Congressman Daniel Webster and Republican colleagues on the House Committee on Natural Resources co-introduced legislation that would ban imports of wood products from Russia and Belarus during the war with Ukraine, while ramping up domestic timber harvesting on public lands and national forests.
The No Timber From Tyrants Act would direct the Agriculture and Interior secretaries to harvest more timber from already authorized plans in order to substitute for the loss of the imported wood products.
“Active forest management and timber harvests protect the health of our forests, and can create domestic jobs, support rural communities, and reduce U.S. reliance on Russian and Belarusian wood and timber products,” said Rep. Webster, who represents The Villages in the U.S. House of Representatives. “This legislation will further hold Putin accountable for his heinous, evil attacks on Ukrainians while strengthening our national security and domestic product.”
Natural Resources GOP members view this measure as part of a larger legislative effort to bolster U.S. natural resources extraction and production to reduce reliance on foreign energy and critical minerals. Groups including the National Association of Home Builders, American Forest & Paper Association, and the Federal Forest Resource Coalition, a timber industry trade group, support this legislation.
