The Smokehouse Creek Fire in Texas a few weeks ago is a testament that the wildfire crisis continues to grow, posing a problem to communities and ecosystems, destroying lives and livelihoods in the process.
The Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources held a hearing on March 12 to examine the recommendations of the USDA Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission.
The commission, created in 2021, was charged with making recommendations on how federal agencies could better respond to destructive wildfires and be proactive in preventing the impacts on communities and the ecosystem before and after wildfires.
The committee, which includes the USDA, Department of the Interior, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and 50 members from the private sector and state, local and Tribal governments, released a final report with 148 recommendations in September 2023.
“Among the core themes of the Commission’s recommendations is a call for greater coordination, interoperability, collaboration, and, in some cases, simplification within the wildfire system,” the report said. “This includes increased integration between programs, policies, and workforces as well as improved incorporation of issues and sectors that have traditionally been set apart from the wildland fire discourse or handled disparately.”
According to the Public Lands Council, the recommendations related to grazing include:
• Utilize flexible, targeted grazing practices to manage fine fuels and shrubs, ensuring alignment with wildfire impact reduction objectives, desired environmental conditions and landscape goals within a specific ecological system.
• To mitigate the impact of invasive annual grasses on landscapes and reduce their contribution to the increased frequency and severity of wildfires, federal agencies should enhance the utilization of current authorities and create innovative strategies for implementing targeted off-season grazing. This approach aims to restore ecosystem function by effectively managing invasive species and minimizing their influence on wildfire dynamics.
The commission advocated for an inclusive “all of the above” strategy instead of singling out specific recommendations, recognizing the need for comprehensive, integrated solutions to address the issue’s magnitude. Although the resulting recommendations vary widely, they are mutually reinforcing and interconnected. With these proposed solutions available, the commission emphasized the urgency for Congress to take swift action.
Senate hearing
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), chairman of the committee, said in his opening remarks wildfires continue to set new records annually, posing a significant drain on U.S. resources and productivity, in addition to causing tragic loss of life and property. Over the years, U.S. spending on fire suppression has surged by 300%, even after adjusting for inflation, he said.
Manchin continued that wildfires impede business operations and tourism, leading to extensive economic impacts estimated to exceed $400 billion per year, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s 2017 analysis.
Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) said in his opening remarks the U.S. is in the midst of a “wildfire crisis” and illustrated his point with the Happy Jack Fire, which started in early March and burned over 6,000 acres and damaged three residences. Barrasso said on average over 6 million acres burn each year and the costs are escalating to control them.
“Every year it becomes more clear that we are on an unsustainable path,” Barrasso said. “We just can’t keep throwing money and resources at the problem. We need to get back to the basics. We need to start managing the forests in a clear and credible way.”
Barrasso criticized the number of recommendations published in the report and said the government needs to strengthen what is working well, such as eliminating red tape for mitigation projects and enlisting the services and expertise of local, state and Tribal governments.
During the almost two-hour hearing, people testified of the need for collaboration in expanding the Good Neighbor Authority and Alliance of Forest Fire compacts. Kelly Norris, state forester at Wyoming State Forestry Division, said the lack of liability coverage for inter-compact resource exchanges and five important states without a forest fire compact limit resources and mobilization to respond to wildfires.
Both Norris and Cody Desautel, executive director of Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation, said Congress needs to modify the Weeks Act of 1911 to enter compacts and allow states to manage wildfires within their respective regions through the implementation of fire protection plans and state agencies.
Senators also addressed the issues of firefighter pay and benefits. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) asked about possible solutions to address firefighter housing needs. Meryl Harrell, the USDA deputy under secretary of Natural Resources and the Environment, explained the commission’s recommendations, including supporting workforce housing. She stressed the importance of permanent pay raises, retirement benefits, and physical and mental health support investments.
Other issues covered at the hearing included creating a market for wood products from smaller trees and those burned by wildfires, old-growth forests and an interagency group during fire recovery.
“It is important to note that agencies can’t accomplish this work alone; congressional action is needed to grant new authorities, expand existing authorities and programs, and provide consistent base funding at the appropriate scale to meet the staffing and activity needs,” Desautel concluded. — Charles Wallace, WLJ contributing editor
