{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398453", "Chronicle Guest Commentary: Time to Change How We Combat Fires, Fund Efforts", "2014-09-19", "2014", "2014-09", "Republican", "House", "WA", "Jaime Herrera Beutler", "H001056", "herrerabeutler.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "It only takes a quick look in the newspaper to know that this year\u2019s wildfire season has been bad\u2014endangering communities, destroying hundreds of thousands of acres of forest, and costing millions of dollars to contain the destructive flames. \r\n          share:\r\n          f \r\n          t \r\n        \r\n      \r\n      It only takes a quick look in the newspaper to know that this year\u2019s wildfire season has been bad\u2014endangering communities, destroying hundreds of thousands of acres of forest, and costing millions of dollars to contain the destructive flames. Over the past 20 years the U.S. Forest Service has had to more than double the resources necessary to fight wildfires. Each year, it drains its wildfire fighting budget and must dip into funds supposed to be used for maintenance work in our national forests. \u00a0 The result is disease and fire-prone forests, and an even greater risk of catastrophic wildfire. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\r\nIt\u2019s time to change how we combat wildfires in the short term, and do more to prevent catastrophic fires in the future.\u00a0 First, we need to alter the way we fund federal wildfire management so we have the necessary resources for these emergencies.\u00a0 Second, it\u2019s time to actively manage our national forests so that they\u2019re healthy and fire-resilient, rather than diseased tinderboxes prone to disastrous wildfires that threaten private and state - managed lands and surrounding communities.\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\n\u00a0The Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2014 would give the federal government an immediate tool to more effectively fight wildfires. Currently, the very same wildfires that forced the evacuation of homes in North-Central Washington and displaced families to seek shelter at a local high school are not eligible for the same emergency funding as other natural disasters.\u00a0 This bill changes that, allowing the U.S. Forest Service to access emergency resources without having to deplete the rest of its budget. My colleagues on the U.S. House Appropriations Committee and I have been working to build bipartisan support for this legislation. The Obama administration has voiced its support for this initiative and I\u2019m optimistic that we can get this necessary change written into law.\r\n\r\n\r\nFixing the way we fund wildfires is important, but it\u2019s only a start. The constant increase in wildfires points to a larger root problem: the chronic mismanagement of our federal forests. Twenty years ago, the well-intended but deeply flawed Northwest Forest Plan was adopted, ushering in a \u201chands-off\u201d forest management style.\u00a0 The ensuing surge in wildfires in combination with other troubling symptoms \u2014 insect infestations, a decline in wildlife species, the rapid spread of disease \u2014 have spurred a growing number of scientists, wildlife biologists, conservation organizations and academics to sound the alarm that our federal forests are in trouble.\u00a0 Year after year of overgrowth and fuel buildup continue to compound the problem, leading to the fires we\u2019ve seen in recent summers that burn hotter and longer.\u00a0 In turn, wildlife habitat is being destroyed and our clean water is being severely threatened.\u00a0 We desperately need to remove fuel buildup and create openings throughout the forest landscape to help provide natural fire breaks.\r\n\r\n\r\nForest openings are not only important for wildfire prevention, but they are also necessary to support healthy habitat for many species within the forest. A healthy forest has a mosaic of age classes, each habitat able to support different species.\u00a0 Many species rely on the plant life that is found only in early forest conditions for foraging and survival. For example, Northwest deer and elk have been forced onto smaller swaths of private lands due to lack of foraging areas in our federal forests. The prey of the northern spotted owl also lived in these early forest habitats. As this habitat has disappeared, the spotted owl\u2019s population has continued to decline at 3 percent each year.\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\nWhile the consensus for active management is solidifying, we must avoid some of the riskier \u201cactive\u201d approaches that could cause more harm. \u00a0 In July, the head of the U.S. Forest Service stated in a congressional hearing that the agency would intentionally burn 65 million acres of national forests in the name of fire prevention.\u00a0 This approach would be extremely costly and risky - experienced Forest Service veterans and firefighters warn that such large scale prescribed fires could easily burn out of control.\r\n\r\n\r\nWhat\u2019s really needed is a sustainable, ecosystem-based, long-term rotating mosaic of age classes across the forest landscape that will provide a variety of habitats for a broad spectrum of wildlife and vegetation species.\u00a0 \u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\nThis is imperative for overall forest health and it will also benefit the communities who live and breathe in the shadow of our forests.\u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\nResponsible timber harvests that meet the level determined as \u201csustainable\u201d by scientists would be a win-win for the Forest Service and our communities.\u00a0 The harvests would provide desperately-needed revenue for the Forest Service to carry out forest management, and would fund emergency services, schools and roads in the rural communities that have been devastated by twenty years of \u201chands off\u201d federal forest policy. \u00a0\r\n\r\n\r\nThe long term prevention of devastating wildfires hinges on better forest management.\u00a0 Fortunately, forest management does not have to be a choice between harvesting every stick of timber, or putting a fence around the forest and walking away.\u00a0 As someone who grew up in Southwest Washington and now represents this region in Congress, I\u2019ll keep fighting for common sense solutions that give our forests and communities the best chance of a healthy future.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://herrerabeutler.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398453"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.0804600790143013, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}