{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://maloy.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=69", "Maloy and Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Protect Watersheds After Wildfires in National Forests", "2024-02-08", "2024", "2024-02", "Republican", "House", "UT", "Celeste Maloy", "M001228", "maloy.house.gov", "maloy", "https://maloy.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2014 Yesterday, Representatives Celeste Maloy (R-UT), Joe Neguse (D-CO), John Curtis (R-UT), and Yadira Caraveo (D-CO) alongside Senators Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced the Watershed Protection and Forest Recovery Act. This bill would create a new Emergency Forest Watershed Program at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to streamline recovery efforts after natural disasters on U.S. Forest Service (USFS) lands and safeguard water users downstream.\n\n\u201cWildfires threaten Utah communities and their water supply every year,\u201d said Rep. Maloy. \u201cA new Emergency Forest Watershed Program will be instrumental in protecting Utah\u2019s private property and our water resources on U.S. Forest Service lands following such natural disasters. I\u2019m proud to sponsor this bill in the House to help mitigate those damage and recovery costs moving forward.\u201d\n\n\u201cAcross the West, our communities continue to grapple with devastating wildfires,\u201d said Rep. Neguse. \u201cThese wildfires put watersheds and the drinking water supplies for many of our communities at risk. Our bill, the Watershed Protection and Forest Recovery Act, aims to ensure that critical federal resources are available to assist communities address these watershed risks in the aftermath of catastrophic wildfires.\u201d\n\n\"In the face of devastating wildfires across the West, it's clear we need a unified approach to protect our vital water resources,\u201d said Rep. Curtis. \u201cThe Watershed Protection and Forest Recovery Act bridges critical gaps, ensuring swift, effective recovery efforts for our national forests and safeguarding the water supply for communities downstream. I'm proud to support this essential legislation, reinforcing our commitment to the health of our watersheds and the safety of Utahns.\"\n\n\u201cProtecting our watersheds is a commitment to safeguarding the very existence of our communities in Colorado. Unfortunately, wildfires, rainfall and changing climate are threatening the stability of the water in our state,\u201d said Rep. Caraveo. \u201cI am glad to co-lead the Watershed Protection and Forest Recovery Act to help in the restoration and protection of the natural resources that provide drinking water for communities like the city of Greeley, and surrounding communities in Northern Colorado I am proud to represent.\u201d\n\n\u201cOver the last several years in Utah, we have seen the need for a program to streamline the funding process that restores water resources on U.S. Forest Service land. This was evidenced during recovery efforts from the Dollar Ridge Fire in 2018 when the Central Utah Water Conservancy District faced major obstacles in repairing its facilities. I\u2019m pleased to team up with my colleagues to introduce the Watershed Protection and Forest Recovery Act to help our communities more efficiently recover from wildfires,\u201d said Sen. Romney.\n\n\u201cWe need to make it easier for local water managers and the U.S. Forest Service to collaborate to restore the health of our watersheds following a natural disaster,\u201d said Sen. Bennet. \u201cThis common-sense bill cuts red tape and helps ensure that communities and landscapes recovering from wildfires don\u2019t face unnecessary hurdles in their efforts to protect their drinking water.\u201d\n\nThis bill would:\n\nCreate the Emergency Forest Watershed Program and authorize watershed recovery protection measures.\n\nAllow Tribes, States, local governments, and water providers to enter into agreements with USFS to implement watershed recovery protection measures.\n\nSpeed up project timelines by minimizing environmental reviews and requiring recovery work be completed within two years after the natural disaster.\n\nFully fund projects on federal lands by waiving matching requirements.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-07T20:21:00Z"]], "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://maloy.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=69"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8440138772130013, "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"}