Today, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held an oversight hearing examining the urgent need for the Senate to pass the Fix Our Forests Act, one year after wildfires devastated the Los Angeles, Calif., area. Subcommittee Chairman Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) issued the following statement in response:

 

“Without proactive forest management in the United States, homes, communities and businesses are left prone to devastating wildfires. We witnessed this just over a year ago when an out-of-control wildfire tragically claimed 31 lives in Los Angeles County. It’s well past time we cut through the red tape and address these preventable tragedies by sending the Fix Our Forests Act to the President’s desk.”

Background

On January 23, 2025, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fix Our Forests Act by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 279-141. The bill is currently awaiting action in the Senate.  

Just over one year ago, devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles, Calif., area destroyed entire communities, homes and businesses, tragically claiming the lives of 31 people. It has become one of the costliest disasters in world history.

Without urgent action, thousands of additional communities risk sharing the same fate as the Palisades, Altadena and Pasadena, Calif.

Proactive forest management can not only prevent many of these disasters from happening in the first place, but it can also lower the cost of living for millions of Americans by making homes, insurance and utility bills more affordable.

In order to prevent wildfires, protect communities and improve forest health, Congress must send the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act to the President’s desk before the next preventable tragedy strikes.