Susan Collins: “Responsible management of our Nation's forests is vital to preventing the highly destructive forest fires that we are…”

“Responsible management of our Nation's forests is vital to preventing the highly destructive forest fires that we are seeing plaguing the West and also to protecting our ecosystems. No discussion of a responsible forest management system would be complete, however, without addressing another threat to our Nation's working forests and open spaces; that is, suburban sprawl. Sprawl threatens our environment and our quality of life. It destroys ecosystems and increases the risks of flooding and other environmental hazards. It burns the infrastructure of the affected communities, increases traffic on neighborhood streets, and wastes taxpayer money. It leads to the fragmentation of wood lots, reducing the economic viability of the remaining working forests. Sprawl occurs because the immediate economic value of forests or farmland cannot compete with the immediate economic value of developed land in the areas that are experiencing rapid growth.”