Reform Federal Forest Management, Fix Wildfire Spending

Protecting America’s federally-owned forests from the risks of catastrophic wildfire, insects and disease is a bipartisan issue. Democrats and Republicans agree it’s time to take action. Will you join the effort? Megafires on our national forests are threatening homes, property and public health. Unhealthy forests are contributing to higher fire suppression costs, draining the U.S.…

Sixty-Five Groups Urge Congress to Reform Federal Forest Management and Fix Wildfire Funding

Sixty-five groups representing forestry, agriculture, wildlife conservation and local government sent a letter to Congressional leadership urging swift action on federal forest management and wildfire suppression funding reforms. The letter can be downloaded here. The groups expressed support for solutions to improve the health of federally-owned forest lands, while ending the practice of “fire borrowing”…

Walden: Enough Smoke. Enough Fires.

Congressman Greg Walden represents Oregon’s second congressional district. He penned the following open letter to his district: Enough is enough. When Cycle Oregon and performances at the Shakespeare Festival in Ashland get canceled because of fires and the toxic smoke, it’s long past time for Congress to address how federal forests are managed and how…

Laura Kay Snell: Effects of Unmanaged Wild Horse Grazing on the Devil’s Garden

Laura Kay Snell of the University of California Cooperative Extension, Modoc County contributed the following perspective in response to Capt. William E. Simpson’s article on wild horse grazing. Working with public land managers in Northeastern California on USFS and BLM land, the University of California Cooperative Extension has been conducting research on wild horse impacts…

William Simpson: The Deforestation Of America

Capt. William E. Simpson II – USMM Ret. contributed the following opinion article to Healthy Forests, Healthy Communities. The current trend in the deforestation across America is alarming to say the least. And considering the lack of the implementation of effective cost-efficient pre-fire management strategies, one has to wonder; is there a method to this…