Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act of 2025

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1045) to amend the Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention Act of 2004 to require the establishment of an additional Institute under that Act.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 1045, the bill now under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1045, the Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act of 2025, offered by Representative Kennedy of Utah.

Across the West, and particularly in Utah, wildfire risk is increasing. In 2024, more than 90,000 acres burned in the State. Along the Wasatch Front, the number of fire weather days has grown by 15 since 1973, meaning fires now have a longer window to ignite and spread. This is exacerbated by the accumulation of hazardous fuels, caused by a century of fire suppression and a lack of active management.

In 2004, Congress created the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes, or SWERI, in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico to advance wildfire research and promote science-based forest management. These institutes have been invaluable partners to Federal and State land managers, producing peer-reviewed research, improving forest health, and helping reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires across the West.

Despite facing the same wildfire threats as its Four Corners neighbors, Utah is the only State in the region without a SWERI center. Representative Kennedy's legislation corrects this oversight by authorizing an additional institute in Utah, allowing the State to expand research, strengthen watershed restoration, and develop innovative fuel-reduction strategies.

We know that forest management is the single most crucial factor in determining wildfire severity. This bill builds on a proven model and will bolster Utah's ability to confront wildfire risks head-on.

Mr. Speaker, I commend Representative Kennedy and the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Senator Lee, for their leadership on this issue. Their legislation has broad support in the State of Utah, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting it today.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Natural Resources,

Washington, DC, September 3, 2025.

Hon. Glenn Thompson,

Chairman, Committee on Agriculture,

Washington, DC.

Dear Chairman Thompson: I write regarding H.R. 1045, the

``Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act of 2025,'' which was

ordered reported by the Committee on Natural Resources on

July 23, 2025.

I recognize that the bill contains provisions that fall

within the jurisdiction of the Committee on Agriculture and

appreciate your willingness to forgo further consideration of

the bill. I acknowledge that the Committee on Agriculture

will not formally consider H.R. 1045 and agree that the

inaction of your Committee with respect to the bill does not

waive any jurisdiction over the subject matter contained

therein.

I am pleased to support your request to name members of the

Committee on Agriculture to any conference committee to

consider such provisions. I will ensure that our exchange of

letters is included in the Congressional Record during floor

consideration of the bill and will include such letters in

the committee report on H.R. 1045. I appreciate your

cooperation regarding this legislation.

Sincerely,

Bruce Westerman,

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Kennedy), the lead sponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, this legislation is straightforward. It builds on the proven success of the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico by finally extending this important program to Utah.

Establishing a SWERI in Utah will expand wildlife research, strengthen collaboration with land managers, and provide new tools to improve forest health and reduce catastrophic wildfires. I urge my colleagues to support Representative Kennedy's bill.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 1045, the Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act of 2025.

Utah is in a wildfire crisis. Our unique environment makes wildfires a constant danger. It is common to drive down I-15, a major thoroughfare in Utah, in the warm months and see fire on the side of our beautiful mountains.

In 2004, Congress created three regional centers in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico dedicated to strengthening forest health and reducing wildfire risk. These centers, now collectively known as the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes, or SWERI, serve as hubs for research, data sharing, and on-the-ground collaboration. They bring together the expertise of our universities with the experience of State, local, and Federal land managers.

Since 2004, Utah has had over 23,000 wildfires and over 3 million acres burned. These aren't mere statistics but represent impacted livelihoods, damaged watersheds, strained emergency responders, and long-term burdens on our economy, infrastructure, and public safety.

These fires have scarred our lands and endangered our growing population. For us in Utah, the next major wildfire is not a question of if but when and how devastating it will be.

That is why the Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act is essential. By passing this bill, Congress has the opportunity to strengthen how we understand, prevent, and respond to wildfire in the Mountain West.

As the only Four Corners State to not have a SWERI facility, it is only right for Utah to have a dedicated hub focused on the wildfire challenges facing Utah and the surrounding States.

It will allow our universities, firefighters, land managers, and Federal partners to work together. It will help us understand fire behavior in high-elevation deserts. It will support innovations in fuel management, post-fire watershed recovery, and community resilience. More importantly, the Utah wildfire institute will ensure that we are not simply reacting to each crisis as it comes but planning ahead.

This bill reflects what Utahns already know, that collaboration, science-based planning, and proactive management are the most effective tools we have to protect our land and our people. It is a vote for safer communities, healthier forests and rangelands, and responsible stewardship of the places that we call home.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act as this investment will protect Utah for generations to come.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Representative Kennedy's bill, the Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act of 2025.

This bill would expand wildfire research capacity by including Utah in the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes network, also known as SWERI. The SWERI program has proven to be a valuable model for scientific collaboration and forest health innovation, assisting in wildfire restoration and preparedness across the Southwest.

This legislation proposes Utah State University as the host university, which would partner with local, State, and Federal agencies to enhance forest and rangeland management and implement strategies for long-term ecological restoration. Adding a fourth institute in Utah has the potential to increase and accelerate the reach and impact of SWERI.

While I support adding another SWERI to the existing network, I must also note that I remain very concerned about the administration's proposed deep cuts to our land management agencies, which partner with SWERI and fund their key research efforts. The administration's attacks on these agencies threaten the very existence of current SWERI and the viability of the new Utah site.

We need sustained investment for research to protect our communities and landscapes, and the administration's proposed level of investment would certainly not be sufficient to support the existing program, let alone the expansion proposed by this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation, but I also call upon my colleagues to join us in standing up to this administration's reckless cuts.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

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