Washington, D.C. — The U.
S. House Committee on Natural Resources has passed the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act, led by Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.), who is the only professional forester in the U.
S. Congress. Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata co-sponsored the legislation.
“The tragic wildfire devastation of beautiful Lahaina is fresh in our minds, the western United States has had many enormous blazes in dry weather, and American Samoa’s firefighters have responded in that time of need,” Congresswoman Aumua Amata said. “Preventing and containing these major fires through science, study, active management, and rapid response preparation have been hallmarks of Chairman Westerman’s leadership, and I’m happy to support these important efforts that benefit us all in the long run.” The bill promotes federal, state, tribal, and local collaboration; seeks to improve community resilience to wildfire; incentivizes new research; applies state-of-the-art science and tools to treat forests that are at the highest risk of wildfire; reduces frivolous and burdensome litigation that can delay critical forest management projects; and encourages active professional management to prevent trees in contact with powerlines and protect critical infrastructure.
The Fix Our Forests Act is a historic and comprehensive legislative package that will encourage active forest management and protect communities in the wildland-urban interface with science-focused solutions to the growing .
