Congressman Begich Co-Leads Fire Weather Development Act to Bolster Wildfire Preparedness and Forest Protection

WASHINGTON, D.C. – June 17, 2025 – Congressman Nick Begich (AK-AL), joined by Representatives Jeff Crank (CO-05), Luz Rivas (CA-29), and Jeff Hurd (CO-03), introduced the Fire Weather Development Act, legislation aimed at improving our nation’s ability to forecast, detect, and respond to wildfires.

This legislation directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to enhance fire weather forecasting and detection capabilities, ensuring communities - especially remote and rural areas in Alaska - receive earlier warnings, more accurate fire models, and stronger coordination between federal, state, and local responders.

“The Fire Weather Development Act takes a proactive step forward in fire management by improving our ability to forecast and respond to wildfire threats through cutting-edge technology and stronger interagency coordination,” said Rep. Begich. “I’m proud to co-sponsor this legislation and thank Congressman Crank for his leadership in bringing this forward. This bill ensures that Alaska and communities across the country have the tools they need to prepare for and respond to the increasing threat of wildfires.”

"The Fire Weather Development Act will ensure that government entities are receiving the resources they need to accurately forecast and respond to the fire environment," said Rep. Crank. "Unfortunately, Colorado Springs is no stranger to fires, and neither are other parts of the country. Just this year, we have seen how fires can damage our communities, which is why we must improve fire forecasting and our response once these natural disasters occur."

“As we saw during the wildfires in Los Angeles earlier this year, keeping communities safe requires a strong coordinated effort between federal, state, and local agencies,” said Rep. Rivas. “Our Fire Weather Development Act plays a critical role in making sure agencies across all levels of government have the support and resources necessary to protect lives, protect property and businesses, and be better prepared to respond to wildfires.”

“I'm proud to co-sponsor Congressman Crank’s Fire Weather Development Act, that ensures communities in Colorado’s Third District have a voice in how we prepare and respond to wildfires,” said Rep. Hurd. “By strengthening local engagement and improving fire weather forecasting, we are safeguarding lives and protecting homes."

Alaska is home to over 129 million acres of forest - an important resource for Alaska’s environment and economy. The increasing intensity and frequency of wildfires pose a growing threat, and the Fire Weather Development Act is designed to meet this challenge.

The Fire Weather Development Act:

• Improves forecasting and early warning systems by requiring NOAA to develop cutting-edge fire weather modeling systems, satellite-based detection tools, and real-time environmental forecasting to identify wildfire risks earlier and with greater precision.
• Advances technology deployment by investing in tools such as atmospheric sensors and unmanned aircraft systems to monitor fire behavior, reducing the need to place firefighters in dangerous environments while improving real-time situational awareness.
• Establishes an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Wildfires to streamline collaboration and eliminate redundancies across federal wildfire programs - ensuring state and local emergency officials have the tools they need to act quickly.
• Creates an Independent National Advisory Council on Wildfires composed of local leaders and subject matter experts to advise the federal government and ensure that frontline communities in Alaska and beyond are directly shaping wildfire response strategies.

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