WASHINGTON, D.C.-Bipartisan legislation introduced in Congress on June 11 would address the harmful impacts of wildfires across the nation, especially in the west.
U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., was joined by Ted Budd, R-N.C., and U.S. Representatives Kim Schrier, D-Wash., and David Valadao, R-Calif, in introducing the legislation ahead of what is expected to be an active wildfire season.
“Our bipartisan, bicameral bill will tackle wildfires head-on by focusing on prevention to get the West out of the cycle of crisis and devastation every wildfire season,” Sen. Wyden said in introducing the bill.
The National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025 would increase the size and speed of prescribed burns during the cooler and wetter months of the year, to manage hazardous fuels at risk of wildfire during the summer, according to a U.S. Senate press release.
During the 2024 wildfire season, 8.9 million acres of land were burned across the country, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
According to the bill, prescribed burns are essential, cost-effective, science-based strategy to save lives and property, and address the harmful impacts of recent wildfires.
“By prescribing controlled burns to fire-adapted land in a safe and supervised way, we can limit dangerous fuel buildup and help reduce the threat of future wildfires,” said Rep. Valadao.
What the National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025 would do
- Dedicate funding for the S. Forest Service (USFS) and Department of the Interior (DOI) to conduct prescribed burns on federal, state and private lands
- Require that the amount of acreage treated with prescribed burns be increased
- Create a program to carry out prescribed burns on federal, state and private lands
- Establish a workforce development program run by the USFS and DOI to hire and train individuals to carry out the prescribed burns
- Facilitate coordination between state, tribal, and local air quality agencies to allow larger prescribed burns, and give states more flexibility in winter months to conduct prescribed burns
“I have heard firsthand from Oregonians who are sick and tired of inaction while the West burns,” said Sen. Wyden.
