Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, this year, wildfires have already burned over 7 million acres of forests and over 1,000 homes and other structures. Hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to evacuate, often with just minutes to pack their most important belongings, not knowing if they will ever return to their homes. Many have done all the right things to protect their property, but because of the magnitude of the wildfire crisis, they cannot get insurance for their homes. Every day of fire season feels like they are gambling with everything they own. After decades of mismanagement and misguided fire suppression tactics, there is now a scientific consensus on the solution: active forest management, State, local, Federal, and Tribal collaboration; and continued research and development on next-generation technologies and solutions. The problem is that forest management projects like clearing dead trees and dry vegetation that fuel fires often require multiyear environmental reviews followed by years of litigation in many cases. While we wait for analysis, forests burn down, air pollution worsens, and the threats posed by climate change to our local communities are exacerbated. Places like Jimtown, Montana, know the consequences of inaction, where the Forest Service proposed treating at-risk land near people's homes. They conducted a comprehensive environmental review, and they gained community support.…”