After Unanimous Passage in Congress, Legislation Heads to President’s Desk
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.), and U.S. Representative Joe Neguse (D-Colo.), celebrated unanimous House and Senate passage of their Forest Service Flexible Housing Partnerships Act and Stop the Spread of Invasive Mussels Act. Their bipartisan legislation will strengthen the authority of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to lease underutilized administrative sites to address local needs, including for building affordable housing, and slow the movement of aquatic invasive species, like zebra and quagga mussels, into Colorado, Montana, and other Western States. Both pieces of legislation now head to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.
“Colorado and the American West face multiple challenges – from invasive species in our rivers, lakes and waterways, to a housing crisis that makes it impossible for working families to make ends meet,” said Bennet. “I’m grateful for the strong bipartisan support to pass these bills that will invest in our mountain communities and protect Colorado’s precious natural resources. The Flexible Housing Partnerships bill especially will help open up more opportunities for housing projects in our mountain communities who face a dire housing crisis.”
“It’s as simple as this — in Colorado, the preservation of our public lands and the strength of our outdoor recreation economy is not only integral to the spirit of our state but to the success of our people,” said Neguse. “I am proud to see these bills through to the finish line—and even more excited for the ways in which they will deliver for our communities.”
“I’m glad to see these commonsense, bipartisan bills to help address the housing shortage in rural Montana and across the west and to protect our Montana wildlife from invasive species heading to the president’s desk to be signed into law! Protecting our Montana way of life will always be my top priority,” said Daines.
In the 2018 Farm Bill, Bennet authored legislation in partnership with Colorado communities and helped secure the authority for the Forest Service to lease administrative sites to localities in exchange for in-kind contributions, including housing construction and improvement or maintenance of federal facilities. To provide towns and counties with greater certainty, the Forest Service Flexible Housing Partnerships Act lengthens the site’s lease authority to up to 100 years and allows it to be renewed at the end of its term. As a result of the housing crisis in the West, the Forest Service currently experiences a severe staffing shortage. This legislation will also help the agency provide more housing for its workforce and better serve Colorado communities.
Aquatic invasive species pose a significant threat to Western rivers and reservoirs. Once established, these intruders are nearly impossible to eradicate and wreak havoc on crucial water infrastructure, limit recreation opportunities, and harm ecosystems and local economies. As invasive mussels spread across the West, preventative measures – like watercraft inspection and decontamination stations – are key to limiting their spread. The Stop the Spread of Invasive Mussels Act will strengthen prevention efforts, provide all federal agencies the authorities they need to limit the movement of invasive species into and out of U.S. waters, and ensure that all at-risk basins are eligible and prioritized for watercraft inspection and decontamination funding.
Support for Forest Service Flexible Housing Partnerships Act:
“The passage of the Forest Service Flexible Housing Partnership Act will allow for continued partnerships among local governments, private industry, and the Forest Service as we work together on very complicated but much-needed workforce and affordable housing projects. CAST thanks Senator Bennet and Congressman Neguse for their leadership to pass this important legislation into law,” said Margaret Bowes, Executive Director, Colorado Association of Ski Towns.
“Federal lands comprise 84% of Eagle County. With very little private lands for affordable workforce housing development, this is a problem Eagle County will struggle to fix on its own. The creative solutions in the Forest Service Flexible Housing Partnerships Act will help relieve this pressure. Authorizing the Forest Service to lease appropriate parcels for housing will greatly benefit our workforce and our mountain resort economy. We are excited about the improvements this legislation will now make to the existing Flexible Partnerships Authority and we thank Senator Bennet for his efforts on our behalf to get this bill passed into law,” said Kathy Chandler-Henry, Commissioner, Eagle County.
“On behalf of the Aspen community, I thank Senator Bennet for his steadfast support in making affordable housing happen. The bill’s passage is a critical milestone for Aspen and our partners, including the dedicated staff of the USFS White River National Forest,” said Torre, Mayor, City of Aspen.
“San Miguel County is thrilled to learn of the passage of the Flexible Partnership Act and deeply grateful to Senator Bennet and his team for stewarding this common-sense legislation to the finish line. Like many resort communities, San Miguel County faces a shortage of affordable land appropriate for workforce housing. Governmental entities in our county have already been in conversation with local USFS representatives about opportunities to collaborate on workforce housing, while waiting for this bill to pass and allow us to move forward. We are excited to now roll up our sleeves and get to work on building housing that will benefit our whole community, including the Forest Service and other local employers,” said Anne Brown, Commissioner, San Miguel County.
“Summit County is proud to have signed the first lease agreement in the country using the authority provided by the Flexible Housing Partnerships Act,” said Tamara Pogue, Commissioner, Summit County. “Thanks to the leadership of Senator Bennet, more communities will have the opportunity to build the affordable housing they desperately need.”
“La Plata County is delighted to hear that this important legislation has been passed into law. As we struggle with the affordable housing crisis we need every tool in the toolbox we can to help our mountain communities. Often having land available for housing projects is the deal breaker for providing new opportunities. This legislation opens up more possibilities for underused federal land that can be used for community housing in collaboration with the Forest Service, who also desperately needs housing for their employees that can be provided by projects under this legislation as well. These can be win-win projects for our communities and federal agencies to work together,” said Marsha Porter-Norton, Commissioner, La Plata County.
The Forest Service Flexible Housing Partnerships Act is supported by Summit County, Grand County, Eagle County, Aspen, Colorado Association of Ski Towns (CAST), and Northwest Colorado Council of Governments (NWCCOG).