Carole King to discuss forest fires before Oversight subcommittee

Carole King says it’s not too late to protect the country against wildfires as she heads to Capitol Hill to testify at a House Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Environment hearing on the issue.

The “You’ve Got a Friend” singer is poised to appear at Wednesday’s “Fighting Fire with Fire: Evaluating the Role of Forest Management in Reducing Catastrophic Wildfires” hearing, which will “examine the urgent need for the federal government to adopt better wildfire preparation measures, and discuss the human toll of wildfires that are becoming larger and more severe due to drought, global warming, and other climate stressors.”

“The hearing will examine several strategies the Forest Service employs to prevent wildfires including prescribed burns, thinning, and commercial logging, as well as the challenges the Forest Service faces, such as a tight budget and an influential commercial logging industry,” organizers said.

Forest Service Chief Randy Moore is also among the panelists scheduled to speak at the hearing.

King advocated for the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA), legislation sponsored by Democratic Reps. Carolyn Maloney (N.Y.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.), in a January op-ed for The Hill.

“NREPA would protect more public land in the lower 48 than any other currently proposed legislation, designating approximately 23 million acres as wilderness through the Wilderness Act of 1964,” the 80-year-old songwriter wrote.

King is a longtime environmental activist and has maintained a frequent presence on Capitol Hill.