Legislation seeks to bolster nation’s wildfire policy

Three legislators recently introduced legislation designed to enhance national wildfire policy by establishing a commission of federal and non-federal stakeholders addressing prevention and mitigation.

U.S. Sens. Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) joined Rep. John Curtis (R-UT) in introducing the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Act of 2021. The measure would involve the efforts of city and county level representation in also studying management and rehabilitation policies for forests and grasslands.

“With nearly 400 wildfires burning more than 40,000 acres of land, Utah’s 2021 fire season has already surpassed the five-year average for this time of year,” Romney said. “As the American West continues to get drier and fires become more destructive, it doesn’t make sense to continue to adhere to the fire policies of the past. Our legislation lays out a comprehensive strategy which would bring together officials from all levels of government and outside experts to improve strategies to prevent future wildfires from becoming catastrophic disasters in Utah and across the West.”

The bill would require a review of the nation’s wildland firefighting strategy, in addition to specific policy recommendations by a commission including the nation’s top experts.

“Right now, we are witnessing one of the worst early starts to a fire season that Arizona has ever seen,” Kelly said. “Every year, we see these fires grow larger and more threatening, putting communities, first responders, and small businesses in harm’s way. We cannot expect outcomes to change unless we try a new approach. I am introducing this bipartisan legislation with Sen. Romney to bring together experts from local communities and the private and public sectors to figure out how we can get better at wildfire prevention, mitigation and response.”