Originally published by The Hill.

Smoke is beginning to rise from the West’s public lands — and it is just a taste of what’s to come. In a briefing to members of Congress, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdueshared predictions of above-average potential for significant wildfire activity this summer across the West. Some states are bracing for the worst severe wildfire outbreak since 2012, fearing it may eclipse even that historic fire year.

This kind of extreme wildfire behavior jeopardizes Western public lands, wildlife and communities, and it’s unacceptable. It’s time to move beyond excuses and political expediency and incorporate more active management practices, like grazing, into the protection of our public lands.

Wildfires are becoming hotter and more intense across the West. There is no single reason why: Wind, climate, drought, and human activity all profoundly impact a fire’s severity and behavior. However, the only thing on this list under our control is human activity, which is driven by our choices and reactions. We are largely powerless to immediately and significantly change the wind, drought or climate.

None of our technological advancements can control where and how hard the wind blows. Drought is a natural phenomenon that strikes where and when Mother Nature chooses. Climate models show temperature increases to be largely irreversible in the near future — and the West can’t wait.