Thanks to Ernst and Grassley for backing Fix Our Forests Act

Like many Iowans, I instinctively turn to nature and gardening to find peace and calm. For me, that means time on my small blueberry farm outside Oxford — a quiet refuge of green rows, buzzing pollinators, and the joy of sharing fresh berries with the people of eastern Iowa. But this past summer, that peace was spoiled by waves of wildfire smoke drifting in from out of state. I couldn’t help but worry what the fine particles might be doing to the plants, not to mention our lungs.

We’ve all seen how the summer skies across the U.S. are increasingly clouded with wildfire smoke. As megafires grow, so does the reach of their pollution — affecting communities far from the flames. In the U.S., the annual area burned by wildfires has more than doubled over the past 30 years. That means lost habitat for wildlife, damaged property, and real threats to human health and rural economies.

Healthy forests are a vital part of the climate puzzle. America’s forests currently pull about 12 percent of our annual climate pollution out of the atmosphere — a natural service we can’t afford to lose. Yet those same forests are under mounting pressure from drought, disease, and decades of fire suppression that have left them overly dense and dry.

That’s why I’m grateful to Sens. Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley for voting in support of the Fix Our Forests Act when it passed the Senate Agriculture Committee earlier this month. This bipartisan legislation directly addresses the root causes of America’s escalating wildfires by allowing for more timely forest-management projects. It gives forest managers the tools to thin dense undergrowth, remove dead trees, improve fire-detection systems, and strengthen our wildland-firefighting workforce — while ensuring environmental safeguards, tribal consultation, and community input.

A version of the bill has already passed the U.S. House with overwhelming bipartisan support. It’s encouraging to see Congress come together around something as essential as protecting our forests and the communities — including those here in Iowa — affected by their health.

What burns in the West doesn’t stay in the West. Each summer, Iowans have watched wildfire smoke drift hundreds of miles, triggering air-quality alerts and affecting farms, schools, and outdoor workers alike. Wildfire resilience isn’t a partisan issue — it’s a national one.

By supporting the Fix Our Forests Act, Senators Ernst and Grassley are helping protect lives, livelihoods, and landscapes for generations to come. I hope more members of Congress will follow their lead.

Eric Johnson lives in Oxford and is a volunteer with the Iowa City chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a nonpartisan, grassroots organization empowering everyday people to work together on climate policy. Find out more at cclusa.org.