During a visit to Bend, the Oregon Senator discussed impact of natural disasters on tourism and the timber industry.
BY JACOB PALMER | DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
During a visit to Bend, Oregon Senator Ron Wyden discussed impact of natural disasters on tourism and the timber industry.
Wyden called the current wildfire situation a “terrible trifecta of forestry,” a combination of hot temperatures, drought and a “huge fuel load on the forest floor.”
The U.S. Forest Service and other federal agencies have trouble paying for fighting wildfires, Wyden said, and in response they borrow from funds meant to prevent fires. He said the practice makes the problem worse.
(SOURCE: Bend Bulletin)
Wyden hopes his fire prevention bill will pass in September when Congress returns to session.
