Lofgren, Bonamici Introduce Comprehensive Bill to Strengthen U.S. Wildfire Response

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, House Science, Space, and Technology Committee Ranking Member Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) was joined by Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR) to introduce the National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program Act, a comprehensive science authorization bill that will identify and invest in research and development, set up warning and forecast systems, develop observation and sensing technologies, and standardize data collection efforts to improve the nation’s preparedness, resilience and response to wildfires. The bill will help to fill in knowledge gaps and strengthen coordination of wildfire science efforts across federal science agencies.

“In my home state of California and across the West, fire seasons are getting longer and more severe. Congress must advance a whole-of-government approach to execute a coordinated and united federal agenda on wildfires that uses science-based and cost-effective measures to change the way we think about, plan for, and respond to wildfires,” said Ranking Member Lofgren. “Our country’s ability to accurately anticipate, detect, monitor, and contain fires is largely dependent on the scientific information available and how accessible that information is. That’s why we’ve introduced the National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program Act to bring all of the federal government’s scientific resources to bear in helping prevent the loss of life and property from wildfires in America.”

“The climate crisis is making wildfires more dangerous and frequent, putting lives, property, and the environment at risk,” said Congresswoman Bonamici. “The National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program Act will help protect Oregon and communities across the country by increasing our ability to stop wildfires before they happen and better respond when they do.”

This is a reintroduction of the National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program Act that was introduced by Congresswomen Lofgren and Bonamici in the 117^th Congress. The updated bill introduced today includes bipartisan amendments from the legislation considered by the Committee in the 117^th Congress.

Bill text can be found here.

A fact sheet on the bill can be found here.

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