Issue Position: Fires

Issue Position

During the past 30 years, fires have increased in frequency and intensity in Montana and all across the West. The historic 2017 fire season in Montana burned over 1,252,467 acres, surpassing all previous years. Residents of Missoula were surrounded by fires and air quality was hazardous. As the effects of climate change deepen, fire seasons like 2017 will likely continue. Summers are getting hotter and lasting longer. Understanding how much of the burning was due to natural variability, lack of forest management or caused by humans is under scrutiny.

No matter what the cause, the reality is that fires in Montana are devastating, including loss of human life and property and long-term effects on air quality. Our tourism and agricultural economies are negatively impacted, access to public lands limited, and our state budget strained to the max trying to handle the huge financial burden.

I support:

-Adaptive management planning that empowers collaborative efforts creating solutions appropriate for the ecosystem and community.
-Residential building designs that follow national Fire Wise wildfire resiliency standards.
-Wildfire protection plans created with local community involvement that are adaptable to the area to create defensible space in the wildland/urban inner face and incorporate safe and effective fire response.
-Programs to educate and secure resources to deal with impacts of air quality health risks.
-Granting land managers access to federal disaster funding.

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