Joco Today

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, Chairman of the Conservation, Forestry, Natural Resources, and Biotechnology Subcommittee, addressed the Fix Our Forests Act during a hearing. The legislation aims to streamline fire prevention efforts following several significant fires in Southern California and Maui.

Senator Marshall emphasized the importance of grassland management and wildfire mitigation in Kansas. He stated that the Fix Our Forests Act "will provide common-sense deregulation that streamlines fire prevention – both reactively and proactively."

In his opening remarks, Senator Marshall noted the widespread impact of wildfires across different jurisdictions: "We know wildfires are indifferent to federal, state, tribal, and private property jurisdictions." He referenced recent fires in the Carolinas and past incidents like the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California.

Senator Marshall criticized historical policies such as the Forest Service’s 1930’s “10 AM Policy,” which he argued contributed to current challenges. He advocated for modernizing federal tools for assessing wildfire risk and updating public-private partnerships to address fire risks effectively.

Highlighting personal experience with firefighting through his father’s career, Senator Marshall stated: "Every fire is unique... But the most catastrophic fires all have similarities." He stressed proper forest management as crucial in preventing small sparks from becoming devastating fires.

The Fix Our Forests Act offers a bipartisan approach to providing agencies with improved tools for managing forest lands. It includes increased acreage limitations for Categorical Exclusions available to forest managers. These exclusions allow compliance with NEPA without extensive environmental assessments when prior evaluations show no significant effect.

The act also instructs identifying high-risk firesheds over five years to focus resources better. It addresses litigation delays by adopting reforms used by previous administrations and strengthens Good Neighbor Authority programs allowing local partners to assist where federal resources fall short.

Senator Marshall concluded by emphasizing cooperation across political lines: "Regardless of our respective views on the appropriate use of federal lands and resources," he said, "we all need to help mitigate the frequency and intensity of catastrophic wildfires while ensuring scientifically sound stewardship."