America is facing a future defined by wildfires that are increasingly extreme and devastating to communities and landscapes. As this crisis grows, it also threatens military readiness, critical defense infrastructure, and the availability of National Guard and Reserve forces at home and abroad.
This crisis requires immediate federal action, and Congress has an opportunity to kick-start the national solution by passing the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA) before the end of the year.
FOFA would establish a Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Program to provide communities with resources to aid in fire preparedness and expand the Community Wildfire Defense Grant program to cover home-hardening against wildfires. Furthermore, FOFA would make it easier for federal agencies to clear hazardous vegetation, thin overcrowded forests, and carry out other fire prevention projects – reducing the wildfire burden on our military.
Congress can address both the civilian and military impacts of wildfires by including the Fix Our Forests Act as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Alliance for Wildfire Resilience Action helped lead a coalition letter with leading firefighting, business, and conservation groups urging Congress to include FOFA in the National Defense Authorization Act. You can read the letter here.