Tribal Forestry Director Testifies Before Senate
Tim Vredenburg, Director of Forest Management for the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians (CCBUTI), was one of several witnesses who offered
testimony before the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture in March.
The committee hearing, held on March 6, discussed Bill H.R. 471, named the Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA), which “establishes requirements for managing forests
on federal land, including requirements concerning reducing wildfire threats, expediting the review of certain forest management projects, and implementing
forest management projects and other activities.”
The bill focuses around three areas:
- Designating certain areas at high risk for wildfire as “fireshed management areas”
- Directives for the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Geological Survey to establish an inter-agency Fireshed Center to assess and predict fire
- Making other requirements for reducing wildfire
Senator Marshall (Kansas), said “FOFA is a rare bipartisan opportunity for Congress to provide the U.S. Forest Service, the Department of Interior, States, Tribes, counties, and private partners with a modernized toolbox to fight fire.”
During the hearing, five expert witnesses provided testimony, including those from Megafire Action, the National Association of Forest Service Retirees, the Board of County Commissioners of Gunnison County, Colorado, and the American Property Casualty Insurance Association, as well as CCBUTI’s own Director of Forest Management.
In his testimony, Vredenburg voiced the Tribe’s support for FOFA, citing the history and impact of wildfires in the Tribe’s ancestral homeland and the administrative struggles of fighting those fires across “a checkerboard of private, state, and federal lands” and the huge impact on approximately 1.1 million acres of the Tribe’s interest area.
“These fires have decimated Tribal lands and resources, driven Tribal members from their homes, and significantly impacted the health and welfare of the membership due to harmful wildfire smoke,” said Vredenburg. “The Fix Our Forest Act goes a long way in providing several opportunities and tools that are needed if we are to be successful in curbing this devastating and life-threatening trend.”
Vredenburg also shared the Tribe’s experience in establishing co-stewardship agreements and the Wildfire Risk Reduction Partnership to better combat wildfires across jurisdictional boundaries in Oregon.
“One of the biggest challenges we face is the lengthy bureaucratic review process, which has limited our ability to be flexible and nimble in addressing the growing wildfire crisis,” Vredenburg said. “To overcome this, we need adaptable tools such as large-scale categorical exclusions and streamlined environmental procedures. We urge the Senate to pass this important legislation that helps ensure Tribal lands receive attention and the necessary resources for wildfire prevention and mitigation.”
In addition to testimonies about the bill, many representatives spoke of the lack of resources and manpower caused by recent DOI layoffs mandated by the Trump Administration, and urged the Senate to act to reverse those layoffs.
To view the recording of the Senate hearing, visit: https://www.agriculture.senate.gov/hearings
