[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 94 (Thursday, June 7, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H4859]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1215
                     PASS FOREST MANAGEMENT REFORMS

  (Mr. GIANFORTE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today urging the Senate to take up 
the forest reforms that this Chamber passed more than 7 months ago.
  Last year, wildfires burned more than 1.2 million acres in Montana, 
an area the size of the State of Delaware. I met with the firefighters 
on the ground and saw the devastation. I heard from families anxious 
about the dangerous air quality impacting their kids. I listened to the 
hardworking Montanans worried that their livelihoods would go up in 
flames.
  Montana survived last year's devastating fire season. Our communities 
pulled together, helping neighbor to neighbor, just as Montanans do.
  The bad news is that forecasters project another severe fire season 
this year. We need to start managing our forests again. While there has 
been some progress, more work remains to improve the health of our 
forests and reduce the severity of wildfires.
  I call on the Senate to end the obstruction and pass forest 
management reforms. Montanans need them to act.

                          ____________________