John Barrasso

In 2017 alone, schools in Oregon, Montana, and even Florida have canceled classes to keep children inside and away from the smoke.

I believe my bill being discussed here today offers commonsense solutions that would help solve our problems of declining forest health.

Decades of fire suppression and a rapid decline in active management have led to overly dense forests susceptible to disease and to pest outbreaks.

As a Wyoming official and a resident, can you describe what impacts these fires are having on the physical health of the people of the West?

Leads to conditions that are quite unhealthy and even dangerous.

I appreciate the invitation and opportunity to speak today on behalf of a bill that I introduced in August.

We must allow expanded use of 21st century techniques by land management professionals.

These hot, fast-moving fires are unpredictable and cause significant damage to the ecosystem and surrounding communities.

We must take immediate steps to improve the health of our Nation's forestland by being much more aggressive and proactive when it comes to forest management.

There are things that we can do to make our forests more resilient and to restore a more natural role of fire in our ecosystem.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

Each of these bills addresses a different, but important part of forest health and fire prevention.

We need to find solutions to address this threat to our communities and to wildlife.

I am encouraged by this announcement, because I have seen the success that results from these partnerships.

Under your leadership will the Department pursue public/private partnerships that drive the development of emerging coal technologies?

In Wyoming we have tremendous coal, tremendous natural gas, tremendous oil resources. These resources fuel our state's economy and are responsible for billions in state and local revenues.

The liability utilities face caused by poor vegetation management outside of the rights-of-way truly can be astounding.

I agree exactly with what you said and the role of this Committee working to advance good policy and hate to see tragedy at play that brings about these sorts of hearings.

Today we are here to discuss promising technologies that both advance environmental aims and support continued use of our abundant energy resources.

We got you surrounded.

I am proud to say, Mr. Fry, that our home State of Wyoming is already a leading promoter of CO2 pipeline development.

CCUS provides us with the opportunity to treat carbon dioxide as a valuable commodity.

Thinning of overgrown stands and removing dead and downed timber are going to reduce fire risk.

We must also make sure that we are spending the federal dollars responsibly.

Our forests are diverse ecosystems that need immediate attention.