Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) has introduced a bipartisan bill to ensure the removal of woody biomass left behind by forest thinning to prevent the hazards posed by wildfires.
What the Bill Does
Sen. Kelly's Hazardous Fuels Transportation Assistance Act addresses the problem of thinning forests to mitigate wildfires: removing the woody biomass cut from the forest is costly without financial support, so it is left in piles.
Thus, the risk of wildfires increases because there are now piles of woody biomass that provide more readily available fuel.
As a result, the Hazardous Fuels Transportation Assistance Act establishes a program within the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide grants to for-profit companies, non-profit organizations, and other entities to alleviate transportation-related economic barriers to the removal of biomass from hazardous fuels management activities, such as transporting the hazardous fuels to processing facilities, purchasing equipment, and workforce development.
Additionally, the program would be funded annually at $25 million, with grants capped at $3 million. These grants provide a 75% federal cost share, except for Tribes, which are eligible for a 90% federal cost share.
What Lawmakers are Saying
"Arizona communities know firsthand the toll of wildfires on natural habitats, the economy, and personal lives, especially after the fires at the Grand Canyon last year," said Sen. Kelly in a press release. "Thinning the forest is only half the job. This legislation will help get the material left behind out of the forest to prevent more wildfires and support the jobs, businesses, and forest restoration projects so many Arizona families depend on."
Senator John Curtis (R-UT), one of the bill's Republican cosponsors, said, "Across Utah and the West, we know that active forest management is essential to reducing wildfire risk and protecting communities. But when the cost of hauling woody biomass becomes a barrier, hazardous fuels can remain on the landscape and undermine the very restoration work designed to make forests safer."
"Our commonsense, bipartisan bill helps get that material out of our forests, supports rural economies, and gives local partners the tools they need to better steward our public lands," Sen. Curtis added.
