Republican Lawmakers Urge Canada on Wildfire Management

A group of Republican lawmakers from Minnesota and Wisconsin, including Representatives Tom Emmer, Pete Stauber, Brad Finstad, Michelle Fischbach, Glenn Grothman, and Tom Tiffany, sent a letter to the Canadian Embassy in Washington urging Canada to strengthen wildfire management and reduce smoke drifting into the U.S. The lawmakers expressed concerns about poor air quality affecting outdoor activities for their constituents and attributed persistent wildfire issues to insufficient forest management and, in some cases, arson. They requested information on Canada's plans to address these concerns and urged the involvement of agencies such as Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Forest Service. In response, the Canadian Embassy acknowledged the letter and reiterated that wildfire prevention and response are national priorities. Canadian forecasts indicate elevated wildfire risks through the summer, with millions of hectares already burned this year.