Environmental Lawsuits Cause Massive Western Fires

California wildfires have driven hundreds of thousands of people from their homes, caused death and destruction, and consumed more than 700 square miles of land. Overlawyered discusses how lawsuits against the Forest Service by environmental groups have resulted in past forest fires, damaging the forests and the environment. Such lawsuits prevent the Forest Service from removing dead, flammable material that burns forests, and cost it more than $250 million in legal expenses every year. The California wildfires may end up costing as much as $42 billion in property damage alone.

CEI’s R.J. Smith and Chris Horner discussed the wildfires yesterday on TV, in interviews you can watch here. Transcripts of past TV interviews with RJ Smith explaining how environmental lawsuits contribute to wildfires can be found here and here.