; 16 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.). Although the law attempts to reduce the risk of catastrophic forest fires, it provides a boon to timber companies by accelerating the aggressive thinning of backcountry forests that are far from at-risk communities. The law allows for increased logging of large, fire-resistant trees that are not in close proximity of homes and communities; it undermines critical protections for endangered species by exempting Federal land management agencies from consulting with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service before approving any action that could harm endangered plants or wildlife