NEWS: House Passes Costa's Bill to Enhance Clean Drinking Water, Increase Wildfire Resiliency

WASHINGTON - Congressman Jim Costa (CA-21) released the following statement after he voted to pass the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act to restore forest health, increase resiliency against wildfires, and expedite forest restoration projects.

The Fix Our Forests Act includes Costa’s Headwaters Protection Act, which reforms the Water Source Protection Program (WSPP) by boosting authorized funding, expanding eligibility for public entities like local water districts, and increasing the federal cost share to increase interest and participation in the program.

Rep. Jim Costa debates on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives to get the bill passed. 

BACKGROUND

The 2018 Farm Bill authorized the WSPP to foster public-private partnerships between agricultural producers, businesses, communities, and the U.S. Forest Service to improve forest and watershed health. However, the program has had major flaws, resulting in limited investment. 

The Headwaters Protection Act supports public-private partnership-driven restoration projects like the Olam Project in the San Joaquin Valley. The Olam Project is a series of restoration projects within the Pine Flat watershed between the USDA Forest Service, the National Forest Foundation, and Unilever. These investments would reduce wildfire risk, improve watershed health, and benefit downstream communities.