Reps. Hoyle, Neguse Introduce Wildfire Resilient Communities Act to Combat Mega-Fires
Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle (OR-04) and Rep. Joe Neguse (CO-02) introduced the Wildfire Resilient Communities Act to invest in combatting catastrophic wildfire through forest health and community risk reduction projects. The House bill is the companion to Senator Jeff Merkley’s Wildfire Resilient Communities Act, of which Senator Ron Wyden is a cosponsor.
“I am proud to introduce the Wildfire Resilient Communities Act, a comprehensive bill that would provide dedicated federal funding to protect our communities from catastrophic wildfires. Congress has been nickel-and-diming wildfire prevention but will write a huge check once a fire is out of control. That’s not working for our forests, communities or taxpayers. We must invest more dollars up front,” said Rep. Hoyle.
“Communities across Colorado’s 2nd District are no stranger to the devastating impacts of wildfire, and as these climate-induced disasters continue to increase in frequency it is more important than ever that we allocate sufficient resources to help protect and support families across the West. I am proud to join my congressional colleagues in introducing the Wildfire Resilient Communities Act to ensure our communities are equipped with the tools necessary to tackle the wildfire crisis head on,” said Congressman Joe Neguse, Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus.
“Across the country, our communities are threatened by increasingly severe wildfires fueled by climate chaos,” said Senator Merkley. “Nearly every Oregonian has in some way experienced the growing threat that wildfires pose to our lives, businesses, and health. Extreme wildfire seasons are not cooling down anytime soon, and we need a considerable increase in resources that make our forests, timber economies, and communities healthier and more resilient.”
“Oregonians have experienced the devastation of wildfires ripping through their communities far too often in recent years,” Wyden said. “The threat of these increasingly destructive blazes threatening lives and livelihoods in Oregon demands a comprehensive response. And that’s exactly what’s provided by this companion legislation to what I’m fighting to pass in the Senate.”
The landscapes of the West have always been familiar with wildfires, but the severity and frequency of recent mega-fires, fueled by climate change and outdated fire suppression policies, demand urgent action. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act have made historic investments in the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, improving landscape health and community protection against wildfires. However, to sustain these efforts, federal agencies need reliable, long-term funding to effectively manage programs, meet increasing demands, and maintain high-quality staff.
The Wildfire Resilient Communities Act would be a significant step towards safeguarding communities, supporting rural areas and mitigating the risks of catastrophic wildfires. Together, we can confront this wildfire crisis with the resources and commitment it demands. This bill would:
- Provide $30 billion for hazardous fuels reduction, ensuring stable funding for land management agencies to expand wildfire risk reduction projects.
- Triple funding for the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program up to $3 billion to help communities develop and execute community wildfire risk reduction plans.
- Permanently reauthorize the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program, promoting collaborative and science-based restoration of priority forest landscapes.
- Establish a County Stewardship Fund, providing counties with 25 percent of stewardship contract receipts from federal land to support vital local government services.
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