Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes several programs and requirements to address wildfire forecasting, detection, and management, particularly with respect to interagency collaboration.

Highlights:

• Establishes several programs and requirements to address wildfire forecasting, detection, and management, particularly with respect to interagency collaboration (Sec. 2-7).

• Requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a program to improve collaboration between federal, state, and local entities with respect to wildfire management with the goals of improving communication about the following (Sec. 2-7):

• Wildfire spread;

• Earlier detection of wildfires; and

• Better understanding of the impact of climate change on fire weather environments.

• Specifies that authorized activities shall include (Sec. 2-7):

• Research and development of communication tools;

• Modeling systems and other relevant technology to help with wildfire management; and 

• Education and training for researchers and enhancing data sharing capabilities between agencies.

• Requires the NOAA contract with private sector entities to obtain additional airborne and space-based data to support wildfire prediction and monitoring and conduct pilot programs to test the use of unmanned aircraft systems for fire weather observations (Sec. 2-7).

• Establishes the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Wildfires to assist state and local agencies with wildfire management while avoiding duplication of activities and the National Advisory Committee on Wildfires to advise the coordinating committee and other relevant entities on wildfire management (Sec. 2-7)

• Exempts incident meteorologists of the National Weather Service from premium pay limitations when responding to emergency wildfires (Sec. 2-7).

• Requires the National Institute of Standards and Technology to recommend ways to improve the standards of communication between wildfire first responders and fire management response officials (Sec. 2-7).

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text