Senate Wildfire Caucus holds inaugural meeting

Senators from Arkansas, California, Colorado, and Montana held their first meeting on Tuesday as members of the bipartisan Senate Wildfire Caucus as advocates of disaster relief funding, wildfire prevention, and science-based fire management policies. Wildfires have burned an average of 6.4 million acres, or 1,000 square miles, of land over the past five years.

“As the frequency and intensity of wildfires continue to rise as a result of climate change, finding bipartisan solutions for urgent disaster relief and to mitigate fire hazards has only become more critical,” said caucus co-chair Sen. Alex Padilla, California Democrat. The Park Fire burning in northern California was the fifth largest in state history at nearly 384,000 acres.

Co-chair Sen. Steve Daines, Montana Republican, said the caucus would pursue “common-sense solutions that will help prevent fires, protect our wildlife, and keep our communities safe.” Other members of the caucus were Arkansas Sen. John Boozman, a Republican, and Sen. Michael Bennet, Colorado Democrat.

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