06/17/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/17/2025 10:36
WASHINGTON - Today, Rep. Jeff Crank (CO-05), alongside Rep. Luz Rivas (CA-29), Rep. Nick Begich (AK-AL), and Rep. Jeff Hurd (CO-03) introduced the Fire Weather Development Act.
The Fire Weather Development Act directs the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a program to improve fire weather and fire environment forecasting, detection, and delivery of products or services through collaboration with other Federal and State agencies or departments, local emergency managers, and relevant entities.
"The Fire Weather Development Act will ensure that government entities are receiving the resources they need to accurately forecast and respond to the fire environment," said Rep. Crank. "Unfortunately, Colorado Springs is no stranger to fires, and neither are other parts of the country. Just this year, we have seen how fires can damage our communities, which is why we must improve fire forecasting and our response once these natural disasters occur."
"As we saw during the wildfires in Los Angeles earlier this year, keeping communities safe requires a strong coordinated effort between federal, state, and local agencies," said Rep. Rivas. "Our Fire Weather Development Act plays a critical role in making sure agencies across all levels of government have the support and resources necessary to protect lives, protect property and businesses, and be better prepared to respond to wildfires."
"The Fire Weather Development Act takes a proactive step forward in fire management by improving our ability to forecast and respond to wildfire threats through cutting-edge technology and stronger interagency coordination," said Rep. Begich. "I'm proud to co-sponsor this legislation and thank Congressman Crank for his leadership in bringing this forward. This bill ensures that Alaska and communities across the country have the tools they need to prepare for and respond to the increasing threat of wildfires."
"I'm proud to co-sponsor Congressman Crank's Fire Weather Development Act, that ensures communities in Colorado's Third District have a voice in how we prepare and respond to wildfires," said Rep. Hurd. "By strengthening local engagement and improving fire weather forecasting, we are safeguarding lives and protecting homes."
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