{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/curtis-cortez-masto-introduce-bill-to-reduce-wildfire-risk-through-strategic-grazing", "CURTIS, CORTEZ MASTO INTRODUCE BILL TO REDUCE WILDFIRE RISK THROUGH STRATEGIC GRAZING", "2025-06-09", "2025", "2025-06", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John R. Curtis", "C001114", "www.curtis.senate.gov", "curtis", "https://www.curtis.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Washington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) introduced the Strategic Grazing to Reduce the Risk of Wildfire Act, bipartisan legislation to direct the Department of the Interior (DOI) and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to collaborate with grazing allotment holders, States, Tribes, and local fire departments to create a strategy to use targeted grazing to manage hazardous fuels and reduce risks from wildfires.\n\n\u201cUtah has already experienced 218 wildfires this year, marking a nearly 50% increase compared to this point last year,\u201d said Senator Curtis. \u201cWhile officials anticipate an above-average wildfire season, I am encouraged by proposals that include grazing and use of public lands for fire mitigation. Our bipartisan legislation will help empower local officials and fire crews to develop targeted strategies like these to manage hazardous fuels and decrease risks.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs the West continues to face the threat of wildfires, it\u2019s essential that we look for ways to protect our communities from devastation,\u201d said Senator Cortez Masto. \u201cThis bill takes a wildfire prevention and mitigation strategy that\u2019s been proven to work and puts it in place at the federal level. We must make sure there\u2019s an overarching plan to combat these fires that have become all too frequent.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nThe American West has long been prone to wildfires, but climate change, prolonged drought, and the buildup of dry fuels have increasingly intensified these fires and extended fire seasons. Wildfires today are more catastrophic\u2014growing larger, spreading faster, and burning more land than ever before.\n\nUtah saw a total of 1,244 wildfire reports in 2024\u2014a 54% increase from 2023 and the highest level the state has recorded since 2020. Nationwide, total acres burned rose from 2.7 million in 2023 to nearly 9 million in 2024, a 231% increase. In 2025, Utah has seen 218 wildfires\u2014a nearly 50% increase from the 147 fires recorded at this same time one year ago.\n\nPilot programs across the United States have shown that the use of strategic grazing can reduce hazardous fuels and slow the spread of a wildfire. The Strategic Grazing to Reduce the Risk of Wildfire Act directs federal agencies to consider the following in the development of the strategic grazing framework:\n\nTargeting specific high-risk areas for grazing\u2014especially those near populated areas.\n\nUsing temporary grazing permits to reduce risks caused by annual grasses or invasive grasses like cheatgrass that burn easily and help fires spread more quickly.\n\nRecommending the use of strategic grazing when providing technical assistance to communities and Tribes undertaking their own wildfire risk management projects.\n\nReimbursing States, local governments, Tribes, and local firefighting agencies who use strategic grazing on federal lands in coordination with federal land management agencies.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:34:38Z"]], "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://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/curtis-cortez-masto-introduce-bill-to-reduce-wildfire-risk-through-strategic-grazing"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.9794621728360653, "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"}