Congressman Nick Begich III has cosponsored legislation to address the growing risk of catastrophic forest fires, a result, in part, due to forest mismanagement.
“From the devastation caused by the Malibu fires to the growing risks faced by countless communities across the nation, it’s clear we are in the midst of a wildfire crisis,” Begich said. “Years of mismanagement and bureaucratic delays have left our forests vulnerable and our communities exposed. I am proud to support the Fix Our Forests Act as a decisive step toward addressing this urgent issue. This legislation provides the tools needed to manage our forests effectively, protect lives, and restore landscapes while creating much-needed jobs in rural areas.”
The Fix Our Forests Act streamlines permitting processes, streamlines forest restoration efforts, and fosters economic growth in rural communities.
“When it comes to safeguarding our families, firefighters, and forests, we cannot afford inaction. This legislation prioritizes safety, efficiency, and action to tackle the wildfire crisis head-on. It’s time to fix our forests and protect our communities,” he said.
The bill fact sheet highlights these features:
- Simplify and expedite environmental reviews to reduce costs and planning times for critical forest management projects while maintaining rigorous environmental standards.
Make communities more resilient to wildfire by coordinating existing grant programs and furthering new research.
Promote federal, state, tribal, and local collaboration by creating a new Fireshed Center and codifying the Shared Stewardship initiative.
Stop frivolous litigation and endless agency consultations that delay needed forest management activities.
Give agencies new emergency tools to restore watersheds, protect communities in the wildland-urban interface and prevent forest conversion.
Utilize state-of-the-art science to prioritize the treatment of forests at the highest risk of wildfire.
Incentivize forest management projects of up to 10,000 acres to increase the pace and scale of addressing wildfire, drought, insects and disease.
Revitalize rural economies by strengthening tools such as Good Neighbor Authority and Stewardship Contracting.
Adopt new and innovative technologies to address forest health threats and suppress wildfires quickly and more efficiently.
Harden utility rights-of-way against wildfire by encouraging more active management and the removal of dangerous hazard trees.
Support wildland firefighters and their families through the creation of a new Casualty Assistance Program.
The House of Representatives passed the bill on Thursday on a vote of 279 to 141. It now goes to the Senate.
A rake in everyone’s hand! Is the nickname for this legislation! I wonder how is going to address droughts, climate change and the Santa Anna winds?
Government can’t solve all the issues, even as much as some people think it can. Starting with trying to solve the mismanagement by government is a good beginning, removing fuel from areas that are known for severe fire danger is a huge step in mitigating the danger. Thinking that government can stop naturally occurring events is the height of hubris.
It’s not. Where’s his specs?
The Santa Anna winds have always been there. The only change is not taking care of the forest. Clearing the brush and cutting down dead trees. Not having reservoirs for water to fight the fires. There is always going to be fires in California due to the winds but they need to have the supplies to fight them. What happened there is a crime. Not having water in the hydrants because some little fish live in a certain area is insane. I’m sure there is a solution for the saving the fish and having water in the reservoirs. As for the droughts. This country has always had droughts in one area or another that spans for years. Go back and look at history. This is nothing new.
Prescribed burning and logging are known fire management tools that have been used for thousands of years, in their infinite wisdom, politicians have removed these simple yet effective tool from the arsenal of fire protection. Fire needs oxygen, fuel, and heat to get started and needs the chemical reaction of burning fuel to continue to burn. If one of those elements is removed there is no more fire. Removing the absurd amount of fuel loading that has been allowed to accumulate across this nation when we stopped prescribed burns and logging has led to bigger and bigger fires. Remove the fuel and we won’t have record setting fires because there will be no fuel to burn.
Its good if it includes removing the restrictions on logging and removing the waste products of the forests that leave piled elements of fuel possibility. And, if the arson of fires has a serious sentence in prison for those who start them.