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Wyoming State Forester Testifies in Support of Senator Barrasso’s Wildfire Prevention Act
During a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing Tuesday on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining, Wyoming State Forester Kelly Norris testified on pending public lands legislation, including Senator John Barrasso’s Wildfire Prevention Act. When introducing Norris, Senator Barrasso said Norris has been with the Wyoming State Forestry Division for 15 years and she has experience working as a forester for both the State of Wyoming and the U.S. Forest Service.
In her testimony, Norris talked about the unique challenges Wyoming and other states with federal lands face when preventing and fighting wildfires.
Senator Barrasso’s bill, the Wildfire Prevention Act, would set clear expectations for federal forest management and provide additional tools to federal agencies. Barrasso said the bill will help these agencies treat more acres, sell more timber, and remove the red tape that has hindered forest management projects for far too long.
Brad Walden
December 3, 2025 at 9:04 am
Whoa.Whoa.Whoa. SSR Construction,Wyo Demolition. Willy Benedict,The Kanes,The Smeisers,Randy Barney,The Eatons,Dean Cole, Mike Fordyce Sr., Dave and Steve Nelson, C&K Equipment, Bryce Fisher and many more cut the entire fire line along the Bighorns from Hwy 14 to the T-T. MOST didn’t get paid for it either. Your hotshot crews left Eatons at 19:00 that evening. No one came to replace them. We held the line, Brett Sayer went into the fire without hesitation. It was Ranchers and friends doing the heavy lifting. The Biden Admin Forest Service was a joke. They had a burn back better policy, look it up.It was gonna cost 1.1 Billion to clean the water shed. Or, you could have a 50 million dollar fire. THAT’S WHAT HAPPENED WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING. WE WERE THERE!
Scott Thomas
December 3, 2025 at 11:53 am
If Barrasso, Lummis, or Hageman support punching roads into wilderness areas, they will be voted out of office. The reps in MT, ID, OR, and CO should also take note. I didn’t mention UT, since they incomprehensively reelect Mike Lee who is the Prime Architect to selling off our public lands, so that our children and grandchildren will not enjoy that incredible benefits we have. How ironic is it, that our forefathers-during the Industrial Revolution no less-saw the real and intrinsic value in preserving open, undeveloped land for all future generations to enjoy. Here we are less just 100 years later, trying to figure out how to turn it into short-term wealth for corporations and a few greedy, selfish individuals. I’m all for forest management and proper timber management. But wild places need to remain wild. And we need to make the hill we defend to the end.