Fix Our Forests Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. VALADAO. Mr. Chairman, the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act is a critical piece of legislation that will restore forest health and increase our resiliency to catastrophic wildfires.

The fires burning across southern California devastated entire communities and will have lasting impacts on our State for years.

Beyond the terrible loss of life and property, wildfires cause hazardous air conditions that lead to significant health concerns. Smoke and particulate matter from these fires can travel hundreds of miles, and geographic conditions trap these air pollutants in the Central Valley, which creates dangerous conditions for our families, farmworkers, crops, and those already battling respiratory diseases.

In 2023, over 1 million acres burned across California. While fires are inevitable, decades of forest mismanagement have directly contributed to the severity of the wildfires that we are witnessing. While there needs to be serious conversation at the State level about the management of California's natural resources, the Fix Our Forests Act will help address the root causes by providing Federal agencies with the tools necessary to help States practice proactive forest management and mitigate risk.

Mr. Chair, I thank the House Natural Resources Committee chair, Bruce Westerman, for his leadership on this issue.

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