WASHINGTON — Rep. John Curtis, R-Utah, announced this week he has co-founded a new congressional group that will advocate for wildfire prevention, relief and mitigation programs on Capitol Hill.
The Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus was formed by Curtis and Colorado Democrat Joe Neguse, and its inaugural crop of members will also include Utah Reps. Blake Moore and Chris Stewart.
Curtis and Neguse have already introduced wildfire-related legislation as part of the rollout, called the Wildfire Recovery Act. The bill is designed to "increase flexibility in the federal cost share" for wildfire recovery grants to communities.
"Many of Utah's most fire-prone communities face significant roadblocks when attempting to access disaster relief funds following a wildfire because FEMA lacks the flexibility that they need to quickly start recovery projects and guard against future disasters," Curtis said in a Tuesday news release. "I am proud to partner with my friend and Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus co-chair, Congressman Neguse, to introduce the Wildfire Recovery Act which will provide the needed flexibility to FEMA to get funding and recovery assistance on the ground as quickly as possible. I look forward to continuing to advance meaningful bipartisan wildfire-related legislation and am proud to have co-founded the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus to do just that with a group of members who understand the impacts of wildfires back home and are equally committed to finding solutions."