[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 134 (Thursday, October 20, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2142]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIRE MARSHALL PETER BRIERTY IS A TRUE NATIONAL 
                             FORESTRY HERO

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JERRY LEWIS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, October 20, 2005

  Mr. LEWIS of California. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure today to 
honor San Bernardino County Fire Marshall Peter Brierty, who has been 
recognized this month as a National Forestry Hero. I know from personal 
experience that this award is justly deserved, for Peter Brierty is 
widely regarded among my constituents as one of the heroes who saved 
thousands of people and their homes from the terrible fires of 2003 in 
the San Bernardino Mountains.
  Many of my colleagues have heard me speak on the urgent need to get 
rid of millions of trees killed by a drought and insect attacks in and 
around the San Bernardino National Forest in my district. The fire 
danger from these trees jeopardizes the lives and homes of tens of 
thousands of people and homes that make this one of the most urbanized 
forests in the Nation.
  One of the first people to understand the potential danger from this 
situation was Peter Brierty. More importantly, Peter Brierty realized 
the need to act quickly and bring the whole community together to 
reduce the danger and be ready to evacuate if fires struck. For most of 
the past three years, Fire Marshall Brierty has worked tirelessly, 
pushing his staff and other public officials to develop these plans. He 
has become a well-known figure at countless meetings with residents, 
convincing them of the need to cooperate to save lives and property.
  Under Fire Marshall Brierty's direction, San Bernardino County 
launched an ambitious effort to eliminate dead and dying trees on 
private and public lands outside of the national forest. The operation 
he created has been highly praised by the Natural Resources 
Conservation Service, which has funded the effort, as extremely cost-
efficient and effective.
  But the danger was too great in 2003, and the ``Old Fire'' struck 
before we could even begin to cut enough trees to stop it. Nearly 
70,000 people were in danger, but the plan devised by Fire Marshall 
Brierty and other county, state and federal officials safely evacuated 
all of them. Not one life was lost in the fire, even though 350 
structures and more than 800,000 acres were ravaged by the blaze.
  Mr. Speaker, many people have devoted countless hours and unlimited 
energy to reducing the fire danger and restoring the forest in the San 
Bernardino Mountains. The task is far from finished, but we have seen 
two fire seasons now in which no major blaze has threatened homes to 
the extent of the Old Fire.
  In recognition of the role he played in confronting this threat to 
whole communities, Fire Marshall Peter Brierty was presented the 2005 
National Forestry Heroism Award by the STIHL Incorporated this month. I 
would ask you and my colleagues to join me in congratulating him for 
this recognition, and thanking him for his unswerving devotion to 
public service.

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