The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee has advanced Sen. Alex Padilla’s Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act, a bipartisan measure meant to make prescribed fire easier to use and to help communities plan for smoke.
The committee approved the bill unanimously. Padilla, a California Democrat who sits on that panel and on Energy and Natural Resources, said the vote was meant to shift federal practice from cleanup after fires to work before they start.
“Year after year, increasingly devastating wildfires ravage our public lands and communities, so it’s critical we act with urgency,” said Senator Padilla. “Today’s unanimous Committee vote to advance WEPA will allow more prescribed fire to be deployed on the landscape and help prevent or mitigate wildfires. I am proud to see our bill advance as we work to be proactive in responding to the wildfire crisis instead of waiting to respond after disaster strikes.”
According to his office, the bill would give states assurance they will not be penalized for wildfire-prevention burns and would authorize help for communities that have to plan around smoke. Padilla said prescribed fire can cut later wildfire emissions, protect habitat and reduce risk to towns near federal forests.
At a separate Energy and Natural Resources hearing, he pushed the bipartisan Save Our Sequoias Act, which would speed restoration in giant sequoia groves threatened by fire, insects and disease.
“Giant sequoias are one of the most iconic species in the world and are only found in roughly 70 groves across California,” said Senator Padilla. “However, due to dangerous fuel buildups and increasingly devastating wildfires, nearly 20% of these ancient trees have been lost over the past decade. This bill would accelerate forest restoration efforts and provide important resources to land managers to guard these groves from further destruction.”
Committee passage is not final enactment. Both measures still need full Senate action and a path through the House before they could become law.
