Federal forest management hearing highlights need to act, role for private industry
Better management of national forest land is a top priority for Western governors.
In fact, the Western Governors’ Association recently sent a letter to Secretary of Agriculture Thomas J. Vilsack requesting increased attention for environmentally stressed national forest land and use of the private sector to reduce epidemics such as pine beetle infestations and wildfires.
Which is why we attended the May 2 hearing “Seeking State Solutions: Forest Health, Wildfires, and Habitat Protection” hosted by the Congressional Western Caucus in Denver. Co-Chairmen Steve Pearce (R-NM) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) were joined by the Colorado Members of the Caucus: Mike Coffman (R), Cory Gardner (R), Doug Lamborn (R-CO), and Scott Tipton (R-CO). (Rep. Lummis spent time with WGA's Jim Ogsbury before the event, right.)
Witnesses included Gale Norton, Former Secretary of the Interior, and Mike King, Executive Director of Colorado Department of Natural Resources. Read the complete testimony. Here's a sampling of what they had to say:
Gale Norton: Controlled burns are an "immensely valuable" management tool, but also have "dangers" ... "We are facing droughts not seen previously, while at the samw time people are moving into areas where they are surrounded by forests."
Mike King: "Colorado has millions of trees, but sawmills in the state are going out of business because they cannot get a supply. This is why people in our state scratch their head and say 'What the hell is going on with the federal government."
Gary Moyer, President of the Colorado Association of Conservation Districts, cited the WGA letter as a solution that should be strongly considered. He also noted the devastating impact of recent wildfires in his area of Colorado. "It might be 100 years before some our forests recover from these fires."
Media coverage of the hearing included stories by the Associated Press and Durango Herald.
The Western Governors' Association is an independent, non-partisan organization of Governors from 19 Western states, two Pacific-flag territories and one commonwealth. Follow us on Twitter and "like" us on Facebook.