Gallego Backs Legislation to Prevent and Mitigate Wildfire Damages

The bills establish a Unified National Wildfire Intelligence Center and expedite the removal hazardous trees near power lines

WASHINGTON - Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) is backing two pieces of legislation to improve wildfire mitigation efforts' effectiveness.

"Wildfires do an immense amount of damage across Arizona and the Southwest each year. That's why it's important that we work to prevent their formation and mitigate their harmful effects when they do occur," said Senator Gallego. "These measures will help to reduce uncontrollable outbreaks and increase our response capabilities."

• The Wildfire Intelligence Collaboration and Coordination Act would create a national Wildfire Intelligence Center to streamline federal response and create a whole-of-government approach to combat wildfires. The joint office, created between the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of the Interior, would facilitate coordination and information sharing across federal and state departments and agencies, tribal entities, academia, and the private sector on wildland fires.
• The Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act would allow the U.S. Forest Service to approve the removal of hazardous trees near power lines on federal forest lands without requiring a timber sale, thereby easing the removal of hazardous trees and require any utility that sells marketable forest products from hazardous trees removed near power lines to return any proceeds to the Forest Service.

Senator Gallego has long been a leader in strengthening the federal and state response to wildfires. This year, he introduced the Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Actwhich provides recommendations for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of wildfire mitigation across land ownership boundaries, and the Wildfire Risk Evaluation Act which would require a comprehensive review of the wildfire landscape in the United States every four years.

7/18/25