US Agriculture Secretary Keynotes CSE Healthy Forests Summit in North Carolina

Today the North Carolina chapter of Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE) hosted a “Healthy Forests Summit” featuring keynote speaker US Secretary of Agriculture Ann M. Veneman, US Representative Charles Taylor (NC-11), and experts discussing President Bush’s “Healthy Forests Initiative.”

The speakers addressed core components of the National Fire Plan’s 10-Year Comprehensive Strategy and Implementation Plan which establishes a framework for protecting communities and the environment through local collaboration on thinning, planned burns, forest restoration projects, and protection against insects.

President Bush’s “Healthy Forests Initiative” legislation has passed the House of Representatives and is awaiting action in the Senate. North Carolina CSE Director Allen Page said the summit was an effort to educate citizens about the situation and to arm them with information to demand their Senators take action on the legislation immediately.

“Years of flawed, passive forest management has made our national forests vulnerable to disease and high-intensity forest fires that threaten our national resources, the livelihoods of families and property owners that live in these areas, and the businesses that sustain these local economies” said Page. “Forest provide habit, recreation, and employment in communities across the country, particularly here in the Southeast. “

“Today, we mobilized citizens from North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee and armed them with information they will use to let their Senators know that our forests can no longer be squandered through bureaucratic ineptitude and special interests politics,” Page continued.”

Shirley Washburn, who attended the rally, said: “I’m happy that the Secretary is down here to discuss with us the unique problems we face in the Southeast. I feel like we got good information today that we can take to our Senators to convince them to pass the healthy forests legislation.”

A fact sheet about the “Healthy Forests Initiative” follows:

HEALTHY FORESTS INITIATIVE

FACT SHEET:

1. Catastrophic fires are caused by deteriorating forest and rangeland health.

America’s public lands have undergone radical changes during the last century due to the suppression of fires and a lack of active forest and rangeland management. Frequent, low-intensity fires play an important role in healthy forest and rangeland ecosystems, maintaining natural plant conditions and reducing the buildup of fuels.

Natural, low-intensity fires burn smaller trees and undergrowth while leaving large trees generally intact. Natural fires also maintain natural plant succession cycles, preventing the spread of invasive plant species in forests and rangelands. This produces forests that are open and resistant to disease, drought, and severe wildfires.

Today, the forests and rangelands across the nation have become unnaturally dense, and ecosystem health has suffered significantly. When coupled with seasonal droughts, these unhealthy forests, overloaded with fuels, are vulnerable to unnaturally severe wildfires. Currently, 190 million acres of public land are at increased risk of catastrophic wildfires.

2. These deteriorated forest and rangeland conditions significantly affect people, property, and ecosystem health.

Fuels have accumulated so significantly that fires no longer burn at natural temperatures or rates, making them dangerous to fight and difficult to control.

Nearly 83 percent of firefighters surveyed identified the need for fuels reduction as the top priority for improving their safety.

Catastrophic wildfires burn at much higher temperatures than normal fires, causing long-lasting and severe environmental damage.

3. Enhanced measures are needed to restore forest and rangeland health to reduce the risk of these catastrophic wildfires.

Federal, state, tribal and local governments are making unprecedented efforts to reduce the buildup of fuels and restore forests and rangelands to healthy conditions. Yet, needless red tape and lawsuits delay effective implementation of forest health projects.

The Healthy Forests Initiative will implement core components of the National Fire Plan’s 10-year Comprehensive Strategy and Implementation Plan. This historic plan, which was adopted this spring by federal agencies and western governors, in collaboration with county commissioners, state foresters, and tribal officials, calls for more active forest and rangeland management. It establishes a framework for protecting communities and the environment through local collaboration on thinning, planned burns and forest restoration projects.