Confronting America's Wildfire Crisis By Fixing Our Forests

Today, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands held an oversight hearing focused on the condition of our nation's federal forests as we approach peak wildfire season in the U.S. The hearing examined the condition of America's federal forests, preparations for the 2026 wildfire season, the ongoing efforts to improve forest health and reduce wildfire threats through active management and received testimony from U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Chief Tom Schultz. Subcommittee Chairman Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) issued the following statement in response:

"As we celebrate National Forest Week and 250 years of America, it's important that we take the time to identify which forest restoration and protection efforts have worked and where we can improve. Healthy forests require active management; without it, we leave our lands at risk of insect infestations, disease and fires. I want to thank Chief Tom Schultz for joining us today to discuss how this Subcommittee can work with the U.S. Forest Service to strengthen our forest resilience."

Background

The USFS manages approximately 193 million acres of federal land, yet nearly half of those acres are considered at high risk of wildfire. Roughly 80 million acres of National Forest System lands currently face elevated wildfire hazards, insect infestations, disease and other restoration needs, the result of decades of inadequate management.

These challenges are being compounded by historic drought and record-low snowpack across the West. More than 2.4 million acres have already burned in 2026, nearly double the 10-year average for this point in the year, and federal fire officials are not forecasting below-average wildfire potential in any region of the country as peak fire season approaches.

Under the leadership of President Donald Trump, Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, Under Secretary Michael Boren and Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz, USFS has returned to its core mission of managing forests, strengthening wildfire response and supporting rural communities through multiple use. The bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act, led by Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-Ark.) and U.S. Rep. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), would provide vital tools to accelerate forest management projects, improve wildfire preparedness and strengthen coordination between federal, state, Tribal and local partners before what many are predicting could be one of the most severe wildfire years on record. On January 23, 2025, the Fix Our Forests Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a bipartisan vote of 279-141. It is still awaiting action in the U.S. Senate.