| Hayworth Endorses Wildfire
Research Institutes To Protect Western Forests, Ecosystems: Bill
designates Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado as sites
(Note from the 'we've sold our souls' 'elected officials:' Is there anyone out there who needs an institute -- funded with your tax dollars -- to tell us how to prevent catastrophic wildfires, manage forests, or rehab those already destroyed? I'm sorry; I can't hear you! If there is no real fire prevention going on at the federal level, gee! Do you think that land needs to be back in private hands? Having the 'Center for Biological Diversity' partnering with Gale Norton at the Department of Interior does NOT induce trust from the human, plant and animal fire victims!) July 10, 2002 WASHINGTON, D.C. Congressman J. D. Hayworth saw first-hand the fury and devastating consequences of wildfires last month in eastern Arizona. On Wednesday, he introduced legislation in the House he believes will provide far-sighted, science-based methods to prevent wildfires, improve forest management practices, and restore burned forests and woodland ecosystems. The “Wildfire Prevention Act of 2002" authorizes the establishment of three wildfire research institutes in the interior Western states of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada and Utah. The bill will be referred to the House Resources Committee on which Congressman Hayworth serves. The legislation also has been introduced in the Senate by Sen. Jon Kyl. The bill specifies that the institutes are to be located in Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado and authorizes $15 million to be appropriated each fiscal year to establish and support the work of the institutes. “This year's horrific wildfires proved that we must move immediately and thoughtfully to find ways to protect America's forests,” Congressman Hayworth said. “In the interior western states alone, there are 39 million acres of national forest land at high risk of fire. And the blunt truth is that present federal fire prevention policies and forest management practices do not measure up to that challenge. “I believe the wildfire research institutes we envision can provide a strong base of scientific information to guide public policy. At the same time, I hope they can create common ground for environmental, recreational, commercial, and governmental interests to come together and end the gridlock that has too often poisoned their relationship and paralyzed forest management initiatives.” Within 180 days of its enactment, the bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, to establish the three institutes to promote through research the use of adaptive ecosystem management to reduce the risk of wildfires and improve the health of forest and woodland ecosystems in the interior West. The bill specifically seeks to increase cooperation between the institutes and federal agencies and with researchers at colleges and universities that have demonstrated a capability in forest fire prevention and health enhancement. Among major findings listed in the bill: a.. forest land and rangeland are degraded as a direct consequence of land management practices; b.. efforts to prioritize forests and communities for wildfire risk reduction have been inconsistent and insufficient; c.. rigorous, understandable, and applied scientific information is needed for landscape-scale restorations treatments, for the environmental review process, and for collaborative efforts to develop and implement wildfire treatment |