Max Baucus: “It is vital that we pass this legislation this year. Montana recently suffered from devastating wildfires, as have other…”

“It is vital that we pass this legislation this year. Montana recently suffered from devastating wildfires, as have other western States. As the Senator from California, Senator Feinstein pointed out repeatedly, the current news from Southern California is a painful reminder of a very large problem. Across this country forests are threatened by insects, disease and the build up of hazardous fuels. The impacts of these conditions are real. And they play out year after year, fueling large fires that destroy lives and homes, diminish water and air quality, and destroy wildlife habitat. The cost of containing these large fires is staggering, straining State and Federal budgets and devastating local economies. We can't do anything to change the weather and we certainly can't change the past, but we can use today's knowledge and the wisdom of our experience to do better. Neglecting the problem is not the answer; nor is more talk. We have to try a new approach. The compromise healthy forests bill is not perfect, but I believe it offers options to more efficiently address our forest health problems and the consequences they have on real people.”