{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://blakemoore.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-blake-moore-and-utah-delegation-introduce-bill-to-support-wildfire-prevention", "Congressman Blake Moore and Utah Delegation Introduce Bill to Support Wildfire Prevention", "2025-02-11", "2025", "2025-02", "Republican", "House", "UT", "Blake D. Moore", "M001213", "blakemoore.house.gov", "blakemoore", "https://blakemoore.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "WASHINGTON\u00ad\u2013 Congressman Blake Moore (UT-01), Congressman Mike Kennedy (UT-03), Congressman Burgess Owens (UT-04), and Congresswoman Celeste Maloy (UT-02) joined Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Mike Lee (UT) and Senator John Curtis (UT) in introducing the Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act.\n\nThis bill establishes a federal wildfire research institute at Utah State University to study wildfire ecology and develop innovative solutions to reduce wildfire risks. The institute will collaborate with local, state, and federal partners to improve forest and rangeland management and implement strategies for long-term ecological restoration.\n\n\u201cThis bill will establish a wildfire research institute in the First District where experts and officials can come together and create innovative solutions to keep our forests and communities safe,\u201d said Congressman Moore. \u201cAs the west continues to struggle with devastating wildfires, this effort will help ensure that Utah has resources to research and collaborate on wildfire mitigation, forest management, and watershed projects.\u201d\n\n\"Robust forest management strategies are essential to protecting Utah\u2019s millions of acres of forests from catastrophic wildfires,\u201d said Chairman Lee. \u201cThe Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act will significantly enhance our state's wildfire preparedness by bolstering the tools and resources available to proactively manage and protect our forests and communities.\u201d\n\n\u201cWildfires have increasingly devastated Utah communities, threatened homes, and scarred our cherished lands,\u201d said Senator Curtis. \u201cThe Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act ensures Utah has the cutting-edge research and proactive solutions it needs to better prevent and mitigate fires\u2014protecting our families, forests, and way of life.\u201d\n\n\u201cI am proud to be the House sponsor of this bill. The Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act of 2025 will drive critical research to develop and sustain fire-resilient forests, safeguarding our communities,\u201d said Congressman Kennedy. \u201cBy implementing proven best practices, we anticipate reducing the strain on our firefighters and emergency services, who tirelessly protect both Utah's forests and its residents.\u201d\n\n\"Utah has long been at the forefront of responsible resource management, and it\u2019s time for our state to be included in efforts to prevent wildfires and protect our forests,\u201d said Congressman Owens. \u201cBy establishing the Utah Wildfire Research Institute, we\u2019ll harness local expertise, collaborate with national partners, and strengthen our ability to tackle one of the most pressing issues facing the West.\u201d\n\n\"Utah responsibly manages its forest land in collaboration with partners at the local and federal levels to prevent and limit the spread of wildfires,\u201d said Congresswoman Maloy. \u201cThis legislation will provide the state with additional resources to build off its existing efforts and increase resiliency. I'm proud to cosponsor this legislation alongside my colleagues in the Utah delegation.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nThis bill amends the Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention Act of 2004 to include Utah as a fourth location for the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes alongside Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado.\n\nIt creates an institute at a Utah State University to research and collaborate with partners on projects promoting healthy forests, wildfire prevention, and resilient water supplies.\n\nIt directs the Chief of the Forest Service and the Secretary of the Interior to designate a university in Utah to host the institute.\n\nThis legislation requires Utah State University to receive a share of the annually appropriated sums for the program under the Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention Act.\n\nThe text of this bill can be found here.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T23:42:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://blakemoore.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-blake-moore-and-utah-delegation-introduce-bill-to-support-wildfire-prevention"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.2908540666103363, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}