PASSED: Senate Approves Gallego Bill to Improve Wildfire Prevention, Mitigation, and Management

Gallego’s Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act will improve the effectiveness and efficiency of wildfire mitigation across land ownership boundaries WASHINGTON — Today, the U.S. Senate unanimously passed The Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act , Senator Gallego’s bill to improve 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. “Like many Western states, my home state of Arizona is a patchwork of federal, state, Tribal, and private land. And fires do not stop at those property lines. That’s why we need an all-hands-on-deck approach to reduce wildfire risks and improve wildfire mitigation across land ownerships. When fires move faster than governments can coordinate, the fire has the advantage. The Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act takes a practical step to fix that,” Senator Gallego said on the floor of the U.S. Senate. Click here to watch Senator Gallego’s floor remarks “In Arizona last year, we watched more than 200,000 acres burn across the North Rim of the Grand Canyon and Kaibab National Forest. The Dragon Bravo Fire, one of the largest in Arizona’s history, devastated iconic landscapes and the local businesses that depend on them,” Gallego continued. “In the face of these conditions, it is vital we have the research and coordination tools to ensure effective wildfire management.” The bill is part of Senator Gallego’s package of bills to improve wildfire prevention, mitigation, and management, which he introduced last year with Representative Joe Neguse (CO-02). The remaining bills include: 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.