Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representative Young Kim (CA-40) joined Reps. Joe Neguse (CO-02), Marc Molinaro (NY-19), and Josh Harder (CA-09) to introduce the Cross Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act (H.R. 9703).
This bipartisan bill will help inform recommendations for improving the effectiveness and efficiency of wildfire mitigation by identifying gaps and opportunities in current federal rules and regulations and supporting increased collaboration across agencies and land boundaries.
“As we introduce this bill, firefighters are working around the clock to contain the Airport fire on federal land in the Cleveland National Forest in Trabuco Canyon and surrounding communities. We also recently saw how a fire miles away can negatively impact the air quality in our area,” said Rep. Young Kim. “Reducing barriers to wildfire mitigation can save lives. The Cross Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act aims to bridge any barriers to wildfire mitigation and ensure our first responders can do their jobs as effectively as possible. I am proud to co-lead this bipartisan, commonsense effort with Reps. Neguse, Molinaro, and Harder, and I will keep doing all I can to keep our communities safe and support first responders.”
Rep. Kim has been working tirelessly to improve wildfire mitigation efforts through efforts such as:
- Leading the bipartisan Wildfire Technology Demonstration, Evaluation, Modernization, and Optimization (DEMO) Act (H.R. 4235) to expand access to wildfire technologies;
- Helping introduce the Fire Weather Development Act (H.R. 4866), which passed the House and includes bipartisan bills Rep. Kim worked on to enhance wildfire detection capabilities and improve communications and information sharing efforts between first responders and community members;
- Introducing the Restoring Our Unopened Trails for Enjoyment and Safety (ROUTES) Act (H.R. 6994) to prioritize, streamline, and improve maintenance of federal trails, roads, campgrounds, and recreation sites damaged by certain natural disasters;
- Securing funding in FY22 appropriations for the City of Yorba Linda Water District to install an additional heli-hydrant and for the City of Chino Hills’ fuel reduction project for areas susceptible to wildfires;
- Increasing resources for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Urban Search & Rescue Response System (US&R) task forces, which are deployed to respond to natural disasters in California and across the nation;
- Adding language to the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2024 directing U.S. Forest Service to address deferred trail maintenance issues.
