{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/source-new-mexico-nm-us-senators-heinrich-lujan-call-on-forest-service-to-account-for-wildfire-prevention-decline", "Source New Mexico: NM U.S. Senators Heinrich, Luj\u00e1n call on Forest Service to account for wildfire prevention decline", "2025-12-04", "2025", "2025-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NM", "Martin Heinrich", "H001046", "www.heinrich.senate.gov", "heinrich", "https://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "United States senators from New Mexico joined Democratic colleagues this week in calling on the federal Forest Service to account for a reported steep decline in wildfire prevention measures, including forest thinning and prescribed burns, in New Mexico and other states during President Donald Trump\u2019s second term.\n\nU.S. Sens. Ben Ray Luj\u00e1n and Martin Heinrich sent a letter Dec. 2 to Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz along with 10 other senators, calling on Schultz to \u201cprovide clear answers\u201d about the Forest Service\u2019s staffing to reduce wildfire risk across the West.\n\nThe letter cited an analysis of publicly available data from Grassroots Wildland Firefighters finding a 38% decrease in the removal of hazardous fuels as of September 2025 when compared with the same period over the last four years.\n\nBetween 2021 and 2024, the Forest Service completed hazardous fuel projects covering 3.6 million acres a year, according to the analysis. In the first nine months of 2025, the group found that the Forest Service treated less than 1.7 million acres.\n\n\u201cThe steep decline in hazardous fuels reduction efforts on Forest Service lands poses a serious risk to public safety, public health, and the economy,\u201d the senators wrote. \u201cIt is imperative that the Forest Service works closely with Congress to address shortfalls in wildfire mitigation and ensure staffing and budgetary resources are sufficient to fulfill the agency\u2019s mission.\u201d\n\nThe letter says Schultz previously provided misleading answers in response to criticism about his agency\u2019s wildfire prevention efforts, including counting work done during President Joe Biden\u2019s term as evidence that the agency was adequately staffed. But that data included staffing figures from before Trump\u2019s \u201cmass staff firings, forced retirements, and unnecessary pauses on projects,\u201d the letter states.\n\nIn New Mexico, the analysis found wildfire prevention efforts are down by 53% since President Donald Trump took office in January.\n\nThe letter ends with a list of questions to Schultz about where staffing currently stands and what his plans are to address the \u201ccurrent wildfire risk environment.\u201d It also asks for updated numbers on treated acres, how many such projects were delayed this year, and for quarterly updates on progress going forward.\n\nIt also asks for Schultz to respond to the letter by Dec. 12.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "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://www.heinrich.senate.gov/newsroom/in-the-news/source-new-mexico-nm-us-senators-heinrich-lujan-call-on-forest-service-to-account-for-wildfire-prevention-decline"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.0949871502816677, "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"}