Megafire Action

The House today took a major step toward addressing America’s wildfire crisis by passing the bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA)—a bill developed with the policy expertise of Megafire Action. This legislation, co-sponsored by House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Scott Peters (D-CA), marks a critical federal victory in wildfire prevention and mitigation. It’s a moment we’ve been working toward, and we couldn’t be more proud to see this progress. What will FOFA do? • Streamline and expedite environmental reviews for forest management projects, reducing costs and planning times while maintaining strong environmental protections. • Create a centralized Fireshed Center to: • Analyze and predict fire risks in high-risk areas using integrated data. • Pre-position wildfire suppression resources based on real-time risk assessments. • Support post-fire recovery efforts, including ecosystem restoration. • Provide publicly accessible tools like fire weather forecasts, data models, and risk assessments. • Establish programs to modernize construction standards, update building codes, and invest in cutting-edge fire detection and suppression technologies for communities and tribes in high-risk areas. • Provide a clear framework for local communities to engage early and actively in wildfire project planning and implementation. • Clarify reimbursement processes for fire departments to ensure they are fairly compensated for wildfire costs. This legislation delivers practical, tangible solutions to strengthen our nation’s wildfire resilience. It addresses the broken systems that have left our forests vulnerable, our communities unprotected, and our firefighters overburdened. Thanks to our partners who worked with us to make this bill passage possible. Gabe Kleinman Michael Wara Kelly Martin Matt Weiner Eric Horne Teresa Feo James Campbell Kate Dargan Marquis Christopher Anthony Western Fire Chiefs Association Bob Horton Bob Roper Molly Hausmann Keith J. Masback Brian Collins Joy Ditto Paul Petersen Michael Dubin Bill Clerico Kim-Mai Cutler Brian Fennessy Dan Munsey, MPA, EFO, CFO Michael Morgan Now, the Senate has the opportunity to build on this momentum. Let’s make it happen!

We’re still reeling from the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. Members of our team have been directly affected and we have surveyed the destruction in person. Our hearts are with the victims, first responders, and communities facing this devastation. We have a responsibility to ensure our institutions are better equipped to handle the extreme conditions that drove these fires. Our first responders are the best in the world, but as our CEO @Matt Weiner told the LA Times, they are operating within systems that need urgent attention from policymakers: "We keep getting overwhelmed. And then our solution set is to look back to the exact systems that keep failing us.” The Los Angeles Times highlighted Congress’ recognition of the urgent need for change. The Fix Our Forests Act isn’t a silver bullet that would have prevented the devastation in LA, but it’s a meaningful step in the right direction—cutting through bureaucracy, prioritizing science-backed solutions, and enabling communities to act before disaster strikes. We continue to work tirelessly to strengthen this legislation and push for bold, practical solutions to meet the moment. This is only the beginning and we’ll have more to share soon. Matt Weiner https://lnkd.in/gdWwEfxd

We appreciate Blockdaemon for including the need to bolster policy transformation in soliciting support for these devastating fires. Our hearts go out to those affected, and we are grateful to the firefighters fighting these fires and all who protect our communities. Gabe Kleinman Matt Weiner Christopher Anthony Kate Dargan Marquis Eric Horne Teresa Feo Kelly Martin Michael Wara Bill Clerico Joy Ditto

Fire as a Force For Good - great read from the National Wildlife Federation https://lnkd.in/gd5E5gRu

🔥 This recent article from the Atlantic Council calls for a unified, coordinated response to wildfires—a call we at Megafire Action wholeheartedly support. In our piece on establishing a Wildfire Intelligence Center, we outlined a vision for precisely the kind of interagency collaboration, real-time data integration, and technological innovation that the Atlantic Council highlights. Creating a central hub to synthesize intelligence across federal, state, and local levels would allow for faster responses, more efficient resource deployment, and better predictive capabilities, ultimately saving lives, homes, and ecosystems. We are proud to see this dialogue gaining momentum and stand ready to collaborate with other organizations on turning these ideas into action. https://lnkd.in/gy6xdxaA Dan Hart Matt Weiner Joy Ditto Eric Horne Teresa Feo Molly Hausmann Keith J. Masback Brian Collins Karen O'Connor Kate Dargan Marquis Dan Munsey, MPA, EFO, CFO Christopher Anthony

Excited to help start a trade group for Firetech companies alongside friends like Matt Weiner, Molly Hausmann, Timothy Barat, Sonia Kastner, Jason Brooks, Jonny Dyer & Maxwell Brodie. https://lnkd.in/euRXtr-x cc: Pano AI Gridware Fire Aside Muon Space Convective Capital

News! Megafire Action is launching a trade association to ensure #firetech companies get their products on the ground (and in the air) faster. All the props go to Matt Weiner and Bill Clerico for their tireless work, and especially Bill Clerico Convective Capital alongside Genevieve Biggs Kate Dargan Marquis Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for the colossal success of #RedSkySummit2024! (Also a homecoming of sorts for the amazing Megafire Action team and board Molly Hausmann Teresa Feo Eric Horne Michael Wara Kim-Mai Cutler) Politico story here: https://lnkd.in/gjGzJ3WH

Yesterday Congress took a historic step toward addressing the megafire crisis as the House passed H.R. 8790, the Fix Our Forests Act on a robust bipartisan vote (268-151). House passage of this bipartisan bill is a resounding victory for proponents of pragmatic policy solutions to end the megafire crisis and we will continue working to improve the bill as we look ahead to the Senate. Amongst other things, the Fix Our Forests Act: - Establishes the Fireshed Center – a transformative joint office between the Forest Service and USGS – to help modernize wildfire decision making and break down information barriers across all of government  - Accelerates urgent forest management projects while maintaining critical environmental protections by expanding categorical exclusions to 10,000 acres (requested by state governments, including California) - Helps our wildland firefighters and their families by establishing a casualty assistance program at DOI - Recognizes the role that natural fire and cultural/prescribed fire play in healthy ecosystems and emphasizes the need for Tribal partnerships and sovereignty - Includes a pilot program for innovative wildfire mitigation technologies and invests in improved biochar utilization Check out our 2-minute highlight reel to learn more about the Fix Our Forests Act and for a special shoutout to Megafire Action from the House floor! Gabe Kleinman Kate Dargan Marquis Kim-Mai Cutler Bill Clerico Kelly Martin Matt Weiner Eric Horne Teresa Feo Molly Hausmann James Campbell Shefali Juneja Lakhina, PhD Maxwell Brodie Daniel Wholey Timothy Barat Jonny Dyer Gregory Smirin Brian Collins Scott Conway Jason Brooks Peter Ambler Sonia Kastner Bryan Spear Bob Roper Bob Horton Ken Kehmna Rachael Brady

Breakthroughs on the horizon - happy to support Earth Fire Alliance on this intelligence endeavor. "There's got to be a better way" ~ Kate Dargan Marquis Matt Weiner Gabe Kleinman Kelly Martin Kim-Mai Cutler

In his latest piece, our National Policy Director Eric Horne underscores the critical need for a federal Wildfire Intelligence Center to revolutionize how we respond to wildfires. As a top priority for Megafire Action, the Center would leverage cutting-edge technology to support real-time decision-making across all levels of government and all phases of the fire cycle. With growing momentum in Congress, Megafire Action is poised to play a prominent role in bringing the Center to life. https://lnkd.in/gaJher4H Gabe Kleinman Kate Dargan Marquis Matt Weiner Eric Horne Teresa Feo Kelly Martin Keith J. Masback Brian Collins