Responsibility for the large and increasing costs of wildfires is a major obstacle to large-scale transfer of federal lands to the States. Even revenue from massive increases in timber sales and fossil fuel sales/leases are unlikely to cover wildfire costs in most western States. Federal legislation committing the Federal government to providing substantial operational and financial wildfire assistance to States is a necessary precursor to land transfer. Senator Sheehy and colleagues have introduced legislation in the 119th Congress that begin to address this prerequisite. Sheehy has sponsored S.441 (“Fit For Purpose Wildfire Readiness Act”) which would require the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to develop a plan to consolidate all federal wildland fire “preparedness, suppression, and recovery efforts” into a new agency to be called the “National Wildland Firefighting Service.” Removing fire management responsibilities and resources (including people and equipment) from the federal land management agencies facilitates a continuing substantial federal role in wildfire management even if 100’s of millions of acres of federal land are ceded to the States or others. In addition, S.133 (“Fire Suppression and Response Funding Assurance Act”) would amend the Stafford Act to require that the federal government reimburse States for “not less than 75 percent” of the costs of wildfires declared “major disasters.” These and other recently introduced bills concerning wildland fires and federal lands would establish the legislative foundation for large-scale land transfer while sidestepping for now the politics of explicitly proposing massive land transfers. The federal land transfer train is moving and Senator Sheehy appears to be among the engineers ….
Responsibility for the large and increasing costs of wildfires is a major obstacle to large-scale transfer of federal lands to the States. Even revenue from massive increases in timber sales and fossil fuel sales/leases are unlikely to cover wildfire costs in most western States. Federal legislation committing the Federal government to providing substantial operational and financial wildfire assistance to States is a necessary precursor to land transfer. Senator Sheehy and colleagues have introduced legislation in the 119th Congress that begin to address this prerequisite. Sheehy has sponsored S.441 (“Fit For Purpose Wildfire Readiness Act”) which would require the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to develop a plan to consolidate all federal wildland fire “preparedness, suppression, and recovery efforts” into a new agency to be called the “National Wildland Firefighting Service.” Removing fire management responsibilities and resources (including people and equipment) from the federal land management agencies facilitates a continuing substantial federal role in wildfire management even if 100’s of millions of acres of federal land are ceded to the States or others. In addition, S.133 (“Fire Suppression and Response Funding Assurance Act”) would amend the Stafford Act to require that the federal government reimburse States for “not less than 75 percent” of the costs of wildfires declared “major disasters.” These and other recently introduced bills concerning wildland fires and federal lands would establish the legislative foundation for large-scale land transfer while sidestepping for now the politics of explicitly proposing massive land transfers. The federal land transfer train is moving and Senator Sheehy appears to be among the engineers ….