In Response to the Aspen Acres and Willow Fires, Rep. Pettersen Leads Bipartisan Wildfire Mitigation Package

LAKEWOOD - Today, Representative Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) introduced a suite of six bills aimed at helping communities prepare, respond to, and recover from increasingly destructive wildfires. This comes after the Aspen Acres and Willow fires have been raging across the state of Colorado, scorching over a hundred thousand acres of land, claiming over 300 homes, and upending the lives of families and small businesses in the state.

"The recent Aspen Acres and Willow fires were devastating to our communities and natural environment. Our Colorado families understand that wildfire season is no longer just a few months of the year. The threat is constant and increasing due to climate change, and we need an all-hands-on-deck approach," said Rep. Pettersen. "These bills will help us turn wildfire research into action, streamlines and removes partisanship from our processes, protect every firefighter exposed to dangerous conditions, combat the devastating mountain pine beetle outbreaks that make our forests more vulnerable to destructive fires, and ensure communities receive the disaster-mitigation resources they need on time, when it matters."

Pettersen continued, "My heart is with all those who lost their homes and businesses in these devastating fires and are now preparing to start over. I am deeply grateful to all the first responders who worked tirelessly to keep everyone safe and the four wildland firefighters who gave their lives protecting the communities we love."

The 6 bills in the bipartisan package include:

• Wildfire Research Coordination Act, Representatives Pettersen and Mike Lawler (R-NY)

  • Supports increased collaboration among federal agencies to improve wildfire research and prevention strategies.

  • Bill text can be found here.

• Wildfire Responder Protection Act, Representatives Pettersen and Mike Lawler (R-NY)

  • Ensures all those who fight fires are entitled to the proper health care coverage when they are exposed to hazardous conditions.

  • Bill text can be found here.

• Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response Act, Representatives Pettersen and Joe Neguse (D-CO)

  • Provides grant opportunities to on-the-ground partners working in coordination with the Forest Service to mitigate mountain pine beetle threats.

  • Bill text can be found here.

• Mountain Pine Beetle Coordination Act, Representatives Pettersen and Joe Neguse (D-CO)

  • Directs the Forest Service to enter into cooperative agreements with states specifically to prevent, monitor, and respond to mountain pine beetle outbreaks.

  • Bill text can be found here.

• Guaranteed Disaster Assistance Act, Representative Pettersen

  • Ensures that Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding is distributed to states following a major disaster or when Fire Management Assistance Grant funding is provided to respond to a wildfire.

  • Bill text can be found here.

• HUD Disaster Information Improvements Act, Representatives Pettersen and Tim Moore (R-NC)

  • Requires the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development to work seamlessly with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration to support families and businesses when a disaster strikes.

  • Bill text can be found here.

Colorado's wildfire seasons have grown longer, more intense, and more destructive as hotter, drier conditions coupled with record low snowfall increase the risk of catastrophic fires across the state. Since 2012, Colorado has experienced 17 of its top 20 wildfires in history, and in total, nearly 2,800 homes in Colorado have been lost to fires in the past 14 years. Communities are facing unprecedented threats to homes, businesses, critical infrastructure, and natural resources, while firefighters and emergency personnel are being asked to respond in increasingly dangerous conditions. These disasters are worsening year after year. This requires urgent investment in prevention, improved coordination, and efforts that ensure responders and communities have the resources they need before, during, and after a wildfire.

Introduced by Representatives Pettersen and Mike Lawler (R-NY), the Wildfire Research Coordination Act directs the Department of Defense's (DOD) Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program to coordinate with the Department of Interior's Joint Fire Science Program when establishing fire-research priorities. This will support increased collaboration among federal agencies to improve wildfire research and prevention strategies, and to better ensure that recommendations are deployed in the field when wildfires strike.

