Statement by Senator Dianne Feinstein
- On President Bush's New Forest Fire Plan -
print version
August 22, 2002

"The President's proposal indicates his concern and it adds credibility to the seriousness of the forest fire problem that we face.

I am particularly worried, and have been for some time, about those forest areas designated as Category 3, which are at the highest risk of catastrophic fire. The National Forest Service has identified 24 million acres in the continental United States at this level, including 7.8 million acres in California - about one third of the national total, and more than any other state.

It is very clear that we need to move expeditiously to manage these forests, in particular, to reduce undergrowth and non-indigenous plant species and to create defensible fire zones where appropriate.

Thinning is probably the greatest source of apprehension among environmentalists, but I strongly believe that we can find an accommodation to do this and I hope to meet with both the National Forest Service and leaders of major environmental organizations to discuss this further.

If there ever was an issue on which we should all be on the same page, this is it, because the increased catastrophic fire risk should be of serious concern to all Americans, particularly in the Western United States."