House panel holds hearing on CRR wildfire protection bill

The U.S. House Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a hearing Thursday on four bills, one from Oregon Republican Greg Walden aimed at scaling back a wilderness study area’s boundary for wildfire fuels treatment on land bordering Crooked River Ranch.

H.R. 5132, the “Crooked River Ranch Fire Protection Act,” adjusts the eastern boundary of the Whychus-Deschutes Wilderness Study Area. The WSA is managed by the Bureau of Land Management and directly adjacent to dozens of homes in a high-risk fire area, Walden said.

The land released will remain federally managed, but releasing it from WSA status will provide a protective buffer next to the homes, allow the community to work with BLM to clear out the hazardous fuels that vastly increase fire risk, and ensure that that local firefighters can readily access the area in the case of a fire.

Without doing so, juniper stands and other hazardous fuels will continue to build up in the WSA, putting lives and hundreds of homes at risk, the bill’s supporters say.

“As we enter another fire season, people’s lives, safety, and property are at risk. This has to change,” Walden said. “My plan allows more management on federal land to reduce the risk of catastrophic fire. It’s just common sense.”

Despite having some authority to do so, Walden said the BLM is not performing mechanical fire prevention activities within the overstocked juniper stands in the area, which exacerbates the current fire risk to the homes.

An environmental analysis is required before any mechanical fire prevention activities can take place.

However, BLM witness Abbie Jossie, Acting Assistant Director of National Landscape Conservation System & Community Partnerships, could not confirm that such an analysis — which could take several months, if not years — has been initiated, a news release from the House committee stated.

“Here’s a song we’ve heard before: despite the high fire risk, BLM is not performing adequate fire prevention activities, particularly mechanical treatments, in the area because it is managed as a WSA,” Subcommittee Chairman Tom McClintock (R-CA) stated.

“In addition, the location of the WSA hampers firefighting tactics, leaving local firefighters with no maneuvering room to protect life and property in the event of catastrophic wildfire.”

Richard Hoffmann, fire chief of the Crooked River Ranch Rural Fire Protection District, testified at the hearing, voicing safety concerns the current boundaries present for firefighters and the local community.

“The lack of fuel mitigation has created a dangerous environment for tactical firefighting and remains one of our highest threats to Crooked River Ranch,” Hoffman testified. “Until proper mitigation is performed, it is unlikely we would place firefighters in such a volatile atmosphere.”

Hoffmann also stressed that BLM must give approval upwards of 24 hours before the local fire department can enter the WSAm in the case of an emergency. Further, no mechanical means of firefighting could be performed within the WSA.

Panel Vice Chairman Doug LaMalfa (R-CA) questioned Jossie about this bureaucratic process.

“What if there’s no one there to answer the phone?What if they don’t have the right phone number? Are they just going to watch the fire burn?” LaMalfa asked. “If your house was on fire, would you want to have to make a phone call to somebody to get clearance?”

Jossie replied, “I can understand your concerns. We agree with the sponsor’s objective to reduce hazardous fuels and prevent wildfires in that area,”

Walden said his bill will facilitate fire prevention, response activities, and potentially save a 5,500-resident community from a future fire.

Clickhereto view the full witness testimony.