In response to the Wildfire Mitigation and Management Commission’s final report submitted to Congress today, American Forests resilient forests lead Brian Kittler released the following statement:

For decades, fire was considered to be a Western issue only – no longer. From Hawai’i to Louisiana to New York City, we’re all experiencing fire and its devastating health impacts across the nation and across unexpected landscapes. As a country, we need to choose what kind of fire and what kind of smoke we’re going to live with in the wake of climate change, and the Wildfire Mitigation and Management Commission’s final report outlines our options.

The 148 comprehensive recommendations offered by the Commission reflect that both wildfire and mitigation and management methods are complex, multijurisdictional and cross-cutting. We must employ a holistic approach to address the urgent, severe and far-reaching impacts of fire while recognizing that fire is both central to the crisis and an essential part of its solution.

The nonpartisan Commission was established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 and centered all consensus-based recommendations on equity and climate change, focusing on both immediate impact and long-term solutions through congressional action. It’s been an honor to be selected to serve on this Commission and to elevate American Forests’ science-led approach to post-fire restoration. As we’ve said time and time again, how we recover from the last wildfire directly impacts the next one – and with temperatures only continuing to climb and severe weather, pests, disease and invasive species becoming more prevalent with climate change, fire is inevitable and increasingly severe.

Of the recommendations presented today, several dozen are immediately actionable by Congress. American Forests urges lawmakers to prioritize these transformative policies and to consider the Commission’s recommendations to create longer-term solutions to deliver healthier landscapes and safer communities.