Representatives Pettersen and Lawler also introduced the Wildfire Responder Protection Act, which will expand the definition of "firefighter" to include all personnel who support fire activities and are exposed to fire-related hazards to ensure all those who fight fires are entitled to the proper health care coverage when they are exposed to hazardous conditions. This will empower the firefighting workforce by supporting the health and safety of first responders.

These bills are endorsed by the Alliance for Wildfire Resilience.

"Wildfires continue to threaten our communities, public lands, and military installations across the country. We must make sure our firefighters have the tools, resources, and protections they need as they put their lives on the line to keep Americans safe. These two pieces of legislation take important steps to strengthen wildfire research and coordination while ensuring the brave men and women who perform critical fire prevention and suppression duties, including burn bosses, fuels specialists, and prescribed fire crews, have access to the workers' compensation protections they deserve," said Congressman Lawler.

Representatives Pettersen and Joe Neguse (D-CO) introduced the Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response Act, which would establish a Mountain Pine Beetle Emergency Response Program within the U.S. Forest Service. The program would provide grant opportunities to on-the-ground partners working in coordination with the Forest Service to mitigate mountain pine beetle threats on National Forest System land. Mountain pine beetle outbreaks can kill large numbers of trees, damage watersheds and outdoor recreation areas, and create dangerous conditions that can worsen the threat of wildfires.

Representatives Pettersen and Neguse also introduced the Mountain Pine Beetle Coordination Act, which would direct the Forest Service to enter into cooperative agreements with states specifically to prevent, monitor, and respond to mountain pine beetle outbreaks. This will allow localities additional resources and a stronger framework for responding to emerging outbreaks before they cause widespread and lasting damage.

These bills are endorsed by Governor Jared Polis, the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, and the Colorado State Forest Service.

"Colorado's forests are under increasing strain from hotter, drier conditions, and now devastation caused by the spread of mountain pine beetles," said Congressman Neguse. "As Ranking Member of the Federal Lands Subcommittee, I've seen firsthand how critical it is to ensure our communities and land managers have the resources they need to respond to emerging threats. Protecting our public lands as we face an outbreak of mountain pine beetle along Colorado's Front Range requires strong coordination at every level of government. I'm proud to work with Representative Pettersen to strengthen federal-state partnerships and ensure Colorado has the tools needed to confront this challenge head-on."

Representative Pettersen introduced the Guaranteed Disaster Assistance Act, which will ensure that Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding is distributed to states following a major disaster or when Fire Management Assistance Grant funding is provided to respond to a wildfire. Currently, access to certain long-term hazard-mitigation resources can depend on whether the President issues a major disaster declaration. This legislation would ensure that mitigation funding is automatically made available, allowing states and communities to begin recovering and reducing future risks without waiting for an additional presidential declaration.

Representatives Pettersen and Tim Moore (R-NC) also introduced the HUD Disaster Information Improvements Act, which would require the Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) to coordinate with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA) to support families and businesses when a disaster strikes. This increased government coordination will allow federal support to be funneled into communities affected by wildfires and natural disasters more efficiently, allowing communities to better rebuild after disasters.

"In the wake of Hurricane Helene, it became clear that we need better coordination between agencies to get disaster assistance to communities faster," said Congressman Tim Moore. "The GAO and HUD's Inspector General have identified serious challenges with data sharing, duplication-of-benefits determinations, and improper payments. This legislation strengthens transparency and coordination between agencies, helping reduce waste, fraud, and abuse while ensuring disaster relief gets to folks more efficiently."

During her time in Congress, Rep. Pettersen has been actively bolstering federal support for wildfire prevention and mitigation. Recently, the House passed her bipartisan Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act. She also introduced the Strengthening Wildfire Resiliency Through Satellites Act and Natural Disaster Property Protection Act and helped introduce the SHELTER Act. These bills would help communities reduce wildfire risks, detect fires earlier, protect homes and businesses, and restore landscapes after disasters. Rep. Pettersen also launched a Wildfire Resource Hub on her website to help Colorado families prepare for, track, and recover from wildfires.

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