Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act of 2023

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3389) to require the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, and the Secretary of the Interior to conduct an evaluation with respect to the use of the container aerial firefighting system (CAFFS), and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3389, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I strongly support Congressman Valadao's bill, the Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act of 2023.

This legislation, rightly named, has the potential to provide another tool in the toolbox for addressing the catastrophic wildfire crisis. Americans have tragically grown accustomed to increasingly severe wildfire years that are lasting longer and producing more destruction than ever before. This summer, devastating wildfires impacted the community of Lahaina on the island of Maui, devastation I saw firsthand along with several of my colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

Unfortunately, the reality is that decades of inadequate forest management have created an unprecedented forest health crisis. Across the U.S., there are now 1 billion acres of at-risk land for wildfire. In the absence of dramatic change, the future outlook remains bleak.

When it comes to fighting these out-of-control infernos, we simply don't have the luxury of ignoring potential new technologies that could improve the cost efficiency or effectiveness of suppressing fires.

It is critical that wildland firefighting agencies have all tools and methods available to them to fight fires and protect lives and property. Aircraft and helicopters provide lifesaving support to ground crews, often by delivering water or fire retardant. In order to drop water or fire retardant from a plane or helicopter, the aircraft must be designed or retrofitted for such purposes, limiting the number of aircraft that are available.

Mr. Valadao has worked with various stakeholders who have developed and improved a container aerial firefighting system to drop water and fire retardant from aircraft via disposable containers. This technology could decrease the response time to wildfires by increasing the number of aircraft available, thus saving more lives and more structures. This technology is not new. However, the system has not been recently studied by the wildland firefighting agencies.

H.R. 3389 would require the U.S. Forest Service and Department of the Interior to conduct an evaluation on the use of container aerial firefighting systems in response to wildfires. The evaluation will focus on effectiveness, cost, ease of delivery, and safety.

Directing our wildfire fighting agencies to study new and emerging technology is a win for the wildland firefighting crews and a win for those who live in fire-prone areas.

I applaud Congressman Valadao for his leadership on this important topic. He is a leader on bipartisan solutions that meaningfully improve forest health and reduce wildfires.

Mr. Speaker, I support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Agriculture,

Washington, DC, September 5, 2023.

Hon. Bruce Westerman,

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,

Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: This letter confirms our mutual

understanding regarding H.R. 3389, the ``Emergency Wildfire

Fighting Technology Act of 2023''. Thank you for

collaborating with the Committee on Agriculture on the

matters within our jurisdiction.

The Committee on Agriculture will forego any further

consideration of this bill. However, by foregoing

consideration at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction

over any subject matter contained in this or similar

legislation. The Committee on Agriculture also reserves the

right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of

conferees should it become necessary and ask that you support

such a request.

We would appreciate a response to this letter confirming

this understanding with respect to H.R. 3389 and request a

copy of our letters on this matter be published in the

Congressional Record during Floor consideration.

Sincerely,

Glenn ``GT'' Thompson,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Valadao), the lead sponsor of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I again thank Mr. Valadao for bringing this important piece of legislation. I thank the ranking member and the minority for their support on this bill.

Again, we must provide all necessary tools for the wildland firefighting agencies so that they can combat this wildfire crisis.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge my colleagues to support my bill that will help combat severe wildfires and save lives. My home State of California has become all too familiar with devastating wildfires.

In 2022, just over 20,000 wildfires burned approximately 5.8 million acres across the Western United States. These numbers represent people's homes, businesses, and livelihoods that have been destroyed or tragically lost.

In my district, we deal with prolonged exposure to wildfire smoke, which settles in the central valley and results in some of the Nation's worst air quality.

As these wildfires become more aggressive, we need to take concrete steps to combat wildfires, while also focusing on improving the long- term management of our forests.

The bill we are considering today will help deploy new technologies to combat widespread damage these fires cause to our communities, our health, and our environment.

The Wildfire Fighting Technology Act would dramatically increase the number of airlift assets available in wildfire emergencies. We should be using every tool available to fight these fires.

Containerized Aerial Firefighting Systems, or CAFFS, are airdrop- capable disposable containers for water or fire retardant, which can be dropped from much higher altitudes with less visibility.

Current aerial firefighting operations depend on single-mission aircraft, but CAFFS can be used by any standard cargo plane. The use of CAFFS provides more coverage for firefighters on the ground and allows teams to quickly respond to prevent smaller fires from becoming uncontrollable.

These systems are being used in other countries, but not here in the U.S. We have the technology that we can and should use to stop the devastation of these fires.

The dangers and long-term impacts of wildfires are clear.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support the passage of the Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act to combat and contain these fires in a quicker and more efficient way.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3389, the Emergency Wildfire Fighting Technology Act, was introduced by my colleague, Representative Valadao of California.

The bill requires the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior, in coordination with the National Interagency Aviation Committee and Interagency Airtanker Board, to complete an evaluation of the container aerial fighting system to support wildland fire mitigation and suppression.

In 2011, the Forest Service conducted a study and determined that this particular delivery system did not meet existing standards and posed safety risks to our communities and forests.

However, there have been technological advancements in the decades since the initial report, and this bill aims to kick-start research that could promote the use of under-utilized technology.

The climate crisis is clearly increasing the severity and the duration of the wildfire season, so it is imperative that we continuously research and re-evaluate any emerging technology.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the majority for their willingness to work with us on amending the bill at markup. The updated text that we are considering today ensures that the Forest Service retains the decisionmaking authority with respect to the use of this particular tool.

This is an important safeguard for the safety of wildland firefighters and the communities impacted by the wildfire crisis.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.