Lawmakers in several Western states want the US Forest Service to do more to tackle a wildfire crisis that they say is sure to destroy more landscapes, communities and livelihoods as long-term drought persists across the West. from the country.
During a congressional hearing this week, Forest Service chief Randy Moore was questioned about the agency’s spending priorities and the backlog of national forest land that must be treated to reduce the risk of wildfires.
Rep. Tom Tiffany, a Wisconsin Republican and chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee’s panel on federal lands, said the agency must enter a new phase of accountability and transparency if it wants to “reverse the tide of this historic crisis.” .
Tiffany cited a year-long restoration project that has struggled to treat vast swaths of land spanning four national forests in northern Arizona, saying the agency has reported more acres have been treated than anticipated. the regional managers have presented.
Moore did not directly address the discrepancy, but said the top priority is reducing hazardous fuels on more than 4 million acres in high-risk areas across the country over the next year. He said President Joe Biden’s administration is requesting more than $320 million for the tasks on top of money already earmarked by Congress through infrastructure spending and inflation packages.
“We all recognize that we are in an emergency situation and that we need to work more, not less,” Moore said.
The agency’s spending request also includes $56 million for the rehabilitation of areas consumed by the flames, but some of the subcommittee members stressed that this is a drop in the ocean when you consider the number of acres that burn. every year.
