IV 

113TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 279 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that allocating the 

appropriate resources to wildland fire management is needed to protect 

the environment, the economy, and the people of the United States, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 26, 2013 

Mr. TIPTON (for himself, Mr. PEARCE, Mrs. LUMMIS, Mr. COFFMAN, Mr. 

LAMBORN, and Mr. GARDNER) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the 

Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 

allocating the appropriate resources to wildland fire management is needed to protect the environment, the economy, and the people of the United States, and for other 

purposes. 

Whereas the thoughts and prayers of the Members of the 

House of Representatives go out to individuals and families who have lost loved ones and homes to wildfire; 

Whereas the Members of the House of Representatives express the utmost gratitude to wildland fire firefighters 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
2 

•HRES 279 IH 

and first responders who bravely protect life and property; 

Whereas nearly 10 million acres of land burned in the United 

States in 2012; 

Whereas the acreage burned by wildfires has steadily increased over the past decade; 

Whereas the most destructive fire in the history of the State 

of Colorado and the largest fire in the history of the 

State of New Mexico destroyed hundreds of homes and 

hundreds of thousands of acres of wildlife habitat in 

2012; 

Whereas Federal forest and land management officials continue to request fewer funds to fight wildfires; 

Whereas the funding available for wildland fire suppression 

in the Wildland Fire Management Account of the Forest 

Service was cut by $461 million from fiscal year 2011 to 

fiscal year 2013; 

Whereas the Wildland Fire Hazardous Fuels Reduction Account of the Forest Service was cut by $22 million from 

fiscal year 2011 to fiscal year 2013 and the latest budget 

request asks for another $116 million decrease; 

Whereas the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program, a 

program that benefits local economies and improves the 

overall health of the landscape, has taken a 20 percent 

cut in funding over the past 2 years; 

Whereas senior Forest Service officials have described a Federal land management system hamstrung by ‘‘analysis 

paralysis’’; 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
3 

•HRES 279 IH 

Whereas decades of Federal mismanagement have increased 

fuel loads on Federal forest land and led to increased risk 

of catastrophic wildfire; 

Whereas the Forest Service has replaced responsible, environmentally sound timber thinning with allowing fires to 

burn through overcrowded forests; 

Whereas the bark beetle epidemic has destroyed 40 million 

acres of forest in North America; and 

Whereas academic studies indicate that bark-beetle-infected 

trees can still be salvaged for timber to be used in mills 

and contribute to small businesses and local economies: 

Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that— 

3 (1) allocating the appropriate resources to 

4 wildland fire management is needed to protect the 

5 environment, the economy, and the people of the 

6 United States; 

7 (2) the bravery of the men and women who risk 

8 their lives to extinguish these conflagrations should 

9 never be questioned; 

10 (3) a healthy forest policy must include pre11 scribed thinning; 

12 (4) funding to fight and prevent wildfires is es13 sential to public safety, environmental protection, 

14 and economic growth; 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS
4 

•HRES 279 IH 

1 (5) people who live in or near national forests 

2 in the United States have a right to expect the 

3 greatest possible protection for their homes and 

4 property; 

5 (6) the Government should not continue to ac6 quire more land when hundreds of millions of acres 

7 already controlled by the Government are mis8 managed; and 

9 (7) the Forest Service should proactively man10 age Federal forest lands in a manner that— 

11 (A) protects life and property; 

12 (B) prevents catastrophic wildfire; 

13 (C) promotes forest and watershed health; 

14 and 

15 (D) creates jobs and economic development 

16 in the forest products industry. 

Æ 


jbell on DSK7SPTVN1PROD with BILLS