Trump targets forests in EO

On Dec. 20, President Donald Trump issued an Executive Order focusing on managing America’s forests. The Executive Order, titled“Promoting Active Management of America’s Forests, Rangelands and other Federal Lands to Improve Conditions and Reduce Wildfire Risks,” comes in the wake of devastating wildfires across the U.S., most recently in Paradise Valley, Calif., where 70,000 communities and 46 million homes have been impacted.

Chief of the USDA Forest Service Vicki Christiansen commented, “The USDA Forest Service applauds this Executive Order and the President’s commitment to focusing more robust efforts toward active management of American forests and grasslands.”

“This Executive Order will have a positive impact on our ability to improve conditions on the land. The natural resource challenges before us require collective action by everyone involved, and we look forward to working with federal partners, states, tribes, key stakeholders and members of the public,” she continued. “We will do the right work in the right place at the right scale using advanced science and mapping tools. We will use all the tools available to us, including mechanical treatments, prescribed fire and unplanned fire to mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfire.”

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue also praised President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order, noting, “Based upon the feedback he received from federal, state, county and tribal leaders, the President outlines a shared vision to make our communities safe.  This executive order empowers states and federal land managers to more effectively clear the excessive fuels threatening their homes and businesses.”