Farm Bureau joins legal efforts to protect key firefighting tool

The California Farm Bureau today joined various California counties and forestry and wood products organizations in filing a legal brief seeking to intervene in defense of the U.S. Forest Service’s use of a critical retardant used in wildfire suppression.

The Farm Bureau’s decision to intervene in the case is in response to litigation challenging the Forest Service’s aerial application of fire retardant as part of its firefighting strategy.

“Our farmers and ranchers face severe threats from wildfires that can occur in national forests and spread to agricultural lands,” said California Farm Bureau President Jamie Johansson. “Additionally, fires threaten the lives of livestock, disrupt grazing operations and put our rural agricultural communities in peril. We support the Forest Service’s continued use of this important firefighting tool.”

Besides Farm Bureau, the groups joining in the motion to intervene in defense of the Forest Service include: The Town of Paradise; Butte County; Plumas County; Rural County Representatives of California; American Forest Resource Council; National Alliance of Forest Owners; Federal Forest Resource Coalition; California Forestry Association; Montana Wood Products Association; Oregon Forest Industry Council; Washington Forest Protection Association; California Women for Agriculture; and National Wildfire Suppression Association.

The legal brief may be found here, 2023.03.09--Brief-ISO-Motion-to-Intervene.pdf (cfbf.com) .

The California Farm Bureau works to protect family farms and ranches on behalf of nearly 29,000 members statewide and as part of a nationwide network of 5.3 million Farm Bureau members.