Senators Craft Bipartisan Wildfire Management Legislation

What’s the story?

Wildfires have raged across the western United States on and off for months now. The most recent fires in California burned over a million acres, destroyed almost 8,000 homes and killed at least 41 people. Wildfires in Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Nevada, California, Wyoming and Oregon had already burned another 8 million acres by early September.

Managing forests and wildfires is an essential issue in the wake of this level of destruction. A bipartisan group of senators is expected to introduce legislation Thursday to begin to create sustainable methods for ongoing wildfire management.

Why does it matter?

Chris Wilcox of the National Interagency Fire Center told NPR this fire season has been unprecedented, that it hasn’t really stopped since the fall of 2016.

In response to the crisis, a bipartisan group of senators from western states, including Maria Cantwell (D-WA), James E. Risch (R-ID), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Michael Crapo (R-ID) and Patty Murray (D-WA) are expected to introduce legislation to create a pilot program to stop wildfires in the ponderosa pines, which are particularly vulnerable to catching fire. The bill would streamline approval processes, allowing forest managers to thin forests near populated areas and conduct controlled burns in more remote areas.

According to the Washington Post, Cantwell stated to the press that the measure will bring science to bear in protecting these vulnerable areas:

"It's time to create new tools to reduce fire risk and help better protect our communities. By targeting our most vulnerable pine forests, this science-based pilot program gives the Forest Service tools to address fire in our most vulnerable forests and prioritizes cross-laminated timber."

The American Forest Resource Council, the International Association of Fire Chiefs and the National Wildlife Federation have all offered early endorsements of the legislation.

A related bill was introduced in the House by Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) which would give the forest service the ability to thin trees in any forest parcel less than 10,000 acres without undergoing exhaustive environmental reviews.

Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT), chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee supports the bill and has moved it through his committee. Environmental activists, however, have opposed the bill as too permissive, and a giveaway to the timber industry.

Westerman’s bill does address the issue of overhauling how the Forest Service receives federal money to fight wildfires. The Senate measure on the pines does not, but Sen. Wyden of Oregon introduced another bill in September which would address the funding issue.

For any measure to reach the president’s desk, some compromise between the House and Senate bills will have to be found.

What do you think?

Do you support congressional efforts to more effectively address forest fire management? Do you seek a balance between environmental and fire prevention concerns, or are you more concerned with one or the other?

Tell us in the comments what you think, then use the Take Action button to tell your reps!

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— Asha Sanaker

(Photo Credit: Jeff Head via Flickr/ Creative Commons)

RELATED READING:

• Nearly 2 million acres of land are burning across the US in one of the worst fire seasons we've ever seen — Business Insider

• Wildfires have burned an area the size of Maryland — Washington Post

• Technology, funding, legislation: Preventing and fighting wildfires — Fire Rescue 1