America’s 154 National Forests are managed by our Forest Service. These forests contain about 190 million acres, or about 9% of our total land area. Nearly 90% of these forests are located west of the Mississippi River, with 12% situated in Alaska alone. The U.S. Forest Service manages timber harvesting, livestock grazing, water, wildlife and recreation on these lands. However, unlike our national parks which protect resources, national forests were created to balance resource protection with resource use. This conflicting mission has been the source of endless disputes between parties competing for opposite goals. Environmentalists and naturalists consider logging, grazing and off-road vehicle use as threats to forest ecosystems. However, scientists are now saying climate change is the biggest threat to our national forests. Recent studies have found that longer droughts and higher temperatures are affecting a large majority of tree species worldwide. Experts say that many trees in our forests are now suffering from drought, disease and pests. Our forests are also overcrowded with dead or dying trees and thick underbrush which in some cases is 20 times more dense than normal.

Pending Legislation: H.R. 3889 - the National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Kim Schrier (WA)
Status: House Committees on Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker
House Speaker: Speaker Mike Johnson (LA)

• I oppose reforming current wildfire policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Speaker Mike Johnson (LA).
• I support increasing the use of prescribed fire on federal lands, supporting cultural burning by Indigenous peoples, and building a skilled workforce by:
  
  1.) Authorizing $300 million in funding for federal agencies to plan and conduct prescribed fires on various land types.
  
  2.) Mandating an increase in the acreage treated with prescribed burns by the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior.
  
  3.) Creating a program to support prescribed burns on non-federal lands at high risk of wildfire.
  
  4.) Establishing a program to develop the prescribed fire workforce, with specific outreach to various groups.
  
  5.) Allowing states more flexibility in conducting prescribed burns to manage smoke impact.
  
  And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Speaker Mike Johnson (LA) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.