Senator Moreno was among Michigan Republicans who sent a letter to Canada’s Prime Minister asking for action on wildfire smoke blanketing Michigan and the northern Midwest. The four Republican Reps. said their repeated conversations with Canadian officials have not produced meaningful progress.
Jack Bergman, John James, Lisa McClain and John Moolenaar signed the letter. Bergman wrote, “We are done accepting apologies in place of action,” and added, “If Canada will not manage its forests to prevent these fires, the United States will look elsewhere, and act on our own, to protect our people.”
Jack Bergman on Canada
The letter asks what funded, measurable steps Canada has taken since last summer to reduce fuel loads and wildfire risk in the provinces responsible for the smoke reaching the American Midwest. It also asks what accountability exists for provincial leaders and what will be different by this time next year.
The representatives said Canada has had years to address the underlying causes of worsening wildfires and said continued inaction is unacceptable. They also wrote, “We remain ready to work with Canada in good faith, as two nations with a long history of standing together,” but added, “But that history does not entitle Canada to another year of excuses.”
Bill Huizenga and Peter Hoekstra
Bill Huizenga said he has spoken with United States Ambassador to Canada Peter Hoekstra and members of the Canadian government. Huizenga said Canada’s inability to mitigate, contain, and prevent its wildfires must be addressed, and he called on the Canadian Government to fully and regularly inform appropriate US agencies such as the EPA about the status and mitigation action plan regarding the fires.
Huizenga also said, “Michiganders must stop paying the price for bad policy.” His comments put a specific federal reporting duty at the center of the dispute: regular updates to US agencies, including the EPA, rather than informal back-and-forth alone.
Canada and the US
The letter says the United States will look elsewhere and act on its own if Canada will not manage its forests to prevent the fires. It also says the US government could explore direct involvement in cross-border fuel reduction and firefighting capacity.
The Canadian Foreign Ministry had not yet responded to a request seeking comment and more information. For people in Michigan and the northern Midwest, the immediate question is whether Canada answers with a measurable plan or leaves the pressure on Washington to decide how far to go on its own.
