Natural Resources
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) concluded his annual tour of Arkansas agriculture, where he visited with farmers and other agriculture producers across the Fourth District. Westerman issued the following statement:
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) led four of his colleagues on the House floor for a special order on wildfires in the West. U.S. Reps. Paul Gosar (R-Ariz.), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) and G.T. Thompson (R-Penn.) joined to share how wildfires are affecting their districts, and how to use sound forest management to mitigate their severity.
As wildfires burn across the West, many Americans have lost their loved ones, their homes and all their possessions. My prayers are with everyone who has been displaced or who is heroically fighting the fires, and I hope these blazes are quickly contained. Unfortunately, fires like this have become so common that we refer to this time of year as "wildfire season." I don't think we just have to accept this as the new normal. In all my years as a forester, I've seen firsthand that scientific forest management works.
Across the West, wildfires are raging. They have already tragically claimed at least 26 lives and displaced thousands more. As I write this, dozens of American cities are dealing with the world's worst air quality, suffering through a thick haze of post-apocalyptic smoke.
COVID-19 has exposed many Americans to important aspects of our supply chain that, during normal times, usually go unnoticed. Forest products are a perfect example. When the virus struck, grocery store shelves quickly ran out of toilet paper and paper towels, and everyone became aware of just how important a role forestry plays in our daily life. From shipping boxes on your doorstep, to pallets that make shipping possible, to the wooden desk at which you sit, forest products are instrumental to our way of life.
Arkansas is home to 2 million acres of national forest, a national park, America's very first national river and several national wildlife refuges. I've made countless memories in these and other parks across the country, which is why I was glad to see President Trump sign the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) into law on Aug. 4. This bill marks the single greatest investment into U.S. public lands since President Theodore Roosevelt.
No picture can capture what it feels like to watch a sunrise on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, gaze up at a redwood tree, camp in the Ouachita National Forest, or hear the waves crash against the rocky coastline of Acadia National Park. All of these and more are opportunities on American public lands. As a lifelong resident of Hot Springs, Arkansas, some of my earliest memories involve exploring Hot Springs National Park, and when I'd ask my children what they wanted to do for fun, they would often choose floating on the Buffalo National River.
Republican members of the House Natural Resources Committee yesterday accused Chairman Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) of violating the chamber's rules prohibiting the broadcast of partisan events, pointing to virtual roundtables organized by panel Democrats in recent weeks.
Republican members of the House Committee on Natural Resources called on Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) to stop holding "partisan" virtual forums on the panel's website, which they say violates the rules.
The 19 Republicans, led by Rep. Bruce Westerman of Arkansas and Ranking Member Rob Bishop of Utah, on Tuesday objected to the 12 roundtables that Grijalva and other committee Democrats have conducted since the coronavirus pandemic erupted in March.
Today, U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) led Natural Resources Committee Republicans in a letter to Chairman Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.), asking that committee Democrats cease holding partisan "forums" or "roundtables" with no minority involvement. In part, the members wrote: