Letters: Federal law would help fire safety in California

"Every time I visit my family near Yosemite, it's sad to see acres of dead trees from recent fires. In the U.S., the annual area burned by wildfires has more than doubled over the past 20 years. In addition to the lost carbon storage, wildfires cost lives, create harmful smoke pollution, and make it more expensive to insure and rebuild our communities."

"We need to take action to reduce these threats, so forests can keep doing their important work. The bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act (HR 471) can help. The bill includes provisions to increase resiliency to catastrophic wildfires, restore forest health and build fire-safety defenses for communities in high-risk areas. It passed the House and could soon be marked up in the Senate Agriculture Committee."

"Not any more. What does the law mean if there is no one willing to enforce it? Does it have any meaning at all? Every day we see Donald Trump and his underlings violate federal laws the Emoluments Clause, the Hatch Act and numerous others, but the public agencies charged with enforcing federal law, primarily DOJ and FBI, are all headed by servile minions of Trump who will take no action against his wishes. Trump does not wish to be bound by the law."

Acres of dead trees near Yosemite illustrate increased wildfire damage. The annual area burned by wildfires in the U.S. has more than doubled over the past 20 years. Wildfires reduce carbon storage, cause fatalities, generate harmful smoke pollution, and raise insurance and rebuilding costs. The Fix Our Forests Act (HR 471) proposes increasing resiliency, restoring forest health, and building fire-safety defenses for high-risk communities. The bill passed the House and awaits Senate Agriculture Committee consideration. Federal law enforcement is perceived to be failing when agencies refuse to enforce laws, enabling violations of the Emoluments Clause, the Hatch Act, and other statutes.

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