As wildfire seasons continue to intensify across Oregon and economic pressure mounts on rural industries, Congressman Cliff Bentz is advancing a pair of policy priorities he says are critical to the long-term survival of both the region’s forests and its agricultural economy.
At the center of Bentz’s forestry proposal is a growing concern shared by many land managers and fire experts throughout the West: millions of acres of public forestland have become dangerously overcrowded after decades of fire suppression and declining timber harvest activity. In many areas, forests once characterized by larger, healthier trees now contain thousands of tightly packed smaller stems per acre, creating dense conditions that increase drought stress and elevate the risk of catastrophic wildfire.
Bentz argues that the problem is no longer simply environmental, but economic and public safety related as well. In statements tied to his biomass proposal, the congressman described forests so overgrown that “even a squirrel cannot get through,” warning that excessive tree density is consuming precious water resources while weakening the health of surrounding watersheds.
The proposal centers around expanding the use of forest biomass as a commercial product capable of supporting large-scale thinning operations. Under the concept, small trees, woody debris, slash material, sawmill waste, and forest byproducts would be converted into cellulosic biofuel, including sustainable aviation fuel viewed as increasingly important to the future of commercial aviation.
Supporters of the concept believe the emerging market for renewable aviation fuel could finally create enough economic demand to justify the cost of removing millions of tons of low-value woody material from forests throughout the Pacific Northwest and other western states.
The broader economic argument stretches well beyond energy production. Advocates contend that thinning overcrowded forests could reduce long-term wildfire suppression costs, protect watersheds, improve streamflow, support remaining sawmills, and create jobs in struggling rural timber communities.
“When the money from that market is combined with the money saved from fire reduction costs, the RINS from the RFS, and the benefits to communities, forest health, and rural economies, it becomes financially feasible and politically attractive to clean up millions of acres of forest,” Bentz stated in materials discussing the proposal.
The congressman also referenced previous efforts to move biomass legislation through Congress, including an amendment tied to the federal Farm Bill that narrowly failed by a vote of 216 to 210. Bentz has indicated he intends to pursue the legislation again, describing the issue as too important for rural economies to abandon.
The discussion arrives at a time when Southern Oregon communities continue facing repeated wildfire threats, smoke impacts, insurance instability, and concerns surrounding forest health. Biomass development has increasingly become part of broader conversations involving wildfire mitigation, renewable energy policy, and the future of Oregon’s timber economy.
Environmental concerns surrounding biomass projects remain part of the national debate. Critics in some conservation circles question whether large-scale biomass removal could encourage overharvesting or create long-term dependence on federal subsidies. Others argue that carefully managed thinning operations are necessary to restore forests that have become unnaturally dense over generations.
Alongside forestry policy, Bentz is also placing renewed attention on agricultural trade issues impacting Eastern and Southern Oregon growers. In a congressional letter sent to the United States Trade Representative during the review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, Bentz joined other lawmakers urging federal officials to address what they describe as damaging market conditions caused by imported specialty crops from Mexico.
The letter focuses heavily on onions, potatoes, fruits, and vegetables grown throughout rural agricultural regions, where producers say increasing imports have driven prices below sustainable production levels for American farms.
Bentz and other lawmakers argue that domestic growers face significantly higher labor, environmental, and regulatory costs than foreign competitors, creating what they believe is an uneven playing field for American agriculture.
“There are few things more important than the amount that farmers in my district are paid for the onions, potatoes, and other specialty crops they raise,” Bentz stated in the release tied to the congressional letter.
Together, the two policy initiatives reflect a broader economic message increasingly heard across rural Oregon: communities dependent on natural resources, forestry, and agriculture are searching for new ways to remain economically viable while confronting changing environmental conditions, rising operational costs, and growing international competition.