Colorado Wilderness Act of 2021

Floor Speech

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Mr. OBERNOLTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to H.R. 803.

This bill, while well intentioned, will unfortunately result in over a million acres being subjected to less efficient forestry management services and less fuel reduction. I represent the State of California, which, last year, experienced the worst fire season in recorded State history. Over 4 million acres of State land was burned last year.

The year before that, we had the destructive and catastrophic Camp Fire that totally destroyed the town of Paradise, almost 100 lives lost, almost 20,000 structures destroyed. I had the unfortunate experience of walking through that town and witnessing that devastation, and it was catastrophic.

To my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, I have read the ``Wilderness Management Manual,'' and I direct their attention to the BLM manual for the management of wilderness areas that says that ``fuels reduction is only allowed in very rare circumstances.''

This will result in more fire damage throughout the Western United States. Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' vote.

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