Utah Valley Times

U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) was honored with the National Emergency Management Association’s annual “Legislative Achievement Award” for his work on the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission. The award was presented to Senator Romney by Kathy Holder, the State Hazard Mitigation Officer at Utah’s Department of Public Safety and a member of the Wildfire Commission.

"Modernizing federal wildfire policies has become a national priority. What once was largely an issue for dry, western states—like Utah—wildfires now impact communities all across our country," said Senator Romney. “A few years ago, Senator Kelly, Congressman Curtis, and I identified the need for a commission of federal and non-federal stakeholders to study and recommend wildfire prevention and mitigation policies, which led to the creation of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission."

The Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, initiated by Senators Romney and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Representative John Curtis (R-UT), focuses on recommending fire prevention, mitigation, management, and rehabilitation policies for forests and grasslands. The Commission was established after Romney ensured its inclusion in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

In February 2023, the Commission submitted its first report to Congress, outlining a strategy to meet aerial firefighting equipment needs through 2030. Last September, the Commission released its second and final report stressing the urgency of enhanced coordination between federal and local wildfire agencies, the significance of beneficial fires like prescribed burning, and the necessity for increased investment in proactive pre-fire and post-fire planning and mitigation.