Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                          July 19, 2012

CONTACT:                                                                                Apryl Marie Fogel
                                                                        AprylMarie.Fogel@mail.house.gov  

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

Rep. Gosar’s Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act Introduced in Senate

Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) has introduced the companion bill to Congressman Gosar’s Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act of 2012 (H.R. 5744), legislation to fight devastating wildfires in Utah, Arizona and across the west.

Tomorrow morning, the House Natural Resource Committee will take up Gosar’s Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act. The Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands is holding this hearing on multiple bills that aim to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, restore forest health, and address factors contributing to insect infestation and wildfire.  This hearing builds on prior Committee actions to address the threat of wildfires, including a field hearing in Arizona, held at the request of Rep. Gosar, to listen to impacted communities. 

Below is the press release from Senator Lee:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Lee Introduces Bill to Address Wildfires

WASHINGTON – Today, Senator Mike Lee introduced legislation that would protect communities near federal lands that are at risk of catastrophic wildfire destruction.  The bill would expedite projects to reduce fuel loads on certain lands owned by the federal government through livestock grazing and timber management plans.  It reduces regulatory burdens on these projects while still allowing for reasonable public review and environmental analysis. 

“The lives and livelihoods of affected communities are at risk by poor management of our public lands,” said Lee, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “The bill will allow federal agencies to implement fuel reduction projects to reduce the danger of catastrophic fires in the future and address a key component that caused much of the wildfire destruction we have seen recently.”

The “Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act of 2012” was first introduced in the House by Arizona Representative Paul Gosar (AZ-1) and has 31 cosponsors, including Utah Reps. Bishop and Matheson. 

"I thank Senator Lee for joining me to push for this common sense solution that will prevent catastrophic fire conditions in our national forests," said Rep. Paul Gosar. "With nearly 900 forest fires having raged across the country, especially in Arizona, Utah and other western states, the legislation we've proposed will be crucial tools in fighting devastating wildfires. By removing the red tape and expediting the federal review process on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management lands we can better manage our forests and create rural jobs.  The gridlock between agencies must end.”

 "The Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act empowers land managers to more dynamically manage our nation's public lands," said National Parks, Forests, and Public Land Subcommittee Chairman Rob Bishop.  "Timber harvests and livestock grazing are effective tools that when used responsibly can promote forest health and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire.  The Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act ensures that hazardous fuel reduction and forest restoration activities are done in an efficient, effective, and environmentally responsible manner.  I'm grateful that Sen. Lee has introduced the Senate companion and look forward to the House consideration of the bill [HR 5744] before the Subcommittee Friday morning."

So far, nearly 400,000 acres of Utah land have burned this year. 

Visit the Committee Calendar for testimony and additional information, once it is made available.  The hearing is open to the public and a live video stream will be broadcast at http://naturalresources.house.gov/live.