The Biden Administration is crafting a $50 billion plan to remove forests around wildfire hotspots. The plan will be implemented in 2022. It will involve logging, which will remove wildfire-prone areas of vegetation that often contributes to huge wildfires. These hotspots include the Sierra Nevada Mountains and the Rocky Mountains.

Of the $50 billion, $20 billion will come from the costs of work on national forests, while the remaining $30 billion will come from the work on federal, private and tribal lands. A federal infrastructure bill has already put a down payment of $3.2 billion for five years on the project.

Wildfires in the western United States are increasingly destructive. On Dec. 30, a wildfire in Colorado destroyed over 1000 buildings and killed one person. Due to climate change, temperatures are rising. The risk of wildfires is consistently high. Projects for individual wildfire hotspots have not been announced yet, but federal officials say that work will begin quickly.

Critics of the plan argue that cutting down trees is harmful for forests. However, a combination of clearing undergrowth and cutting down trees can be effective for reducing the spread of wildfires and protecting the safety of forests.