On the recordSeptember 26, 2017
Imagine if the entire State of Delaware burned. That is the scope of what has burned in Montana this year--1.25 million acres of our beautiful State. I have been on the ground at five fires this summer and I have seen firsthand the result of failing to manage our forests--over 1 million acres have burned, livelihoods threatened, wildlife habitats destroyed, and dangerous air quality in our communities. I have also seen effective forest management. Last week, I went into the field with BLM officials to see a forest they manage. When BLM treated a forest, an approaching fire dropped into the underbrush and was quickly extinguished. All trees in the treated forest lived, but trees in the untreated forest died and it won't recover in our lifetime. We need to be proactive and start managing our forests again. Well- managed forests are healthier forests with more wildlife, more hunting, more good-paying jobs for Montanans, and, importantly, our wildfires are less severe. On the heels of the catastrophic fires this summer, now is the time to enact real reform and start managing our forests again. ____________________
