Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Mont., called out politicians who “complain” about smoke from Canadian wildfires on Capitol Hill but “will not allow” forest management in the western states of the United States.
“I have no empathy for DC politicians who complain about the smoke,” Zinke wrote in a post on Twitter Thursday. “If you don’t allow us to manage forests responsibly, you should have to face the consequences like we do in the West.”
In a video posted in front of the Washington Monument that was masked by smoke, the Montana representative said the unhealthy haze is “a reminder that our forests need to be managed.”
“If you’re a climate change activist or a climate change naysayer, that doesn’t absolve you of the responsibility to manage our forests,” Zinke said. “And if you don’t manage our forests, that’s what happens. So welcome to Montana, Washington DC”
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After smoke from wildfires drifted from Canada to eastern US states on Wednesday, Democratic representatives immediately blamed the conditions on the “climate crisis.”
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“Between New York in wildfire smoke and this in PR, it’s worth repeating how unprepared we are for the climate crisis,” progressive Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tweeted. “We need to adapt our food systems, energy networks, infrastructure, healthcare, etc. as soon as possible to prepare for what is coming and catch up with what is already here.”
Traffic moves along West Street, past One World Trade Center in a smoky haze. (Andy Bao)
Advocates of the environmental movement, which opposes many methods of forest intervention, say that “climate change” and global warming are “making these disasters worse.”
“These Canadian wildfires are truly unprecedented, and climate change continues to make these disasters worse,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, DN.Y. “We passed the Inflation Reduction Act to fight climate change, and we must do more to accelerate our transition to cleaner energy and reduce carbon in the atmosphere.”
Many Republicans believe that to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, forests should be managed through logging, forest clearing to reduce fuels, and controlled burns.
Fog blankets monuments on the National Mall in Washington, Wednesday, June 7, 2023.
The House Republican Subcommittee on Federal Lands held a hearing in April to examine the US Forest Service’s (USFS) budget request for fiscal year 2024.
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“Over the past several years, Democrats have poured billions of dollars into the US Forest Service with little or no progress to show for it. House Republicans are committed to accountability and transparency for the Forest Service as we manage actively manage our forests, increase timber production, and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires,” subcommittee Chairman Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., said in a statement on the budget.
Fox News’ Brianna Herlihy contributed to this report.
Aubrie Spady is a freelance production assistant at Fox News Digital.
