Certain fuels burn hotter and faster than others, a lesson quickly taught to new firefighters. “It lights up like gasoline” was a phrase I heard to describe the way certain shrubs would burn and catch individuals in their path. It seems like tragedy is the fuel feeding recent action-oriented proposals addressing the extreme wildland fire seasons in the Western United States.
At both state and federal levels, wildland fire policy discussions are heating up and for good reason. Longer fire seasons, extreme fire behavior, and high wildfire risk are the norms for the Western United States, as experienced in Idaho throughout 2024 and is sadly the reality facing Los Angeles, Calif. today. Poor fuel management, understaffing, bureaucratic barriers to fire prevention, slow federal response times, and even home insurance gaps have created large and expensive hurdles.
These are concerns needing action in every western state and by the federal government. Multiple public officials recently implemented an initial attack on these challenges. Idaho Gov. Brad Little hosted a press conference where he outlined his priorities and proposals to address many of these needs and the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fix Our Forests Act on January 23.
After last summer’s report on the 10 priorities for reducing the impacts of wildfire, Little is delivering on the report’s recommendations. The governor’s press conference on Jan. 17 outlined progress on better fuel management, improved interagency cooperation, and proposed insurance protections for Idaho homeowners via House Bill 17. His budget proposal also increases funding for early fire detection, firefighter bonuses, enhanced aviation programs, and better funding to meet the realistic needs faced each year.
Little said: “The devastating southern California fires are heartbreaking, and we continue to pray for the many families impacted. However, the extent of the damage is, unfortunately, not altogether surprising. The decisions of California’s elected leaders have made many places in the Golden State unsafe to live. The opposite is happening in Idaho. We are strategically and proactively reducing fire risk and ensuring Idahoans’ property is covered.”
The national FIX OUR FORESTS Act is bipartisan legislation that passed the U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 23. This legislation is long overdue and addresses many of the challenges federal land managers have faced over the years. Streamlining environmental reviews of forest management projects and protecting projects from frivolous litigation could expedite many years of backlogged fuel management.
Under current federal policy, the use of forest restoration practices will never meet the needs. For example, the U.S. Forest Service manages about 193 million acres of land and 80 million of these acres need restoration. The current rate of management is 2 million acres per year, meaning it would take 40 years to restore our forests through selective logging and healthy prescribed fire. A goal that would never be achieved at the current rate.
The FIX OUR FORESTS Act would also prioritize restoration, adopt new science and techniques for management, improve safety of infrastructure and powerlines, and improve interagency communication.
Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas sponsored this legislation and testified in front of the House Committee on Natural Resources saying: “This week, Congress has a rare opportunity. Unlike hurricanes or tornadoes, proper forest management can prevent wildfires. We can save a pound of cure by investing a penny in prevention. The Fix Our Forests Act is a comprehensive, bipartisan package that offers real solutions that will help prevent future catastrophic wildfires like the ones affecting southern California… The bill ensures land managers do the work when the sky is blue, not when it’s orange, and fire is on the doorstep.”
Instead of spending billions of dollars mopping up fire-torn neighborhoods and forests, our country needs proactive fuel management. One of the saddest nightmares out of the L.A. fires is that residents faced bureaucratic obstacles and red tape that prevented effective fire prevention on and around their property. Out-of-control wildfires are preventable if the government allows and focuses on prevention.
Madi Clark is a Senior Policy Analyst for the Mountain States Policy Center, an independent research organization based in Idaho, Montana, Eastern Washington and Wyoming. Online at mountainstatespolicy.org.