Fires that have charred 5 million acres on the west coast and killed at least 27 people have highlighted the long, frustrating, stalled effort to avoid catastrophe in Rim County and the White Mountains.
“The death of our citizens is simply not an option,” said Rep. Tom O’Halleran, whose congressional district includes much of North Eastern Arizona — including Flagstaff, Rim Country and the White Mountains.
He said the decade-long delay in pushing forward the 4-Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) demonstrates the shattered and ineffective system for managing federal lands in the west.
“It’s been ridiculous. I don’t understand why we don’t look at this in a broader perspective,” said O’Halleran, who sits on the House agriculture committee and this week drafted a bipartisan demand for action to fund forest restoration projects — the best chance at reducing mega-fires like the ones consuming whole towns in California, Washington and Oregon.