Framing the Healthy Forest Restoration Act

In 2003 Congress passed the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA), legislation put forth by the Bush administration to reduce the number and severity of forest fires and to protect people, homes and other dwellings in areas of urban-wildland interface. This is done by thinning forests of smaller trees and undergrowth. Without going into too much, if any, detail on the specifics of the bill I will show 3 different ways that this legislation has been framed.

1. The Bush Administration and legislators from states with large timber industries: HFRA will reduce the number and severity of forest fires, thus protecting homes and lives. The anthropocentric argument - this bill will save lives by reducing forest fires.

2. Environmental Groups and restoration ecologists and biologists (science): A century of forest fire suppression has lead to the increased number and severity of Forest fires in recent years. To make forests healthy we must let fires burn allowing forest to return to a natural state. Fire is a natural and necessary part to forest ecosystems. The ecocentric argument - this bill will harm forests.

3. Fiscal conservatives and hatters of budget maximization: HFRA is a colossal waste of tax payers dollars. All this bill will do is provide subsidies to wealthy timber companies and harm forest health while not saving any lives. This bill will waste money.

Because of brilliant framing by the sponsors (anthropocentric argument) and horrific fire years in 2000 and 2002 HFRA passed for two reasons: (1) It will save lives and (2) people don't like fire.

To read more on this legislation go to www.ti.org.