Democrats in the Senate and House are proposing a $30 billion expansion of forest projects to reduce wildfire threats, which they said would counteract Trump administration cuts to certain forest grant programs.
Sen. Jeff Merkley and Rep. Val Hoyle, both of Oregon, introduced companion bills to create the $30 billion mandatory funding to be allocated among federal land management agencies. In addition, the bill would triple funding for community wildfire defense grants to $3 billion annually.
“Increasingly extreme wildfire seasons fueled by climate chaos are not cooling down anytime soon, and we need a considerable increase in federal resources — not cuts — to make our forests, timber economies, and communities healthier and more resilient,” Merkley said in a news release.
The legislation, the “Wildfire Resilient Communities Act,” would require the Treasury Department to adopt a formula for how to allocate the money among the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and other agencies.
