text_1: A lot of the problems with forest fires ... is because of bad policy (not to clear out the forests) that was put in place by environmentalists.
text_2: "Perino said, ""A lot of the problems with forest fires is because of bad policy that was put in place by environmentalists."" The crux of this fact-check really comes down to how you define ""a lot."" While the record shows that the need for environmental impact statements and legal challenges have a significant impact on Forest Service projects on federal lands, the connection to the extreme fires of the past 15 years is less certain. Where we found broad consensus is that decades of aggressively putting out every fire as quickly as possible, and the use of land for grazing, created circumstances where the forests are brimming with fuel. That in conjunction with extended dry periods have turned them into tinderboxes. The federal strategy to remove that fuel runs up against budget constraints. The limited money is a much greater constraint than environmental policies. In the end, experts acknowledge that environmental policies are an issue, but they generally tip the scale toward other factors when assigning blame. Perino’s statement contains an element of truth but ignores critical facts that would give a different impression."