The Department of the Interior (DOI) has released information on how the funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal will be allocated for wildfire efforts.
Over the next five years, DOI will receive $1.5 billion for wildland management to reduce the risk of, prepare for and respond to wildfires and support post-fire recovery in communities. According to Erin McDuff, a public affairs specialist with DOI’s Office of Wildland Fire, the department will spend an additional $407 million on fire management in 2022.
With the additional funds provided by the infrastructure bill, over the next five years, the projects include:
• $878 million for improving fuel management and ecosystem health.
• $325 million for burned area restoration activities.
• $164 million for workforce improvements, including compensation, benefits, mental health resources and training for firefighters.
• $72 million on technology and equipment to detect and respond to wildfires.
• $10 million for the Joint Fire Science Program to support fire science research.
The four agencies responsible for wildfire management (the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs) will work with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to develop plans to implement fuel management and wildfire control efforts. USFS received $3 billion from the infrastructure bill for federal wildland fire management efforts over the next five years.
“We are focused on implementing these significant investments in forest and rangeland restoration, hazardous fuel management, wildfire preparation, and post-wildfire recovery as quickly and efficiently as possible,” McDuff wrote. “The (Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal) includes aggressive timelines, which we are prepared to meet, and we will share updates throughout the year as our work progresses.” —Charles Wallace, WLJ editor
