Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Representatives Young Kim (CA-40) and Dave Min (CA-47) introduced the Building Resiliency and Understanding of Shrublands to Halt (BRUSH) Fires Act. Elex Michaelson with Fox 11 News first reported on the bipartisan effort. Watch here.
This bipartisan bill aims to evaluate and boost wildfire mitigation efforts in shrubland ecosystems and ensure land managers and first responders have the tools necessary to combat extreme brush fires.
“My community faced the wrath of the Airport Fire that burned nearly 24,000 acres less than a year ago. The more we fact find from past wildfires, the better we can ensure our first responders are prepared for future wildfires,” said Congresswoman Kim, who represents the canyon communities under U.S. Forest Service – Cleveland National Forest. “We must do all we can to support our first responders running into harm’s way to keep us safe, which is why I’m proud to join fellow Orange County Rep. Dave Min to lead the BRUSH Fires Act.”
“The recent LA wildfires illustrated the massive and unique wildfire risks that Southern California communities face,” said Rep. Min. “As climate change has accelerated, the annual Santa Ana winds are blowing more fiercely and the foliage is drier than it’s ever been, creating the conditions every year for ever more intense wildfires. I’m pleased to be leading this bipartisan effort to make Orange County safer.”
“We appreciate the leadership of Representatives Min and Kim in the introduction of the BRUSH Fires Act,” said Scott Morrson, California State Director of the Nature Conservancy. “Shrubland ecosystems are different than forests. Therefore, they require different strategies to mitigate the risk that wildfires pose. These strategies should be based in science. In California, shrubland ecosystems are biodiversity hotspots and home to millions of people, and to plants and animals that exist nowhere else on earth. Human-caused ignitions are now the leading cause of fires, with wind-driven embers starting fires far ahead of the fire front, damaging ecosystems while putting millions of lives at risk. To be effective, any approach to mitigating the risk of fire to people and structures must be based on sound science and will require collaboration between agencies at different levels of government.”
Specifically, the BRUSH Fires Act would direct the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to:
- Evaluate the effectiveness of its wildfire mitigation methods in shrubland ecosystems; and,
- Submit and make publicly available a report to Congress that summarizes findings, identifies steps that USFS is taking to update its operational practices and protocols, and evaluates opportunities to improve coordination with non-federal entities in highest-risk areas.
The bill is endorsed by the Nature Conservancy, the California Fire Chiefs Association, Endangered Habitats League, California Chaparral Institute, and Irvine Ranch Conservancy.
Bill text and additional background can be found here.
