Skip to main content
HR 5648 110th Congress House Public Lands and Natural Resources Congress Congressional reporting requirements Economics and Public Finance Emergency Management Federal budgets Federal-state relations Fire prevention Forest fires Forest management Government Operations and Politics Government trust funds Grants-in-aid Maps Reforestation

Emergency Wildland Fire Response Act of 2008

Introduced: March 14, 2008 See on congress.gov
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Nov 19, 2008
Referred to the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry.
Apr 10, 2008
Committee Hearings Held.
Mar 14, 2008
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Mar 14, 2008
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E415-416)
Mar 14, 2008
Introduced in House
 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Emergency Wildland Fire Response Act of 2008 - Establishes a Federal Wildland Fire Emergency Suppression Fund to cover the costs of federal wildland fire suppression activities associated with a declared emergency wildland fire incident.

Sets forth the criteria for which declarations of emergency wildland fire incidents may be made under this Act. Requires a declaration of such an incident to only be made by the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of the Interior, or a designee of the Secretary concerned at the subcabinet level.

Allows the Secretary concerned to only access the Fund if the President's annual budget requested funds for wildland fire operations amounting to at least the ten-fiscal year average of expenditures for wildland fire operations.

Requires the Secretaries to jointly report every six months on expenditures from and deposits to the Fund.

Permits any excess funds for wildland fire operations to be transferred to support reforestation and rehabilitation of forests following wildland fires. Limits the areas in which such funds may be expended.

Requires review of wildfire incidents resulting in expenses greater than $10 million.

Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to develop a national map of landscape areas most at risk of wildfire and in need of hazardous fuel treatment and maintenance.

Authorizes such Secretary to: (1) provide cost-share grants to fire-ready communities to increase their capacity to defend against wildland fire; and (2) enter into contracts or cooperative agreements with a State Forester or equivalent official to implement good neighbor projects on such lands.

What's happening now November 19, 2008

Referred to the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
 Cosponsors 1
All 1 Democratic 1