Rep. Neguse, Co-Chair of Congressional Wildfire Caucus, Introduces Wildfire Legislative Package as First Bills of 118th Congress

Washington, D.C. — Today, Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse, Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Wildfire Caucus, introduced his first legislative package of the 118th Congress. The series of bills will significantly increase investments to tackle wildfires and fund resiliency and mitigation projects for communities impacted by the recent rise in Western wildfires. The package consists of the Wildfire Recovery Act, Wildfire Smoke Relief Act, and the Western Wildfire Support Act. 

The introduction of this package comes roughly one year after 1,000 homes and businesses were destroyed by the Marshall Fire in Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District. This catastrophic disaster shortly became known as the most destructive fire in Colorado’s history. Each of the three bills introduced today addresses a significant step in the recovery process for families and communities impacted by wildfires. 

“Wildfires are a real and growing threat for communities across Colorado, and across the West, as we have seen firsthand in my district over the past two years,” said Congressman Joe Neguse. “The bills introduced today take a significant step forward in our work to better prepare for and combat wildfires and better recover from these devastating disasters. I look forward to partnering with my colleagues across the aisle in this effort and will continue to push the federal government to take every action necessary to reduce the threat of these disasters.”

Congressman John Curtis, co-founder of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus and co-lead of the Wildfire Recovery Act said, “As we enter the 118th Congress, I look forward to continuing the bipartisan work of the Wildfire Caucus and pass legislation that benefits all individuals and communities affected by wildfires,” said Rep. Curtis. “From finding ways to improve air quality, to forest management and recovery efforts, there is broad consensus in Congress that we must do more to proactively combat wildfires in the west.”

The package of bills introduced today includes: 

• The Wildfire Recovery Act – A bipartisan, bicameral bill to increase flexibility in the federal cost share for Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAG) to bring in additional resources for communities as they rebuild from wildfire damage. The bill is co-led by Representative John Curtis (R-UT), and companion legislation was introduced by Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) in the 117th Congress. Learn more HERE.
• The Wildfire Smoke Relief Act – A bicameral bill to provide federal emergency assistance to at-risk individuals in Colorado and nationwide suffering from unhealthy air quality caused by wildfire smoke. The bill is cosponsored by Representatives Stansbury (D-NM), Blumenauer (D-OR), and Matsui (D-CA), and was introduced by Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) in the 117th Congress. Learn more HERE.
• The Western Wildfire Support Act – A bill to provide at-risk communities across the western United States with additional resources to help prevent wildfires before they start, combat those that do spark, and help communities touched by wildfire recover and rebuild. The bill is cosponsored by Representatives Schiff (D-CA), Panetta (D-CA), Horsford (D-NV), and Matsui (D-CA), and was introduced by Senator Catherine Cortez-Masto (D-NV) in the 117th Congress. Learn more HERE.

A one-pager for the full legislative package can be found HERE. 

In recent years, Congressman Neguse has emerged as a national leader amongst his colleagues on wildfire prevention, mitigation, and suppression, and in the fight for increased federal support to communities recovering from climate-induced natural disasters. Following Colorado’s record-setting wildfires seasons in 2020 and 2021, Rep. Neguse worked tirelessly to bring federal resources home to recovering communities and advocated for increased assistance for wildland firefighters, wildfire prevention, and forest management. In July of last year, he successfully secured the passage of his Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act through the full House of Representatives. 

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