Senator Barrasso introduced Kelly before the Senate ENR Public Lands Subcommittee

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources (ENR) Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining, welcomed Ms. Kelly Norris, Wyoming State Forester, to the committee.

Ms. Norris testified at a subcommittee hearing on pending public lands legislation, including Senator Barrasso’s Wildfire Prevention Act. Ms. Norris previously testified before the committee in 2023 and 2024.

Chairman Barrasso introduced Ms. Norris to the committee prior to her testimony.

“Kelly has worked for the Wyoming State Forestry Division for 15 years. She has experience working as a forester for both the State of Wyoming and the U.S. Forest Service,” said Senator Barrasso. “She has years’ worth of critical, on-the-ground knowledge, and is a valuable resource to the committee. Kelly –

I am grateful that you have taken on the responsibility of protecting Wyoming’s forests. Thank you for joining us here today.”

During the hearing, Barrasso highlighted how his Wildfire Prevention Act will help improve forest management practices and address our nation’s wildfire crisis. “There is broad agreement that the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management have failed to manage our forests in a serious and credible way over the years. While I am grateful to President Trump and his agenda for improving many of these practices, there is still plenty of work to be done,” said Senator Barrasso. “Roughly 63 million of the 193 million acres of the National Forest System are at severe risk of catastrophic wildfires. My bill will set clear expectations for federal forest management. It will provide additional tools to federal agencies. It will help these agencies treat more acres, sell more timber, and remove the red tape that has hindered forest management projects for far too long. The bill will also support our wildland fire fighters so we can put more boots on the ground during fire season.

Click here to watch Ms. Norris’ remarks.

In her testimony, Ms. Norris talked about the unique challenges Wyoming and other federal lands states face when preventing and fighting wildfires. Norris also outlined her support for Senator Barrasso’s Wildfire Prevention Act and how it will give local, state and federal land managers the tools they need to better manage our forests and prevent catastrophic wildfires in the West.  

“Wyoming is vast, containing 62 million acres of land, nearly half of which is federally owned and managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and Forest Service. The Wyoming State Forestry Division, as well as its fellow state forestry agencies across the nation, play a unique role as the coordinator between federal land management agencies and the local municipalities, communities, and non-profit partners across the state who all have a stake in safe and healthy landscapes. Our investment in cross-boundary management and fire suppression derives from the responsibility we have over all forestry matters in our state – whether state trust lands, private lands, or community forests,” said Norris.

“While the Wildfire Prevention Act contains many discrete tools and directives, taken together, the legislation seeks to increase and create healthy accountability for the active management of the Forest Service and BLM lands while enhancing forest health and reducing fire danger at a greater scale,” continued Norris.”

For more information on Ms. Norris’ testimony and the hearing, click here.

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