Westerman Surveys Fire Damage in Utah

Today, House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) joined Congressional Western Caucus Chair Celeste Maloy (R-Utah), U.S. Sen. John Curtis (R-Utah), U.S. Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-Utah), U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens (R-Utah) and the Department of Agriculture Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Environment, Michael Boren, in Beaver, Utah, to survey fire damage from the recent Cottonwood Fire.

"The town of Beaver is digging out after catastrophic wildfires and associated flooding devastated their community, charred the landscape and contaminated the drinking water. The real message is this doesn’t have to happen. We need to pass the Fix Our Forests Act so that we can do everything humanly possible to prevent what happened in Beaver from happening to other Western communities. We spend billions of dollars fighting wildfires every year, when we should be spending more preventing those fires - that’s why we need the Fix Our Forests Act. I’d like to thank Congresswoman Maloy for bringing us to her district and Senator Curtis for championing the Fix Our Forests Act in the Senate." - Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.)

Background

Members met with the U.S. Forest Service, cattlemen and local officials to better understand the devastating impacts of the Cottonwood Fire. Residences, school facilities and ranches are severely damaged. Power lines are down, water supplies are compromised and families are displaced from their homes.

U.S. Sen. Curtis is the lead sponsor for the Fix Our Forests Act in the Senate. The Congressional Western Caucus has endorsed the Fix Our Forests Act. Chairman Westerman commends the leadership of these two Utahns on this vital legislation.

Learn more about the legislation here.