$10 million will help fund fuels management projects on more than 43,000 acres of land across the state
WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) today applauded an announcement from the Department of Interior that more than $10 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, negotiated by Romney and his colleagues, would be invested in Utah to advance wildfire resilience work and support fuels management projects on 43,240 acres of land across the state. This announcement follows the latest report released by the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission—which Senator Romney secured in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—outlining recommendations to prevent, mitigate, suppress, and manage wildland fires.
“Utahns, and residents of the American West, understand the reality that decades of severe drought and poor forest management practices have caused wildfires to become more numerous and destructive,” said Senator Romney. “It’s imperative that we improve strategies to bolster wildfire resilience efforts throughout our state to prevent future wildfires from becoming catastrophic disasters for our communities. Reducing the fuel load of our forests—through controlled burns, the remediation of deadwood, and the like—is among the lowest hanging fruit for advancing wildfire resilience. Helping Utah get the funds needed for wildfire resilience is why I helped negotiate the bipartisan infrastructure bill, and I look forward to these critical projects being implemented across our state.”
Background:
Negotiated by Senator Romney and his colleagues, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is a once-in-a-generation investment which will address decades of neglect of our nation’s hard, physical infrastructure. In addition to establishing the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, the legislation provides historic funding to address wildfire hazards, including $8.25 billion for a suite of programs aimed at reducing wildfire risks, detecting wildfires, instituting firefighter workforce reforms, and building more resilient infrastructure.
Senator Romney, along with Representative John Curtis (R-UT) and Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ), first introduced the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Act—bipartisan and bicameral legislation to establish a commission of federal and non-federal stakeholders to study and recommend fire prevention, mitigation, management, and rehabilitation policies for forests and grasslands—in the summer of 2021.
Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Highlights for Utah This Year:
- $24.5 million for the Utah Department of Transportation to fund pedestrian and bicycle improvements to 10 light rail stations and 13 bus stops along the Wasatch Front.
- $317 million to the State of Utah to help expand high-speed internet access to rural and underserved communities.
- $29 million to the Salt Lake City International Airport for a phased Terminal and North Concourse Redevelopment Program replacing aging and capacity constrained facilities.
- $7.4 million to Park City Transit to improve more than 72 bus stops, including rider amenities.
- $10 million through the Department of Interior to advance wildfire resilience work and support fuels management projects in Utah on 43,240 acres of land across the state.
- $12 million to the State of Utah for clean water projects that will support Utah communities in upgrading essential water, wastewater, and storm water infrastructure that protects public health and bodies of water.
- $60 million to the Utah Transit Authority for its Light Rail Vehicle Replacement Project.
- Increased funding for the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Northern Utah and the Pine Valley area of the Dixie National Forest near St. George to build critical infrastructure and strengthen wildfire resilience to protect from catastrophic wildfire.
More details on how the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will deliver for Utah—including by rebuilding its roads, mitigating drought conditions, and fulfilling critical water needs—can be found here.