East County News Service
Photo, right: Cleveland National Forest in San Diego County
February 11, 2025 (San Diego) – Congressman Darrell Issa, a San Diego Republican, has introduced the “Green Tape Elimination Act” that seeks to prevent wildfires by exempting all fuel reduction activities on federal lands from these environmental regulations for 10 years.
- The National Environmental Policy Act
- The Endangered Species Act
- The National Historic Preservation Act
- The Clean Air Act
- The Migratory Bird Treaty Act
- The Migratory Bird Conservation Act
"For years, environmental rules have become regulatory ‘green tape’ — locking in dangerous conditions and contradicting common sense reforms," said Rep. Issa. “That’s why this is no time for tinkering around the edges. We can’t wait for the next deadly disaster."
The environmental regulations that would be waived are intended to protect wildlife habitat, natural resources, clean air, historic sites, and recreational uses on public lands such as national parks, national forests, and federal wildlife refuges.
Issa's bill would provide a decade for firefighters to clear brush, cut shrubs, prescribe control burns, and utilize other strategies to stop the fires we know will occur in the future.
San Diego County is home to multiple federal lands including Cleveland National Forest, Bureau of Land Management properties, and federal wlidlife refuges. California has many forested federal lands, including Yosemite National Park.