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Floor Speech

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Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, wildfire season is officially here. Across the West, wildfires are devastating many communities, and this certainly includes my home State of Wyoming. The past two wildfire seasons were some of the most destructive that Wyoming has seen in decades.

The drought we are experiencing makes conditions this year especially concerning. As summer continues, rural communities are bracing for another devastating wildfire season.

America is in a wildfire crisis, and the crisis isn't going to be one that will solve itself. Our Federal forests are in dire need of effective management.

The Federal Government must manage our Nation's forests in a serious way and a credible way. For too long, the Federal Government has ignored forest management, and this approach has failed to keep communities safe.

Today, tens of millions of acres of Federal land are at severe risk of wildfires. Overgrown forests have become a tinderbox for large fires. Wildfires threaten our homes, our air quality, our watersheds, and our wildlife.

Without proper forest management, we are going to continue to see costly and deadly wildfires.

We know that active forest management works. This includes the thinning of overgrown forests. It includes using prescribed fires, and it includes grazing. All of these are tools that measurably reduce the risk of wildfires.

Wyoming has led the way. We have shown that, when you treat more acres and work with local partners, you get healthier forests and safer communities. The rest of the country should follow our example.

At the Federal level, we have seen the Trump administration rightly return to forest management policies that work. Still, Federal Agencies need help. That is exactly why I introduced the Wildfire Prevention Act. The Wildfire Prevention Act is going to reduce the risk of wildfires in our communities. At the same time, it is going to restore the health of our Federal lands in Wyoming and across the rocky Mountain West.

My bill is a pro-first responder piece of legislation. Our Nation's wildland firefighters risk their lives to protect our forests and our communities from these wildfires. Hotshot crews are our heroes in Wyoming. They are highly trained, highly specialized, and their courage and ability keep us safe. My bill gives them the tools and the support that they need to better prevent wildfires and also to fight them more effectively.

My bill also gives Federal Agencies the clear direction that they currently lack to manage our forests properly. Now, this is good for humans, and it is good for wildlife. Our proactive measures are designed to prevent wildfires.

This bill will set real standards to increase thinning, prescribed burns, tree removal, as well as grazing. It will allow Agencies to sell more timber. It will cut unnecessary redtape and streamline management.

These are basic, bipartisan protections. Every responsible landowner follows them. We should expect nothing less from the Federal Government.

It is also important for Washington, DC, to collaborate effectively with States to prevent fires before they happen. That is why my bill includes an important update to codify the repeal of the so-called Roadless Rule. The Roadless Rule was put into place 25 years ago. It was put in place by President Bill Clinton. It has been called a midnight regulation because it was done in January of 2001. Clinton did it in the final week of serving 8 years as President. He waited until the very end, and then, as he was going out the door, he said: Hey, let's put this into place.

The Roadless Rule remains a one-size-fits-all, Washington restriction that obstructs responsible forest management on a State-by-State basis.

I have opposed the Clinton Roadless Rule from day one, and the Trump administration rightly repealed it. My bill makes the repeal permanent. At the same time, it protects the rights of each State to set its own rules. That is the right approach. It is the responsible approach. It is going to promote public access, wildlife health, as well as smart management.

Local control and local conditions should drive forest management decisions. We can't allow a Washington mandate imposed on States, a quarter of a century ago, to continue to undermine our ability to manage our forests.

Republicans and Democrats have talked about the need for better forest management. We have talked about it for years. Both parties know we need to do better.

The Wildfire Prevention Act builds on what works. It gives Federal Agencies the tools they need to succeed. Our shared forests and our local communities deserve nothing less.

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