Garamendi, Curtis, Romney, Bennett Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Emergency Wildfire Cleanup Bill

Statement

Today, Representative John Curtis (R-UT), Deputy Republican Leader of the National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee on the House Natural Resources Committee, along with Representative John Garamendi (D-CA) and Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the Making Access to Cleanup Happen (MATCH) Act.

"After a wildfire disaster, the land is left at its most vulnerable. Rehabilitation and protection efforts must be quickly implemented to guard against further damage, and in most cases, the workload continues to increase as a project waits for the federal government's approval," said Curtis. "I am proud to introduce theMaking Access To Cleanup Happen (MATCH) Act to allow certain watershed rehabilitation work, carried out by a sponsor before the Emergency Watershed Protection project is approved, count toward the sponsor's required financial contribution to the overall project. This change will allow communities the flexibility that they need to recover from wildfire more quickly without using any additional taxpayer dollars."

"California is experiencing historically devastating wildfires with regularity and a year-long wildfire season. We must take forward-thinking steps to recover from wildfires as quickly as possible to support our communities. The MATCH Act takes critical steps to prioritize wildfire prevention and recovery, and I am proud to support this legislation," Garamendi said.

"After seeing the many bureaucratic hurdles communities in Utah and Duchesne counties faced after the wildfires of 2018, Congressman Curtis and I are advocating on behalf of local leaders to streamline the mitigation process," Romney said. "Our legislation will cut through the red tape that local communities face in the aftermath of wildfires to make it easier for them to recover."

"Communities that take steps to mitigate damage in the wake of destructive fires deserve a reliable partner in the federal government. The Emergency Watershed Protection Program is a valuable tool for post-fire recovery in Colorado and throughout the West, but communities often face significant hurdles accessing funding quickly," said Bennet. "This bipartisan, bicameral bill help relieve some of the burden on local project sponsors and improve the effectiveness of EWP for wildfire recovery."