"A House hearing exposed sharp divisions over whether loosening environmental laws and expanding logging will protect communities from catastrophic fires. Scientists urged a shift toward investing in fire-resilient homes and landscapes."
"Lawmakers from both parties agreed at a congressional hearing Tuesday that the federal government must act to address the growing threat of catastrophic wildfires, but they were sharply divided over how, and whether pending legislation known as the Fix Our Forests Act offers the right path forward.
The House of Representatives passed the FOFA legislation on a bipartisan 279–141 vote in January 2025, and its companion bill is pending in the Senate. Despite some support from Democrats, the act has created sharp divisions among lawmakers and drawn fierce backlash from conservation groups.
Republican supporters of the bill championed its focus on fast-tracking the thinning and clearing of forests on large tracks of land by making exceptions to requirements in bedrock environmental laws. They argue that those steps are a fix for intensifying fires.
“Environmental laws adopted in the 1970s made land management impossible,” said Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.). He cited the Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act, which require the federal government to assess the environmental impact of proposed projects, among the laws he sees as problematic."
Katie Surma reports for Inside Climate News February 3, 2026.
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