[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 20, 2025)]
[House]
[Page H2156]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             RECOGNITION OF MAY AS WILDFIRE AWARENESS MONTH

  (Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania was recognized to address the House for 
5 minutes.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize 
May as Wildfire Awareness Month.
  For many States and regions around the Nation, our forests play a 
critical role in supporting communities and the rural economy. Our 
Nation's forests provide us with homegrown timber, essential for wood 
products, such as lumber, flooring, furniture, pulp and paper, biomass, 
and so much more.
  The U.S. forest products industry employs more than 925,000 
Americans, generating a payroll of nearly $80 billion nationwide.

                              {time}  1115

  Harvest on national forestland is also critical for supporting rural 
school districts through county payments derived from timber sales.
  Our forests also provide countless recreational opportunities, such 
as camping, hiking, fishing, and many other activities available in the 
great outdoors.
  However, many of our Federal forestlands remain unhealthy and 
continue to be at risk of catastrophic wildfire due to severe 
overgrowth and decades of mismanagement. Consequently, the United 
States has continued to see some of the largest and most intense 
wildfires in history over the past few decades.
  During that time, these incredibly destructive wildfires have led to 
significant property loss; recovery costs; and, in some cases, the loss 
of human life.
  I visited some of the afflicted areas, including Paradise, 
California, where the devastating Camp fire occurred in 2018. It is our 
responsibility as elected officials to do everything that we can to 
make sure that tragedies like this do not occur again.
  Wildfires are truly an urgent crisis that must be immediately 
addressed, and Congress must do more to better support the Forest 
Service, our firefighters, and rural communities in forested areas.
  Between 2013 and 2022, we saw an average of 61,000 wildfires annually 
with an average of 7.2 million acres impacted each year.
  So far this year, we have seen more than 25,000 wildfire incidents 
with more than 1 million acres burned before fire season ever began.
  The wildfires we witnessed in Los Angeles this year were just the 
latest reminder of the devastation that can occur when we don't 
proactively manage our forests and do everything possible to prevent 
them from breaking out in the first place.
  Make no mistake that the wildfire crisis is just that, a crisis that 
must urgently be addressed. The good news is that, with the right 
management, we can do so much more to improve the health of our forests 
and combat the wildfire and forest health crisis head-on.
  This means using all of the tools in the toolbox. That includes 
mechanical thinning, prescribed fire, and cross-boundary authorities. 
That also includes expanded use of good neighbor agreements, 
stewardship contracts, and other innovative agreements to maximize 
management possibilities through partnerships between stakeholders, 
private forest owners, Tribes, and local, State, and Federal 
Government.
  Mr. Speaker, I am proud of the forestry title that passed out of the 
Agriculture Committee last year which was crafted to expand those tools 
and authorities and encourage the Forest Service to do more productive 
management. Such reforms will enable the agency to improve forest 
health, reduce the threat of wildfire, increase the pace and scale of 
restoration, and ultimately protect communities, property, and lives.
  Many of these concepts can be found in the Fix Our Forests Act, which 
was passed on a bipartisan basis this past January.
  Additionally, I applaud the recent actions by the Trump 
administration to dramatically scale up the management across the 
National Forest System.
  Encouraging this ramp-up will enable the Forest Service to better 
manage, support local counties and economies through increased 
sustainable harvest levels, address invasive species and forest health, 
and ultimately reduce the severity and instances of wildfires.
  During this Wildfire Awareness Month, it is important that Members 
understand the great challenges that our Nation has with wildfire and 
that there are many steps that the Federal Government can take to 
proactively mitigate it.
  Perhaps most importantly, we must also recognize the dedication and 
sacrifices of our wildland firefighters to act when disaster strikes 
and keep communities safe.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank our firefighters, first responders, and all who 
are working to confront this crisis as we recognize Wildfire Awareness 
Month.

                          ____________________