Jim Costa: “I thank the ranking member and the chair for this effort on the legislation. Over the last 2 weeks, we have seen the…”

“I thank the ranking member and the chair for this effort on the legislation. Over the last 2 weeks, we have seen the devastation that the Los Angeles fires have caused: the lives, the housing, and the commercial structures that have been lost that in some cases will never be replaced. More than 40,000 acres have burned, the equivalent to over half of Washington, D.C. Lives are at stake, and that is why we need to pass the Fix Our Forests Act. We know that climate change is having its effect. This bill will better help us maintain our forests by prioritizing the treatment of hazardous fuels in fire-prone areas and expanding wildfire resilience. We also need to recognize that fire management requires different strategies for different geographies. I am also pleased that my bill, the Headwaters Protection Act, is a part of this package. The bill will strengthen public and private partnerships in forestry and watershed management. Mr. Chair, we will have to find bipartisan additional funding sources. Our Nation's forests are critically overgrown. We need to have better management. That is clear. The commonsense changes are necessary to prevent wildfires for generations to come, but let's be clear. Much more needs to be done. We salute the brave firefighters and first responders who are acting today on a 24/7 basis. The Acting CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has expired.”