[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 121 (Wednesday, July 1, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H2993-H2994]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       WILDFIRE SEASON HAS BEGUN

  (Mr. LaMALFA asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LaMALFA. Mr. Speaker, wildfire season has begun, especially in 
California. In 2020 so far, 3,100 fires have started, twice as many as 
the same period in 2019.
  Ongoing drought is part of the problem. We will be on the way to 
surpassing 2019 for the entire season as, indeed, we do have a head 
start.
  We shouldn't leave our fire preparedness plans completely to our 
firefighters having to go out and do it after the fact. We need to get 
ahead of the curve.
  There are real solutions to getting fires under control in the West. 
A big part of it is forest management, especially on Federal lands.
  There are 100 million dead trees in California. When coupled with 
years of

[[Page H2994]]

drought, the risks of turning our forests into tinder boxes is higher 
than ever. Responsible thinning and hazardous trees removal is an 
essential portion of what we need to be doing.
  My bill, the CLEAR Zones Act, which is Clearing Lines, Electrical At-
Risk Zones Act, would reduce the bureaucracy and the timelines to 
actually get the work done after permitting within 60 days and increase 
the buffer zone along power lines so there is less danger and more 
ability to fight fire at a smaller level.
  Mismanaged forests lead to more fire. Without better practices, we 
will see more and more of the West go up in smoke.

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