About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 1 (July 27, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdbbg0001 and id is 1 raw text is: FF. ' riE -E-'- r h ,i , Updated July 27, 2020 Federal Assistance for Wildfire Response and Recovery Wildfires are unplanned and unwanted fires. Wildfires can have some beneficial impacts on an ecosystem, but they often threaten homes and communities, forcing the evacuation of thousands of people. Wildfires are sometimes caused by lightning strikes and may also occur when a prescribed burn escapes control or through other human activities (deliberate or accidental). From 2010 through 2019, wildfires burned 6.8 million acres annually on average in the United States. In 2019, more than 50,000 wildfires burned 4.7 million acres, more than half of which were in Alaska. In 2018, wildfires destroyed nearly 25,800 structures nationwide. More than 70% (18,130) of the structures were residences. Approximately 94% (17,130) of the structures were in California. Congress and other stakeholders have considered options for federal support and assistance to address wildfire suppression during a fire, post-wildfire recovery, and land management activities to reduce the risk of future catastrophic wildfires. The federal government is responsible for responding to wildfires that begin on federal lands. The Department of the Interior (DOI) manages wildfire response for more than 400 million acres of national parks, wildlife refuges and preserves, other public lands, and Indian reservations. The Forest Service (FS), within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), manages wildfire response across the 193 million acres of the National Forest System. Federal responsibility for wildfire suppression is intended to protect lives, property, and resources on federal lands. Federal wildfire policy is to evaluate the risks to firefighter and public safety and welfare and to natural, ecological, and cultural values to be protected to determine the appropriate response to wildfire. Depending on the risk assessment, the federal response may range from active suppression to monitoring, as supported by the area's land and resource management plans. States are responsible for suppressing wildfires on nonfederal (state, local, and private) lands, although the response may be managed jointly for comingled land ownership (including federal lands). The federal government supports the states in several ways. Many states have partnerships with federal agencies to provide wildfire suppression services through cooperative fire protection agreements. These agreements authorize federal and state partners to share resources such as aviation equipment and personnel-during a wildfire season, allowing for a coordinated interagency response that deploys resources to areas of greatest critical need. The National Multi-Agency Coordination Group (NMAC), located at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, ID, coordinates and allocates federal, state, and private forces (as well as the military, when called upon) and resources at a national level. Geographic Area Coordination Centers (GACCs) coordinate and allocate resources at 10 regional levels. The cost of these resources is then reimbursed as specified in the cooperative fire protection master agreement, which often lists several different methods to apportion costs, each with different financial impacts. A state may also request assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) of the Department of Homeland Security for wildfires that began on state or private lands. A governor could request an emergency declaration when a wildfire is burning out of control and threatens to become a major disaster. However, the most frequent assistance provided at this stage from FEMA is through the Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs) as authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act, 42 U.S.C. §5271 et seq.). Once issued, an FMAG declaration authorizes various forms of federal assistance such as equipment, personnel, and grants to state, local, and tribal governments for the control, management, and mitigation of any fire on certain public or private forest land or grassland that might become a major disaster. The grants may reimburse up to 75% of the allowable suppression costs for eligible fires. FMAG declarations, unlike some major disaster declarations, do not authorize assistance to individuals and households. A state or tribe may also request that the President declare the wildfire a major disaster under the Stafford Act, authorizing other assistance and recovery programs, including assistance to individuals and households. The federal government also supports state and local efforts to evacuate areas threatened by wildfires. A presidential declaration triggers federal aid to protect property and public health and safety while attempting to preserve state autonomy and responsibility. The National Planning Frameworks, required to be created in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, guide FEMA on how to assist state and local agencies with emergencies and disasters, including wildfires. Information on active wildfires may be found at https://inciweb.nwcg.gov. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presents several interrelated challenges for wildland fire management. Wildland fire response typically involves activities and conditions that can facilitate the transmission of infectious diseases such as COVID-19. For example, wildland firefighters and other support personnel work and live in close proximity to each other during an active fire, and fire crews often travel to and from different states over the course of a fire season. In addition, exposure to wildfire K~:> gognpo ' -pmm ggmm g , q 'S a X 11LULKWALiN,

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most