January 23, 2026, marked one year since the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Fix Our Forests Act. To mark the occasion, Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR), chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, released the statement below.

“A year — and another devastating wildfire season — has come and gone since the House came together and passed the Fix Our Forests Act with an overwhelming bipartisan majority. Catastrophic wildfires aren’t like hurricanes or tornadoes; we can and should take proactive steps to prevent devastating wildfires from becoming our new normal. We can’t afford to wait any longer, and it’s time for the Senate to pass this important legislation and send it to the President’s desk before the next preventable disaster strikes.”

Fires burned almost five million acres in 2025. That came on the heels of a 2024 wildfire season that charred more than 8.9 million acres of forestland and destroyed 4,500 structures. The taxpayer bill to fight the fires is in the billions of dollars.

The Fix Our Forests Act is a set of reforms to improve the quality of wildlife habitat in national forests that would also reduce the risk of high-intensity fires and improve overall forest health.

The House passed the measure on a strong bipartisan 279-141 vote. The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry passed the legislation on an 18-5 vote in October 2025, although it is yet to be taken up by the full Senate.

Hunt 2 Conserve strongly supports the Fix Our Forests Act and urges the Senate to approve it as soon as possible.

About Hunt 2 Conserve

Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.

(Photo credit: Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation)