Heller Urges FEMA to Reconsider Criteria for Wildfire Assistance Grants Following Nevada’s Denied Requests

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In light of the state of Nevada’s recent denied request for resources to help fight the South Sugarloaf Fire, U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) is urging the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) to reconsider the criteria required to qualify for wildfire assistance grants through the Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) program. The South Sugarloaf Fire has already ravaged 237,000 acres across Nevada, threatening private property and public lands used for grazing, recreation, and other purposes.

“While I am a strong supporter of FMAG and its benefits to my state, it seems clear that some of the criteria used to determine eligibility for the FMAG program may put my state’s rural communities at a disadvantage,” wrote Heller. “In order to qualify for FMAG, your agency requires a threat to lives and property, including threats to critical infrastructure and critical watershed areas.  As the Senior Senator from a state that is 85 percent managed by the federal government, many of my constituents rely on federal lands for their livelihood.  I respectfully ask that your agency take into consideration the severe consequences of wildfire on our public lands, including the loss of lands for grazing, energy development, and any other factor that would have an economic impact on Nevadans.”

Heller, a senior member of the Senate Western Caucus, has long worked to ensure that Nevada’s ranchers, local governments, and federal agencies have the adequate tools to prevent and suppress devastating wildfires. Last week, Heller urged the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources to hold a hearing to continue discussing forestry reform solutions to prevent future deadly blazes.

In addition, the U.S. Senate recently passed a provision that Heller authored to increase funding for cross boundary fire control by $5 million. Heller has also promoted innovated fire prevention technologies, such as the AlertTahoe Fire monitoring and Early Detection Warning System. Last month, Heller announced that he secured $226,000 to install new AlertTahoe cameras, which will help detect fires and further protect the Lake Tahoe Basin from catastrophic damage.

The full text of the letter can be found below:

Dear Administrator Long,

I write to you today in the midst of one of the worst fire seasons on record to share my concerns with the eligibility criteria for a wildfire to qualify for assistance under the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s (FEMA’s) Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) program.

As of today, 523 fires have burned or are currently burning across my state, accounting for over one million acres of damage to public lands, grazing allotments, and private property. The South Sugarloaf Fire has already ravaged 237,000 acres across Nevada and is less than 50 percent contained, threatening private property and public lands used for grazing, recreation, and other purposes.

During Nevada’s previous fire seasons, the FMAG program has been an important component of fire recovery, including last year’s Oil Well Fire near Elko, Nevada. The Oil Well fire shut down highways and threatened homes and property, and I am grateful that FEMA approved an FMAG declaration to help northeastern Nevada recover.

While I am a strong supporter of FMAG and its benefits to my state, it seems clear that some of the criteria used to determine eligibility for the FMAG program may put my state’s rural communities at a disadvantage. In order to qualify for FMAG, your agency requires a threat to lives and property, including threats to critical infrastructure and critical watershed areas.  As the Senior Senator from a state that is 85 percent managed by the federal government, many of my constituents rely on federal lands for their livelihood.  I respectfully ask that your agency take into consideration the severe consequences of wildfire on our public lands, including the loss of lands for grazing, energy development, and any other factor that would have an economic impact on Nevadans.

During this brutal fire season, it is imperative that western states like Nevada have access to critical resources, like the FMAG program, when looking to combat and suppress wildfires.  As a lifelong Nevadan, I look forward to working with you on this issue to ensure that FEMA’s policies and procedures are beneficial to all Americans, including western states like Nevada.

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