Oregonians are suffering from an alarming cycle of destruction, evacuations, toxic smoke and devastated landscapes.We shouldn’t accept this as the new normal.

While we can’t prevent heat waves or windstorms, we have the ability to actively manage our forests — before, during and after the fires — to reduce the risks and break the cycle. But this is not happening on a scale that’s necessary.

The pressing need for action is amplified by climate change and the unhealthy conditions on many of Oregon’s federal forests, which are not being managed due to suffocating bureaucracy and anti-forestry litigation. Unmanaged forests harbor more dead trees and accumulated fuel that exacerbates the severity of wildfires and increases carbon emissions.

A recent U.S. Department of Agriculture report suggests that due to the increasing destruction from natural disasters and the aging of forests, they could become a substantial carbon source by 2070.

It’s no coincidence this year’s wildfires are burning through the hundreds of thousands of dead trees we’ve chosen to leave on these landscapes after past fires. For example, following Oregon’s 2020 Labor Day fires, the federal government removed dead and dying trees from less than 2% of the fires’ footprint.

2023’s wildfires are raging within previous burn scars, intensifying the damage. The state’s two largest fires, the Flat and Bedrock fires, originated on, and primarily burn through, U.S. Forest Service lands. The Flat Fire, for instance, mirrors the footprint of previous notable fires like the Biscuit, Chetco Bar and Klondike fires, emphasizing the need for decisive action to prevent repeated disasters.

Despite record government spending on hazardous fuels reduction and other management efforts, federal agencies continue to fall behind in implementing preventive forest health treatments. A congressional research report found that in 2022, the Forest Service treated less than 1% of National Forest System lands that are at high risk of severe wildfire.

Another report found that it takes the Forest Service an average of 3.6 years to begin a mechanical treatment and 4.7 years to begin a prescribed burn. It is difficult for public lands managers to catch up with escalating fire risks when they are spending more time completing paperwork than managing forests.

This disconnect between funding, bureaucracy and action highlights the urgency for comprehensive strategies that encompass both immediate firefighting efforts and long-term forest restoration efforts. Currently, significant efforts to restore forest health in Oregon are stalled in litigation.

To achieve tangible progress, Congress must refrain from enacting restrictive land management designations and instead empower public lands managers to act swiftly and effectively, unencumbered by anti-forestry litigation and red tape. Congress must also provide oversight to ensure that the billions of dollars in new spending to reduce fire risks deliver real results for our communities.

Oregon wildfire season must not become an accepted norm. The impact of climate change is undeniable, but we possess the tools to mitigate the devastation.

By managing fuel loads and reducing tree mortality, and empowering public land managers to do their jobs, we can overcome the current crisis and secure a more resilient future. Our forests and communities deserve nothing less than our unwavering commitment to effective, coordinated action.