A bill to amend the Clean Air Act to modify certain definitions of the term "renewable biomass", and for other purposes.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation with my colleagues Senator Crapo and Senator Tester that will establish a single definition of renewable biomass for the purposes of the Renewable Fuel Standard, RFS, a future Renewable Electricity Standard, RES, and climate change legislation.

When I travel back to my hometown of Helena, MT, trees that line the roads there are turning red. Mountain pine beetles are killing Montana's trees at a terrible rate. Our legendary harsh winters once were enough to keep the beetles at bay, but no longer. Global warming has literally hit home for me. These thousands of acres of red, dead trees are virtually worthless under current law, serving as little more than kindling for wildfires.

This bill can help add value to this biomass while also creating a source of renewable domestic energy. It will establish a simple, broad, single definition for renewable biomass that is consistent with current law--the 2008 Farm Bill.

Some say this definition is too broad and fails to protect ecologically sensitive areas. In fact, there are many laws that dictate Federal forest management, and my amendment does nothing to change these laws. All projects that would create biomass due to my amendment would have to comply with the National Forest Management Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and others.

All projects on federal forests must go through NEPA where the land management agency must study potential environmental impacts and mitigate those impacts. The public has many opportunities to comment and shape these projects and nothing in my amendment changes these safeguards. Further, my amendment would do nothing to change designated Wilderness areas or Wilderness Study Areas or otherwise weaken the Wilderness Act.

Right now our national forests are growing 20 billion board feet per year. Eight billion board feet die every year and only two million board feet are removed. This has resulted in overstocked, unhealthy forests. We can either restore forest health, produce renewable energy and local high-wage jobs, or we can allow nature to impose its own will through wildfire and infestation.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I look forward to working with them to enact this bill this year.

Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation with my colleagues Senator Crapo and Senator Tester that will establish a single definition of renewable biomass for the purposes of the Renewable Fuel Standard, RFS, a future Renewable Electricity Standard, RES, and climate change legislation.

When I travel back to my hometown of Helena, MT, trees that line the roads there are turning red. Mountain pine beetles are killing Montana's trees at a terrible rate. Our legendary harsh winters once were enough to keep the beetles at bay, but no longer. Global warming has literally hit home for me. These thousands of acres of red, dead trees are virtually worthless under current law, serving as little more than kindling for wildfires.

This bill can help add value to this biomass while also creating a source of renewable domestic energy. It will establish a simple, broad, single definition for renewable biomass that is consistent with current law--the 2008 Farm Bill.

Some say this definition is too broad and fails to protect ecologically sensitive areas. In fact, there are many laws that dictate Federal forest management, and my amendment does nothing to change these laws. All projects that would create biomass due to my amendment would have to comply with the National Forest Management Act, the Endangered Species Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and others.

All projects on federal forests must go through NEPA where the land management agency must study potential environmental impacts and mitigate those impacts. The public has many opportunities to comment and shape these projects and nothing in my amendment changes these safeguards. Further, my amendment would do nothing to change designated Wilderness areas or Wilderness Study Areas or otherwise weaken the Wilderness Act.

Right now our national forests are growing 20 billion board feet per year. Eight billion board feet die every year and only two million board feet are removed. This has resulted in overstocked, unhealthy forests. We can either restore forest health, produce renewable energy and local high-wage jobs, or we can allow nature to impose its own will through wildfire and infestation.

I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I look forward to working with them to enact this bill this year.