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Tipton pushes feds to help fight wildfires

Tipton

WASHINGTON, D.C. – As wildfire season approaches, Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, is aggressively pushing for federal agencies to be proactive about the issue.

Tipton introduced the Healthy Forest Management Act in February, which would give states the authority to designate high-risk areas within the National Forest System and lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, as well as develop emergency hazardous fuels-reduction projects for those areas in consultation with county governments.

He is also co-sponsoring the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act, which seeks to amend discretionary spending under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to support wildfire-suppression operations.

“This is something we have been very concerned about during my two terms in Congress, trying to be able to get the federal government to be proactive when it comes to it,” Tipton told The Durango Herald. “We are waiting for that legislation to be able to move ultimately to the floor. We are going to continue to advocate to it.”

Tipton said the threat of wildfires to the Colorado’s ecosystems, businesses and communities cannot be overstated with a lack of snow in the Rocky Mountains.

“We had a couple of blessings last year,” Tipton said. “No major fires broke out that dramatically impacted the state, but we are still feeling the devastation of the bark beetle, and that threat still exists.”

The Healthy Forest Management Act was last referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands for consideration in mid-March. It currently has 15 co-sponsors, including 14 Republicans and one Democrat.

Michael Cipriano is a student at American University in Washington, D.C., and an intern for The Durango Herald.



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