Minnesota

We write to you today on behalf of our constituents who have had to deal with suffocating
Canadian wildfire smoke filling the air to begin the summer. As we are entering the height of the
fire season, we would like to know how your government plans on mitigating wildfire and the
smoke that makes its way south.

As I’m sure you know, this is not the first year Canadian wildfire smoke has been an issue. In
2023, Canada had its worst year for wildfires on record, last year’s fire season was considered
one of the worst, and this year seems to be a continuation of these previous years. While we
know a key driver of this issue has been a lack of active forest management, we’ve also seen
things like arson as another way multiple large wildfires have ignited in Canada. With all the
technology that we have at our disposal, both in preventing and fighting wildfires, this
worrisome trend can be reversed if proper action is taken.

Our constituents have been limited in their ability to go outside and safely breathe due to the
dangerous air quality the wildfire smoke has created. In our neck of the woods, summer months
are the best time of the year to spend time outdoors recreating, enjoying time with family, and
creating new memories, but this wildfire smoke makes it difficult to do all those things.

Canada has been a friendly neighbor of the United States and the states we represent, so given
the significance of this issue we urge you to relay this message to your government, in particular
Natural Resources Canada and the Canadian Forest Service.

Thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to your response.