Central Montana Times

U.S. Senator Steve Daines has introduced two bipartisan bills aimed at addressing the threat of catastrophic wildfires in Montana and enhancing resilience efforts. The first piece of legislation, the "Wildfire Emergency Act," focuses on promoting forest restoration, firefighter training, and energy resilience retrofits. The second bill, known as the "Fire-Safe Electrical Corridors Act," seeks to streamline the process for removing vegetation near power lines.

"Montanans are tired of breathing in smoke, and this bipartisan legislation is a commonsense step forward in mitigating the effects of wildfires and stopping the problem at the root. I’ll always look for measures to strengthen fire resilience both in Montana and across the country," said Daines.

The "Fire-Safe Electrical Corridors Act" proposes that the U.S. Forest Service be allowed to approve tree and vegetation removal near power lines on federal forest lands without necessitating a timber sale.

The "Wildfire Emergency Act" aims to ensure that departments such as Agriculture, Energy (DOE), and Interior are better equipped to mitigate wildfire risks and impacts.