Providing for Consideration of H.R. Fix Our Forests Act, and Providing for Consideration of S. Laken Riley Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. WALBERG. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule and the underlying bill, the Fix Our Forests Act.

Mr. Speaker, first and foremost, I express my sincere condolences to the families who have lost loved ones, homes, and history in the tragic fires in southern California. Our hearts break for them, and our prayers continue to be with them.

Today, we have an opportunity to help mitigate future forest fires and protect not only homes and communities but critical wildlife habitat.

Proper forest management can, in fact, help prevent forest fires. If we follow the science, as this legislation does, we can identify the top areas of concern and take action to address those firesheds.

This bipartisan legislation will empower States and local, Tribal, and private partners to do critical wildfire prevention activities necessary to prevent the tragic fires we have just seen recently and in recent years. I also note that the legislation does not waive a single environmental law.

Mr. Speaker, I am a conservationist. Coming from the Great Lakes, the State of Michigan, I know the importance of clean air and clean water. What this bill does is streamline fragmented Federal programs and makes the existing tools more flexible and efficient.

By passing this legislation, we can help protect millions of acres from the threat of wildfires, save lives and livelihoods and history, and protect wildlife habitat for generations to come.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Westerman for his leadership on this critical legislation, and I urge support for the rule and the underlying bill.

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