Rep. Neguse, Sen. Gallego and Western Colleagues Launch Effort to Improve Wildfire Mitigation, Research, and Management

Washington, D.C. — As the once-so-called “fire season” stretches into a yearlong struggle for communities across the nation, Colorado Congressman Joe Neguse is launching a new effort to improve wildfire prevention, mitigation, and management. He is introducing a package of policy proposals initially derived from a 2024 report issued by the USDA’s Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, which was created as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and tasked with outlining a holistic approach to addressing the rising threat of wildfires.

Neguse, who co-chairs the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus, has teamed up with a bipartisan, bicameral group of federal representatives to reintroduce the Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act, the Wildfire Coordination Act, and the Wildfire Risk Evaluation Act. All three bills are championed by Arizona Senator Ruben Gallego in the United States Senate and co-led by Congressman Josh Harder (CA-10) in the House of Representatives. In addition, the Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act is co-led by Congresswoman Young Kim (CA-39) and cosponsored by Congressman Jay Obernolte (CA-23). 

“During my time in Congress, Colorado has experienced four of the five largest wildfires in our state’s history—meaning that my communities, along with the state and local agencies on the frontlines, have seen firsthand the increasing strain as these fires grow more frequent and severe. I’m proud to introduce legislation, rooted in the nonpartisan work of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, that invests in wildfire science and strengthens the long-term resilience of our communities to reduce the threat of future disasters,” said Congressman Neguse. 

“As Arizona’s wildfire seasons get longer and wildfire landscapes evolve, it is vital we have the research and coordination tools to ensure effective mitigation and management,” said Senator Gallego. “These bills will improve the working relationship between federal agencies and with their state, local, and tribal counterparts. Wildfires don’t care about jurisdictional boundaries, and these bills reflect that.”

“We’re in the middle of a yearslong megafire crisis and we can’t afford any more delays in tackling this threat,” said Congressman Harder. “Wildfires don't care about your political party when they're burning your house down, and neither should our solutions. America’s top firefighters and wildfire experts came together to tell us what they need to tackle the wildfire crisis, and this bipartisan package of bills is in direct response to their ideas. Our families and our communities are counting on us to get this done. 

“Last fall, my district witnessed the devastating Airport Fire, which started in Trabuco Canyon and burned through 23,000 acres in Orange and Riverside counties. As wildfires grow in frequency and intensity, our mitigation tools must keep pace,” said Congresswoman Kim. “Effective wildfire prevention requires seamless coordination, which is why we must ensure federal, state, and local first responders can share information as effectively as possible. This bipartisan bill will help identify barriers and unlock opportunities to ensure communities like mine can better prevent and respond to these disasters.”

Details on the bills are included below:

The Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act provides recommendations for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of wildfire mitigation across land ownership boundaries by identifying gaps and opportunities in current federal rules and regulations and supporting increased collaboration.

The Wildfire Coordination Act establishes an advisory board composed of members from various federal, State, local, Tribal, and non-federal partners that will be responsible for coordinating federal wildfire research, translating it into practical applications, and developing future research.

The Wildfire Risk Evaluation Act requires a comprehensive review of the wildfire landscape in the United States every four years, outlining the changes in environments, assessing wildfire management challenges, and evaluating the intersection of wildfires and public health. This federal review will help inform the development of long-term strategies to enhance wildfire preparedness and response and strengthen interagency coordination. 

This effort is supported by 20 local and national entities and organizations, including Grand Fire Protection District No. 1, Summit County, Summit Fire and EMS Fire Protection District, Red, White, and Blue Fire Protection District, Summit County Wildfire Council, Grand County Wildfire Council, Routt County Wildfire Council, Eagle County Wildfire Collaborative, Denver Water, Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, National Federation of Federal Employees, Alliance for Wildfire Resilience, American Property Casualty Insurance Association, Federation of American Scientists, International Association of Fire Chiefs, Megafire Action, National Association of State Foresters, Rural Voices for Conservation Coalition, and Tall Timbers. The Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act and the Wildfire Risk Evaluation Act are endorsed by The Nature Conservancy.  

Quotes from endorsers can be found HERE. 

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