Emergency Wildfire Act: Forest Restoration, Community Resilience, and New Technology.
This Act aims to accelerate large-scale forest restoration to mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfires, especially near residential areas. It establishes a pilot program using private investment for conservation projects and enhances the energy resilience of critical facilities like hospitals and police stations against power outages during extreme weather. Furthermore, the legislation supports retrofitting homes with fire-resistant materials and developing the workforce in forestry and fire management.
Key points
Forest Restoration Funding: Establishes a pilot program for Conservation Finance Agreements, authorizing up to $250 million in Federal obligations to leverage non-Federal investment for large-scale (100,000+ acres) forest restoration projects.
Critical Infrastructure Resilience: Authorizes a $100 million program to improve the energy resilience of critical facilities (hospitals, schools, emergency centers) using microgrids, renewable energy, and on-site storage.
Home Fire Retrofits: Amends weatherization laws to include high-heat and fire-resistant materials, increasing the average cost limit per dwelling unit to $13,000.
Wildfire Detection: Mandates the expedited placement of wildfire detection equipment (sensors, cameras) and the expanded use of satellite data and mobile technologies for improved response and firefighter safety.
Training and Workforce Development: Establishes Western prescribed fire centers for training and creates grant programs to develop the workforce in forestry and fire management.
Expired
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