Political Quotes

“As the top Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee, I enjoy the relationship and camaraderie I have with the Natural Resources Committee, and I want to thank the gentleman from Utah and my friend Mr. Grijalva, the chairman of the committee for once again bringing this measure forward affecting Crooked River Ranch. The Crooked River Ranch Fire Protection Act is essential to saving lives in central Oregon. With another wildfire season just on the horizon, the people of Crooked River Ranch are really deeply concerned that they could become the next Paradise, California, and they are deeply concerned that their community could be turned into ash as wildfire feeds off the dense fuel loads that surround this community of 5,000 people. They are there because of a lack of proper management to thin out the fuel loads because this area is in a wilderness study area. What we are doing is moving the boundary back about 800 acres. So at the BLM, it will all stay public. The BLM can come in and use mechanical treatment, literally, to reduce juniper and sagebrush so that the firefighters can come in and fight fire if they do get one. We know what happens in this kind of terrain, the tragedy, the loss of life, loss of homes, the loss of community. There are 5,000 people out on a rim, if you will, in a canyon with only one way in and one way out.…”