“In the Dixie National Forest, issues with the NEPA process led to the eventual shutdown of our local timber mill, costing 400 good-paying jobs in our community. Special interest groups were able to sue over minor NEPA technicalities, harming our local economy. This also led to massive fuel build ups that made it possible for the Brian Head Fire to burn more than 71,000 acres of forestland, destroying 13 homes. It also decimated the drinking water supply for Panguitch, Utah, which was supplied by a spring system that functioned flawlessly for over 100 years before the fire. It is imperative that the NEPA process be streamlined to prevent these tragedies moving forward and to improve the health of our landscapes.”
