Bruce Cooper: McCormick must support the Fix Our Forests Act

In recent years, summer in the U.S. has been blighted by wildfires. And as megafires grow, so does air pollution. Just this summer, we experienced air quality alerts in Western Pennsylvania because of the wildfires in Canada.

Seeing our beautiful forests ravaged by wildfires is devastating and then there’s the danger to our lives and health. Wildfires can be unpredictable, quickly threatening communities and making our air dangerous to breathe.

Concerningly, in the U.S., the annual area burned by wildfires has more than doubled over the past 30 years. That means lost habitat for animals, and threats to human lives and health. Wildfires create harmful smoke pollution, and make it more expensive to insure and rebuild our communities.

Healthy forests are also a key part of the climate puzzle, with American forests currently pulling 12% of our annual climate pollution out of the atmosphere, with the potential to do even more.

It’s clear we need to take action to reduce these threats and nurture our forests so they can keep doing their important work.

That’s why it is critical that Sen. Dave McCormick vote to support the Fix Our Forests Act now that the legislation has come out of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry with strong bipartisan approval.

This legislation directly addresses the root causes of America’s escalating wildfires, allowing for more timely forest management projects. It empowers forest managers to act quickly on commonsense solutions like thinning dense undergrowth, removing dead trees, using modern fire detection systems and strengthening our wildland firefighting workforce. At the same time, it preserves strong environmental protections, ensures tribal consultation, and builds in early community input — balancing urgency with accountability.

A version of the bill already passed the House earlier this year with overwhelming support: 279 representatives — including Republicans and Democrats from across the country — voted yes. That’s a rare show of unity in today’s Congress, and it reflects the shared understanding that wildfire resilience is not a partisan issue.

We’re increasingly seeing how wildfire smoke does not respect state boundaries. For the third summer in a row, smoke has drifted across the country, triggering dangerous air pollution alerts in states far from the flames. What burns in Canada travels elsewhere, and vice versa. This is not just a Pennsylvania crisis — it’s a national (and international) one.

Senators on the Agriculture Committee, including Sen. John Fetterman, have moved this legislation forward. By passing the Fix Our Forests Act, the full Senate can protect lives, livelihoods and lands by reducing wildfire risk, strengthening local economies and ensuring science-based forest restoration.

We cannot afford delay. Every season brings more fire-prone days, more destruction and more families at risk.

As fall approaches, I hope Fetterman and McCormick will have the time to take a peaceful stroll at one of Pennsylvania’s beautiful forests. Walking under the stunning autumn canopy and hearing the gentle crunch of leaves underfoot will no doubt be a welcome reprieve from the fast-paced world of Congress for an hour or two.

I also hope it will inspire them to support the Fix Our Forests Act and preserve these sacred places Pennsylvania residents love.

Bruce Cooper lives in Cranberry Township and is group leader of the Slippery Rock chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a nonpartisan, grassroots advocacy organization that empowers everyday people to work together on climate policy.