Rep. Gosar's Wildfire Prevention Legislation Signed into Law

Statement

Today, U.S. Congressman Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S. (AZ-04) issued the following statement after President Obama signed into law the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act (H.R.2642), also known as the Farm Bill, which included the majority of Rep. Gosar's Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act (H.R.1345):

"When it comes to wildfires, 2013 wasn't a good year, which is why I'm especially proud that the majority of my wildfire prevention legislation was signed into law today. Arizona and the nation has suffered loss of life, loss of habitat and loss of resources as a result of recurring catastrophic wildfires. It took years but now good forest-management practices recognize that healthy forests must be thinned and managed in order to avoid tragedies. Although we are never going to prevent all fires, this legislation will help make wildfires less frequent, and less intense when they do occur. Moreover, these provisions allow tax dollars to be spent more effectively by focusing on prevention as opposed to suppression, which is significantly more costly.

"While this legislation is a great start, we still must pass other important provisions of my bill that weren't included in the Farm Bill. These include provisions in a House-passed forest health package that will provide critical revenues for education in rural communities and allow for active forest management on a larger scale. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to help prevent another catastrophic wildfire season by acting swiftly to pass this legislation."

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