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The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service is using emergency action authority to expedite recovery efforts on National Forest System lands following recent hurricane activity across the Southeast, according to a news release from the agency this week.
“This emergency authority allows us to address the widespread damage caused by the recent hurricanes,” said Forest Service Chief Randy Moore. “This means helping to protect the surrounding communities by addressing hazards to public health and safety, critical infrastructure, and to mitigate hazards to natural resources like streams flooded with wood debris or sediments, removing downed vegetation and other debris that may be fire hazards.”
Forest Service will work to rebuild infrastructure to pre-disaster conditions and prevent future flooding. This includes restoring utilities like water, sewer, power and internet, completing landslide repairs, constructing erosion controls, and replacing or repairing bridges, culverts, trails and developed recreation sites. Emergency salvage of downed tress will also occur in areas impacted by the hurricane and subsequent tornados.
Section 40807 of President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to make a determination that an emergency exists on national forest lands that allows the Forest Service to carry out emergency actions to protect public health and safety, critical infrastructure and natural resources on National Forest System lands. This is one of several authorities that can be used to expedite compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act following natural disasters.
The post-hurricane response authority, approved by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Secretary Vilsack, allows the Forest Service to reduce the amount of time necessary to implement recovery actions quickly and efficiently. Emergency authority will also be used to speed up execution of contracts, grants and agreements, and accelerate consultation required by the Endangered Species Act, National Historic Preservation Act and the Clean Water Act. The first use of this authority, announced in February 2023, was to support emergency actions to address the nation’s wildfire crisis.
Hurricane Helene stretched more than 5,000 miles inland from the Florida coast causing severe and unprecedented flooding across the southern Appalachians. Hurricane Milton devastated large areas of central Florida, with significant damage that is still to be assessed.
Visit www.fs.usda.gov/ for more information.
