… On Thursday, U.S. Sens. Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, as well as U.S. Reps. Joe Neguse and Brittany Pettersen sent a letter to U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Shultz, urging him to “immediately” release the funds for the Colorado State Forest Service. “The Colorado State Forest Service, as well as state departments of forestry across the country, rely on this annual funding to establish community wildfire protection programs, complete forest management projects to reduce the risk of wildfires and protect drinking water, and improve collaboration across all layers of forestland ownership,” the letter states. … “Withholding this money without justification puts communities in Colorado and across the West at severe risk of wildfire, flooding, landslides, and other natural and geologic disasters,” the congressional delegation wrote.

Other forest management news:

• Las Vegas Optic (Nev.): The Forest Service claims it’s fully staffed for a worsening fire season. Data shows otherwise
• Environment America: Blog: Defend our wild forests