H.R. 803 will endanger communities across the west, imperil wildfire prevention
U.S. Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia) argued against passage of H.R. 803 on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill would classify over one million additional acres of federal land as “wilderness” in California and other states, increasing federal control over wide swaths of land and restricting forest management and wildfire mitigation measures.
REP. OBERNOLTE: “I represent the state of California which last year experienced the worst fire season in recorded state history… To my colleagues (supporting this bill), I have read the wilderness management manual and I direct their attention to where it says that fuels reduction is only allowed in very rare circumstances. This will result in more fire damage throughout the western United States. I urge a No vote.”
California experienced its largest wildfire season in modern history in 2020, with over 4 million acres burned. Families were forced to flee their homes in the midst of a pandemic, 33 lives were lost and thousands of tons of carbon were released into the atmosphere. “Wilderness” designations significantly restrict responsible forest management, including the use of tools such as controlled burns, grazing and forest thinning that reduce fuel density. At the same time, federal agencies are increasingly constrained in the tools they can use to put out fires once they start. The combined result is larger fires, more contaminants in the air and more property and lives lost.