Press Statement: Forest Service 10-Year Strategy on Wildfires:
“The time is now for the Forest Service to start making a difference on the ground.”
The following statement is from Federal Forest Resource Coalition President Tom Schultz:
January 18, 2022: “We applaud USDA for issuing a new strategy to combat the wildfire crisis that has disproportionately impacted our Western National Forests. The last several fire seasons have demonstrated that our current approach to forest management is not working. Our forests are overstocked, unhealthy, and susceptible to catastrophic fires which threaten to undo the conservation legacy Americans are proud of.
The forest products industry is a necessary tool to help reduce hazardous fuel loads on our National Forests. Timber harvest can help restore National Forests to healthier conditions that will produce benefits like cleaner water, healthier wildlife populations, and outstanding outdoor recreation. By managing forests, we can help reduce wildfire risks, while supporting good jobs in rural communities. Until the fire trends on our Western National Forests are addressed, the Forest Service’s ability to successfully manage its own lands across the country will be undermined.
What has happened the last several years on the National Forests of the Western U.S. is fundamentally unsustainable. Western communities and forests have experienced catastrophic wildfires large enough to burn entire National Forests in one season. Put simply, this trend cannot be allowed to continue. We cannot reverse the current pattern of loss and devastation solely with drip torches or by clearing brush near homes. We must manage forested watersheds to restore them to health.
Congress has repeatedly enacted legislation giving the Forest Service new tools to reduce hazardous fuel loads, expedite required environmental analysis, and speed projects through legal proceedings so that they can be implemented before wildfires strike. The time is now – with the resources provided in the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act – for the Forest Service to use those authorities and start making a difference on the ground.
For further information, contact FFRC Executive Director Bill Imbergamo at [email protected] or 703-629-6877.