Dear Editor,

What could trade wars and wildfires have in common?

There's been a movement in Canada to buy less American-made whiskey. But there's another threat to the whiskey industry, and that's the depletion of white oak, which is a key component constituting the barrels that a good 'ol draw of Bourbon comes from.

Enter the Fix our Forests Act. While it won't stop any trade wars, it can at least lay the foundation for saving our beloved white oaks. Of course, future proofing America's bourbon industry isn't the sole purpose of the act. The act lays plans for reforestation of our aging (and frequently burning) forests and performing prescribed burns as well as establishing firesheds to assess risk areas.

Our forests currently offset about 12% of our pollution, but that's likely to decline as our forests age and/or get caught in the latest blaze. This bill would cut the red tape around protecting our forests, enabling a more robust and fire-resilient green belt to protect the communities we live in.

Our very own Senator Hickenlooper is already co-sponsoring the bill, but more support is needed if we're going to protect our aging forests. With careful planning and stewardship, we could secure future generations of beautiful trees of all types, including the white oak. I say cheers to that!

Sincerely,

Bridger Cummings

Peak to Peak