Skip to content
Advertisement

Agriculture secretary wraps tour

Advertisement

U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue completed a three-day swing through California this week by taking part in a panel discussion in Santa Clarita about fire preparedness and recovery.

Rep. Steve Knight (CA-25) also spoke at the Wednesday discussion at College of the Canyons.

“Our district is no stranger to the threats of wildfires and other fires,” Knight said. “With our dry climate and vast expanses of hillsides, we are especially prone to fires that can grow out of control very quickly. That is why it is extremely important that local families and businesses are properly prepared for emergency and that we as lawmakers enact policies to prevent fires and mitigate damage when they do occur. This includes more responsible forest management, alleviating many of the restrictions that cause brush to grow too thick, and increasing access to water for preventative and response measures.”

Perdue began his California swing Monday, visiting wildfire-ravaged areas of Northern California. He and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke took part in a discussion in Redding with city and county officials and state legislators, discussing the firefight and vowing to clear federal bureaucratic hurdles to assist in the recovery effort.

On Tuesday, Perdue visited farming communities in Modesto, Oakdale, Atwater, Kingsburg and McFarland.

According to the Department of Agriculture, the Santa Clarita roundtable discussion focused on “fire resiliency, preparedness and recovery.”

The Republican Perdue is a former Georgia governor and state senator. He was confirmed as secretary of agriculture in March 2017.

Advertisement

Latest