Press Releases

Denver, CO (May 2, 2013) – Earlier today, Congressional Western Caucus Co-Chairmen Steve Pearce (R-NM) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), along with Members of Congressional Western Caucus from Colorado held a hearing entitled “Seeking State Solutions: Forest Health, Wildfires, and Habitat Protection” at the Colorado State Capitol.

Caucus Members and witnesses, including Former Secretary of Interior Gale Norton, examined Colorado’s forest management tools, wildfire recovery efforts, and how the federal government can compliment western states to achieve our shared objectives of a healthy landscape. 

Members of the Western Caucus who participated in the hearing released the following statements:

“Last summer, both Colorado and New Mexico experienced absolutely devastating wildfires that destroyed hundreds of homes and nearly 700,000 acres of habitat combined. I appreciate my colleagues and our bipartisan group of witnesses for taking this opportunity to discuss what we can do at every level to ensure the safety and health of our forests. One of the goals of this hearing was to get input from state and local officials who are affected by these fires, so that we can provide responsible oversight of how our forests are managed. I am hopeful that we will return back to a proactive approach in fire prevention and forest management, and put control back in the hands of those who live and work in our forests to keep them thriving for generations to come.”

-          U.S. Representative Steve Pearce (NM-02), Congressional Western Caucus Co-Chairman

“The federal approach to forest management and wildfire prevention isn't working as evidenced by the millions of acres of scorched forest throughout the west.   The solution, once again, is right under our noses at the state level, where we see more proactive management and healthier forests on state lands.  The Western Caucus is dedicated to giving states more control over all of the forest health decisions within their borders, because wildfires don't respect federal boundary lines.  Particularly in Wyoming, where the vast majority of our forests are federally-owned, these decisions can have devastating consequences for the safety and economic well-being of Wyoming communities." 

-          U.S. Representative Cynthia Lummis (WY), Congressional Western Caucus Co-Chairman

“Forests are vital for the Western United States, providing limitless environmental and economic benefits when healthy. It’s our responsibility to preserve this incredible natural resource and do all we can to restore forest health. It’s time that Congress, the Administration and citizens of the West take steps to prevent these tragedies. For too long we have been working to stop fires once they start, and mitigate damage once it has already been done. As the old saying goes, ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.’ That is what today’s hearing was about, getting ahead of this problem by looking at the solutions that are working at the state level, and expanding upon these solutions so we can take a more proactive approach to restoring our forests to a healthy natural state.”

-          U.S. Representative Scott Tipton (CO-03)

“It is vital that we continue to look for ways to improve the management of our forests in order to prevent wildfires and protect our watersheds. The Western Caucus and I appreciate the state and local participation in the field hearing today and I look forward to working with them on finding better solutions to the challenges of preventing wildfires and protecting our watersheds.”

-          U.S. Representative Mike Coffman (CO-06)

"Unfortunately, several past policies have allowed our forests to assume a condition that is not natural, and we must take steps to correct these policies and move forward by the implementing of good forest management. I would like to thank all the witnesses for their participation and perspectives on this topic."

-          U.S. Representative Cory Gardner (CO-04)

“For years federal bureaucrats, heavily influenced by environmentalists, have failed to actively manage of our national forests, which can lead to out-of-control wildfires, and threaten life and property in our Western States. We need the federal government to work more closely with state and local governments to better manage the forest lands and protect the surrounding communities. I thank Rep. Tipton for his leadership on this important issue.”

-          U.S. Representative Doug Lamborn (CO-05)

Witness Testimonies:

Gale Norton, Former Secretary of the Interior; President of Norton Regulatory Strategies

Mike King, Executive Director, Colorado Department of Natural Resources

Sallie Clark, Commissioner, El Paso County, Colorado

Steve Johnson, Commissioner, Larimer County, Colorado

Dan Gibbs, Commissioner, Summit County, Colorado

Gary Moyer, President, Colorado Association of Conservation Districts

Michael McHugh, Environmental Permitting Coordinator, City of Aurora Water Department

Denny Behrens, Field Director, Colorado Mule Deer Association