News release
Rep. George Whitesides, D-Agua Dulce, has joined four other Democratic representatives to introduce the Wildfire Response and Readiness Act, a package of wildland fire policy that “meets the moment for Americans facing increasingly active, destructive, and life-threatening wildfires,” said a news release from Whitesides’ office.
Joining Whitesides in introducing the legislation were Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Colorado, Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Rep. Jared Huffman, D-California, Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Rep. Angie Craig, D-Minnesota, and Forestry and Horticulture Subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Oregon.
So far this year, wildfires have burned more than 5.5 million acres across the United States. Coupled with extreme weather conditions, including record-breaking drought across the West, and communities across the country are continuing to face increasingly dangerous wildfire conditions, the release said.
“Wildfires are a large and growing threat that will only get worse if we do not take decisive action at the federal level,” Whitesides said in the release. “From making our homes safer to better managing our forests to bolstering firefighter resources and pay, this package would make us more resilient and significantly improve our ability to manage the national wildfire crisis.”
The Wildfire Response and Readiness Act has three main pillars, which the release summarized as follows:
• Resilient Lands: The bill invests in wildfire prevention and post-fire restoration and recovery so that the forests and public lands around our homes and communities stay healthy and resilient to catastrophic fires. It also requires federal agencies to develop a 10-year wildfire plan so that the federal government coordinates with the people most impacted.
• Fire-Safe Communities: The bill helps families make their homes more resistant to fires and gives communities the tools to plan ahead so they are ready before a fire breaks out. It also encourages the development of new tools to spot fires faster and takes steps to address the harmful impacts of wildfire smoke, making sure we have clean air.
• Wildland Firefighter Safety and Workforce Security: Wildland firefighters put their lives on the line to keep the rest of us safe. This bill honors that work with better pay, leave, and retirement benefits. It also trains the next generation of wildland firefighters and expands the workforce.
