RCRC has offered support for the National Prescribed Fire Act of 2020 (S. 4625), introduced in Congress last week by Senator Ron Wyden (D- Oregon). This bill would work to reduce the effects and severity of wildfires that have plagued California over the last decade, creating more resilient forests by actively increasing the pace and scale of prescribed fire on federal, state, tribal, and private lands through a variety of programs, funding allocations, workforce training and environmental review flexibility. RCRC member counties, which contain more than 70 percent of California’s forested lands, have historically suffered the majority of the wildfire activity in the state and could benefit greatly from the fuels treatment efforts outlined in the bill. (one page summary | section-by-section)
S. 4625 will help states like California get ahead of our egregious backlog of untreated and undertreated wildland vegetation, particularly in areas where mechanical thinning is not an option. By offering funding and training to advance the scale of prescribed burns, along with providing necessary flexibility for air quality management agencies to allow for increased prescribed fire, states with severe forest management needs like California can begin the process of increasing the pace and scale of prescribed burning in concert with other fuels treatment projects. This necessary step will decrease the resources and effort spent on fire suppression in the long run, and will ultimately save lives and communities while improving watersheds and wildlife habitat, and contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from catastrophic wildfires.
RCRC has continually advocated for a commonsense approach toward reducing the effects and severity of wildfires, recognizing the important part prescribed fire plays in the treatment of vegetated lands. RCRC’s letter of support is available here. S. 4625 has been referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. For more information, please contact Staci Heaton, Senior Regulatory Affairs Advocate at (916) 447-4806 or sheaton@rcrcnet.org.