    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2002, Book II)]
    [August 24, 2002]
    [Pages 1481-1482]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    The President's Radio Address
    August 24, 2002

        Good morning. While visiting the west coast this week, I saw the
    destructive effects of one of the worst wildfire seasons in history. The
    catastrophic blazes we have seen this summer, and which I saw firsthand
    in Oregon, threaten the safety of forest communities and firefighters,
    destroy homes, businesses, farms and critical wildlife habitat, and
    leave behind long-lasting environmental damage. I join all Americans in
    thanking the brave firefighters for their service.
        As we work to put out the fires and bring relief to their victims,
    we also have a responsibility to prevent the devastation that can be
    caused by future fires. For too long, America's fire prevention strategy
    has been shortsighted. Forest policies have not focused on thinning, the
    clearing of the forest floor of built-up brush and densely packed trees
    that create the fuel for extremely large fires like those experienced
    this year.
        This hands-off approach to forest management has been devastating to
    our environment, and it can take more than a century for forests to
    recover from these fires. One forest ranger said of this year's fire
    season: ``In the next few years to come, it won't be the exception; it
    will be the norm because of how we have managed our forests.''
        We need a different approach. People who fight fires and study
    forests agree that we must strengthen the health of our forests through
    a combination of thinning and

    [[Page 1482]]

    quickly restoring areas damaged by fires. By actively managing our
    forests in this way, we'll help our environment by reducing the number
    of acres of forest land that catastrophic fires burn each year.
        On Thursday, I announced important new steps to restore the health
    of America's forests and help prevent the kind of devastating fires we
    have seen this year. We will guard against excessive redtape and endless
    litigation that stand in the way of sensible forest management
    decisions.
        I have directed Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman and Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton to reduce bureaucracy and speed up the process of thinning
    on public lands. And I urge Congress to pass legislation that will
    ensure that vital forest restoration projects are not tied up in courts
    forever. Some Members of Congress have already gotten important forest
    reform passed for their States because they know it is the fastest and
    most effective way to get forests thinned. We should pass this important
    reform to help protect all of America's forests.
        My administration will work with Congress to deliver on the
    unfulfilled promises of the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan. The plan was
    crafted to protect wildlife habitat and recreational areas, while
    employing more than 100,000 people through sustainable timber harvesting
    in a small portion of the forests. My proposals will reduce the threat
    of wildfires that have destroyed people's homes and livelihoods. They
    will restore the health of America's forests, provide greater safety to
    our citizens, and protect our environment for generations to come.
        Thank you for listening.

    Note: The address was recorded at 9:35 a.m. on August 21 at the Bush
    Ranch in Crawford, TX, for broadcast at 10:06 a.m. on August 24. The
    transcript was made available by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    August 23 but was embargoed for release until the broadcast. The Office
    of the Press Secretary also released a Spanish language transcript of
    this address.