Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) announced that over $5.9 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law they helped pass is headed to Nevada to reduce wildfire risk. This funding, administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior, will support fuels management projects in Nevada on 14,655 acres of land across the state.
“I secured historic funding levels in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help reduce wildfire risk, expand fuels management projects, and support firefighters across the state,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “Now, Nevada is set to receive almost $6 million of this funding, which will go a long way toward keeping our communities safe and resilient.”
“Every year wildfires pose a serious and immediate threat to the safety and health of Nevadans,” said Senator Rosen. “I’ve been working to ensure that Nevada, our firefighters, and our land managers have all of the resources and tools needed to fight these wildland fires and protect our communities. As one of the co-authors of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I’m proud to announce that our landmark legislation will invest more than $5.9 million in Nevada for wildfire resiliency to help reduce the risk and impact of these wildfires.”
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which both Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen helped pass, included $1.5 billion for the Department of the Interior to support wildfire risk reduction over the next 5 years. Both senators also helped secure over $8 billion for wildfire prevention, suppression, and restoration activities in the bipartisan infrastructure bill, including $10 million for wildfire detection equipment. Just last year, Senator Cortez Masto introduced the Western Wildfire Support Act, which would allow communities across Nevada and the Western U.S. to invest in training, equipment, and funding to combat wild and rangeland fires. Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen have also prioritized efforts to provide federal agencies with the resources they need to hire and retain vital firefighters year round.
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