Political Quotes

“Our forests in this country are one of our strong resources that not only help us economically but also help the environment, and conserving the environment is important. Our forests certainly are an important part of Michigan, but they are also a very important part of our economic strength in the United States. In the West, catastrophic wildfires recently have decimated those forests over the last several years. We have made a mistake over how we want to control forests. And sometimes in our overzealousness to protect from fires, we have increased the potential of additional damage. Removing some of the bureaucratic red tape for performing fire prevention measures is not only environmentally friendly but also fiscally responsible, as fire prevention costs American taxpayers approximately one-fourth of what it costs to fight catastrophic forest fires. The Healthy Forests Restoration Act authorizes the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to reduce the amount of underbrush and deadwood buildup in forests that serve as kindling and fuel for the hottest, most dangerous fires.”