Rep. Vince Fong Supports Fix Our Forests Act to Help Prevent Wildfires

Washington, D.C. – Rep. Vince Fong (CA-20) supports the Fix Our Forests Act, H.R. 8790, to help prioritize forest management and prevent further wildfires. The bill, introduced by House Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (AR-04), will incentivize managing the over 117 million acres of overgrown forest by streamlining environmental reviews, promoting collaboration within communities, giving agencies new tools, and developing and utilizing technologies to help address threats. H.R. 8790 passed the House with a 268-151 bipartisan vote.

“Year after year, we continue to see wildfires in California be a growing problem largely due to mismanagement of our forests. Currently the Coffee Pot fire, and earlier in the summer the Borel fire, have burnt tens of thousands of acres in my district,” said Rep. Fong. “This bill will ensure that we are helping our rural communities fight the wildfires by committing to preventative clean-up and actively engaging in proactive forest management. I know this bill will not only benefit the nation, but also positively impact my district during wildfire season to help keep our firefighters and communities safe.”

Since coming to Congress in June, Rep. Fong has worked towards other forest management bills. Most notably, Rep. Fong became the first sponsor of the Save Our Sequoias Act, H.R. 2989, which enhances the resiliency of Sequoias through management and collaboration with agencies.

Click here to read Rep. Fong’s most recent op-ed on fighting against California’s wildfires.