Big Idea

• Arizona is known for its treacherous wildfire season
• Representative David Cook will hold an Ad Hoc committee on First & Wildfire Management
• This first meeting will examine historical and current practices
• The purpose is designed to research and make recommendations for potential changes to state and federal laws and regulations related to the management of wildfires in the state of Arizona.  
• Read more…

Forest and wildfire management practices to be considered

STATE CAPITOL, PHOENIX – State Representative David Cook, chairman of the House Ad Hoc Committee on Forest and Wildfire Management, announced today that the committee will hold its first in a series of hearings this Wednesday, September 29, 2021. The focus of the first hearing is to educate members of the committee and the public on historical and current fire and forest management practices utilized in the state.

The hearing begins at 1:00 p.m. in HHR 1. It is open to the public and news media, and it may also be viewed online through the House website: https://www.azleg.gov/liveproceedings/.

Agency presentations will include:

• David Tenney, Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM) Director—History of DFFM forest management practices and current practices;

• Jim Zornes, former Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest Supervisor—History of federal forest management practices and current practices;

• John Truett, DFFM Fire Management Officer—History of DFFM Fire Management practices and current fire management practices;

• (Invited) Jacob Nuttall, U.S. Forest Service, Region 3 (Arizona and New Mexico)—History of federal fire management practices and current practices;

• Bill Boyd, DFFM Deputy Director—State funding structures for fire management; and

• Arizona Department of Transportation—Roadway damage caused by Woodbury Fire and federal and state funding for roadway repairs.  

The full meeting agenda is available here.

The ad hoc committee, announced last week, is designed to research and make recommendations for potential changes to state and federal laws and regulations related to the management of wildfires in the state of Arizona.  Consideration will be given to protocols and accountability for reducing devastation from fire management and post fire hazards, including appropriate services available to rehabilitate from both the state and federal levels of government.

David Cook is a Republican member of the Arizona House of Representatives serving Legislative District 8, which includes areas of Pinal and Gila Counties.