on a forest management bill, Hickenlooper wanted to talk with him.
“A half-hour meeting turned into two hours and I said, ‘Well, I’d love to work on anything you need,’” Hickenlooper recalled. “And then they reached out and said, ‘We’re doing this – Fix Our Forests [bill]. Maybe you can help us with the Senate side.’”
