Political Quotes

“Thank you, Chairman Hastings. I appreciate the opportunity to address emergencies in our forests in the West. Mr. Chairman, over the past decade, we've seen an increase in the number of catastrophic wildfires burning in the western U.S., resulting in a tragic loss of life, significant property damage, the loss of critical habitats, and the pollution of vital watersheds. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, there have been over 38,119 different fires in the United States in 2013 alone. The Black Forest fire, which ravaged Colorado in June of this year, is believed to be the most destructive fire in Colorado's history, destroying more than 486 homes and with an estimated cost in excess of $85 million. The West Fork Complex fire burned approximately 110,000 acres in southwest Colorado this summer, and the incident commanders in charge of the suppression efforts on the fire told me that the behavior of the fire was unprecedented. Because of all the beetle-killed timber, unnaturally dense forest, and dry conditions, the fire has acted in a way that defied computer models. {time} 1845 Unfortunately this news was made worse last week in my home State, as Colorado was struck with another natural disaster in what many believe was the worst flood in Colorado history. Parts of at least 18 different cities and towns in my home State were severely flooded, and damage to roads, bridges, homes, and other infrastructure is already estimated to exceed a billion dollars.…”