“Something needs to change. To prevent catastrophic and costly fires in the future, leaders in DC should take steps now to remove regulatory burdens and help critical forest management projects move forward.”
The following has been adapted from an excerpt of the Frontier Weekly Newsletter written by Cole Koenig for the May 21st edition.
Temperatures are warming up across Montana, signaling that the summer season is right around the corner. Amongst all of the fun and outdoor recreation that comes with this part of the year, Montanans also know that fire season will be coming in a short couple of months, if not weeks.
Moisture has been lacking in many parts of the state, creating prime conditions for fires to start blazing. MTFireInfo.com is showing that we had 46 fires within just the last week. With that in mind, we could be in for a long and destructive fire season. So where does that leave us, and how do we combat this?
We have long been advocates for proactive forest management, focusing on preventative measures that can create better conditions to keep fires small and improve forest health. On this front, a new report from the Property & Environment Research Center (PERC) shows that forest management and wildfire prevention is a smart investment, saving money over the long run by reducing costly wildfire suppression.
Unfortunately, the regulatory and permitting requirements often stand in the way of getting that work done, blocking or delaying projects or holding them up in litigation. Amidst the findings, the report notes: “These challenges are compounded by institutional incentives that favor short-term fire suppression over long-term prevention, along with regulatory requirements—such as endangered species protections, federal and state air-quality standards, federally designated Wilderness areas, and review under NEPA—that can delay or prevent fuel-reduction projects, even in forests at high risk of wildfire.”
A handful of forest management and logging projects in Montana have been delayed or nixed recently due to these very issues, including a proposal south of Bozeman, and one in the Flathead Valley.
Something needs to change. To prevent catastrophic and costly fires in the future, leaders in DC should take steps now to remove regulatory burdens and help critical forest management projects move forward.
For more on forest management and how our permitting process hinders critical projects, check out this piece from Kendall on how Lawfare Threatens Clean, Healthful Environment.
