Wyden Presses Interior Secretary on 2022 Wildfire Preparedness In Oregon
Senator cites warnings of “another very ominous fire season”
Washington, D.C. – Amid warnings about potentially difficult wildfires in the months ahead for Oregon and the West, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden today pressed U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland to use newly available wildfire management funds provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and urged her to work with local communities on wildfire response plans.
At a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on the federal Interior Department’s budget, Wyden asked specifically about the additional resources he and other senators secured in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for wildfire management.
“Our rural communities are looking at this as a lifeline,” Wyden said, asking Haaland how and when the wildfire management funds could be used for targeted thinning, prescribed burns in the cooler and wetter months, and hazardous fuels treatment. “Everything we’re seeing … is another very ominous fire season.”
Wyden, a senior member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, also cited the need to increase pay for wildland firefighters. And based on what he’s heard in recent town halls throughout rural Oregon, Wyden asked Haaland to provide plans for how the federal government will work with local communities on wildfire response.
A video link with Wyden’s questions and Haaland’s responses is here.
Next Article Previous Article
