Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV) and John Barrasso (R-WY) recently introduced the Promoting Effective Forest Management Act of 2022, which they say will reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health.
The bill directs the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to utilize existing tools and resources to increase wildfire mitigation projects on national forest lands and public lands.
“History tells us, and science confirms, that livestock grazing is an effective tool in managing annual grasses and residual biomass that make fires hotter and more destructive,” said Kaitlynn Glover, executive director of the Public Lands Council and the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Natural Resources, in response to the bill.
“Increasing the use of grazing as part of a larger strategy will make landscapes more resilient, reduce fire severity and make conditions safer for land managers and firefighters alike.”
Environmentalist groups had a different reaction to the bill, with Earthjustice saying the bill would “falsely recognize mature forests only for timber value, endangering vitally important trees and forests on publicly owned lands.”
