U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has authorized federal funds to help with the costs the State of Montana incurs in firefighting efforts for the Huff, Bobcat and Snider/Rice fires.
“This critical funding will provide our brave firefighters, first responders and local officials the resources they need to fight and contain wildfires in Garfield, Musselshell, Yellowstone, Rosebud, Custer and Powder River Counties,” Daines said. “I will continue working to prioritize the safety of our communities and provide the resources needed to stop the spread of wildfires and prevent them in the first place.”
This funding will reimburse up to 75 percent of Montana’s eligible firefighting costs under an approved grant for managing, mitigating and controlling designated fires.
FEMA’s Fire Management Assistance Grants are provided through the President’s Disaster Relief Fund and are made available by FEMA to assist in fighting fires that threaten to cause a major disaster.
Additional funding is also made available through the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) Post Fire with the FMAG authorization. These funds can go towards fire mitigation projects and under Senator Daines’ bipartisan bill, the Emergency Wildfire and Public Safety Act, counties and other entities could use these funds to underground or install fire-resistant wires to prevent future fires.
For more information on the funding, click HERE.
Background:
Daines has been a leading voice in the United States Senate working to mitigate the spread of wildfires in Montana, his recent actions include:
On August 20th, 2020, Daines sent a letter to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee calling for a hearing as soon as possible on his bipartisan forest management reform legislation.
On August 17th, 2020, Daines hosted a roundtable discussion with local Montana leaders, conservation groups, leaders in the timber industry, and fire officials on his bipartisan forest management reform bill at Flathead National Forest.
On August 5th, 2020, Daines introduced a major, bipartisan forest management reform bill. The bipartisan bill increases active management of federal forests, cuts red tape, reduced frivolous litigation and gives the U.S. Forest Service the tools to protect communities from deadly wildfires.
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