Bill > S91

This bill aims to comprehensively improve federal wildfire management and response capabilities across three main areas: preparation, detection and suppression, and post-fire recovery. In the preparation phase, the bill requires federal land management agencies to develop strategic wildland fire management plans for specific "firesheds" (geographically defined forest landscapes), create more transparent reporting on firefighting expenditures, and study ways to better integrate local firefighters into wildfire response. For detection and suppression, the bill focuses on technological advancements, including expediting wildfire detection equipment placement, researching unmanned aircraft systems for fire applications, and studying the impacts of drone incursions on firefighting efforts. In the post-fire recovery realm, the bill establishes permanent Burned Area Emergency Response Teams to coordinate immediate stabilization efforts, creates a Long-Term Burned Area Rehabilitation account with up to $100 million annually to fund ecosystem and infrastructure restoration, and even introduces a "Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize" to incentivize technological innovations for managing wildfire-related invasive species. Additionally, the bill includes provisions for reimbursing state agencies for fire suppression services caused by military training and improving online guides to help communities access post-disaster assistance.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/91/all-info