Curtis, Bennet Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Emergency Watershed Recovery

Bipartisan bills streamline USDA emergency response authority and enhance flexibility for local leaders to respond to natural disasters
Washington, D.C.– U.S. Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) today reintroduced theMaking Access to Cleanup Happen (MATCH) Actand theWatershed Protection and Forestry Recovery Act—bipartisan legislation that together improve and expedite emergency watershed recovery efforts. Amid increasing frequency and severity of wildfire, floods, and other natural disasters, these bills remove common bureaucratic barriers that delay disaster response and reflect a proactive, locally partnered approach to forest and watershed recovery.“As Utahns know, the impacts of a wildfire do not end when the fire is put out. Without swift action to rehabilitate and restore the land, it is left vulnerable to further damage,”said Senator Curtis.“Right now, unnecessary bureaucratic red tape and other barriers are holding back cleanup activities and watershed protection efforts. Our bills empower local communities to protect our natural resources and streamline certain rehabilitation activities in the aftermath of a disaster—while saving local funds and taxpayer dollars.”“Colorado and the West face increasingly severe natural disasters, including some of the most catastrophic wildfires on record in just the past few years,”said Senator Bennet.“These common-sense bills will cut red tape and help ensure our communities, local water managers, and the U.S. Forest Service have everything they need to meet these challenges head-on and recover when disaster strikes.”Making Access to Cleanup Happen (MATCH) ActTheMATCH Actremoves a common bureaucratic obstacle that delays local disaster response, empowering states, tribes, and local governments to initiate emergency watershed protection measures immediately after an event—even before a formal federal agreement is signed. The bill reflects Senator Curtis’s commitment to combining federal support with local initiative, particularly in disaster-prone areas of the American West.
Specifically, theMATCH Actwould:
The full text of the bill can be foundhere.Watershed Protection and Forestry Recovery ActTheWatershed Protection and Forestry Recovery Actwould create a new Emergency Forest Watershed Program at USDA dedicated to watershed recovery on U.S. Forest Service (USFS) lands. This new program will target funding to restore natural resources on National Forest System land and protect life, private property, and water resources downstream of federal forests.
Specifically, theWatershed Protection and Forestry Recovery Actwould:
Background:Following devastating wildfires across the American West, water providers have encountered bureaucratic obstacles that limit their ability to protect the drinking water supply for communities downstream from the fire. Because the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Emergency Watershed Program (EWP) was designed to help non-federal lands recover and the USFS Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Program focuses on the protection of Federal assets, drinking water supplies for communities downstream of National Forests are left at risk after a natural disaster. TheWatershed Protection and Forest Recovery Actis designed to fill this gap.The full text of the bill can be foundhere.