123th Morrison Congress

2nd Session

H.R. 123-026
Title of the Bill:

Appropriation Act for Federal Funding of Trimming Dead Growth

Beneath the Trees on Federal Lands

Main Author(s):

Rep. Meeghan Sheppard (R-ID)

Co-Sponsor(s):

Rep. Roger Chesebro (R - TX)

BE IT ENACTED BY THE MORRISON CONGRESS

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SECTION 1: Findings
Congress makes the following findings:
1) It is fundamental knowledged that every fire needs three things to
burn; oxygen, fuel, and heat.
2) In order to prevent the spread of forest fires, it is important to get rid
of one of the three elements needed for a fire to burn, the easiest of those
being fuel (i)
3) Dry vegetation can be removed, because it acts as fuel for fires, and
when eliminated can prevent the spread of wildfires. (i)
4) Oftentimes the cost of containment for wildfires per year ranges to
over 1 billion dollars. (ii)
SECTION 2: Purpose
This bill provides that money be set aside as appropriation to fund the trimming of
dead growth beneath the trees on federal lands to prevent the spread of forest
fires and eliminate unnecessary containment costs.
SECTION 3: General Provisions
Trimming the dead growth beneath the trees would be the only way to take
preventative measures towards wildfires spreading and damaging federal land. It
is not possible to control weather, which would provide for the heat element of a
fire (ii). The oxygen element is impossible to combat, as it is essential to human
survival and there is no way to get rid of all of the oxygen in the air. Therefore,
the logical solution to the problem is to eliminate the fuel part of the equation.
By setting up a fund for the trimming of dead growth beneath the trees , not only
would it mean making preventative measures towards the spread of forest fires,
but it would also create more jobs for the citizens of America.
It will be the added duty of the fire department to allocate jobs for trimming of all
dead growth beneath the trees on federal lands. One million dollars will be given
to the states, distributed based on land proportion, for each state fire department
to deal with this problem.
SECTION 4: Definitions
Wildfire: a fire occurring in land where vegetation is easily combustible

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Works Cited:
(i) https://www.theguardian.com/world/shortcuts/2016/may/09/wildfire-alberta-canada
(ii) http://wildland-fires.findthedata.com/