Federal updates compiled by Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments Oct. 4, 2024
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Updates from National Association of Regional Councils
CONGRESS
The House and Senate have left for recess until the week of Election Day.
Congress Avoids Government Shutdown
The Senate cleared a stopgap funding bill last week ahead of the September 30 deadline, preventing a government shutdown from occurring. According to Politico Pro, most federal agencies will be run on their current budgets into December. Negotiations on a topline funding agreement to set two totals for military and non-defense spending can be expected to start after the November election. However, if Congress fails to clear final spending bills by the end of the year, funding negotiations may collide with two other deadlines. The deadlines include the debt limit that’s waived until early January and the expiration of 2017 tax cuts at the end of 2025. Lawmakers will now begin a six-week recess as they head towards Election Day.
House Passes Bipartisan Permitting Bill to Curb Wildfires
Last week, the House passed a bipartisan bill aimed at combating wildfires by easing permitting reviews for forest management projects. The bill passed in a 268-151 vote, despite White House opposition. H.R. 8790, named the “Fix Our Forests Act” was co-sponsored by Natural Resources Chair Bruce Westerman (R-AK) and Representative Scott Peters (D- CA). The bill would expedite reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and reduce litigation for forest management projects such as clearing dead trees and dry vegetation. According to Politico Pro, the White House strongly opposes the bill, arguing that it would undermine protections for lands, waters and wildlife, and reduce opportunities for public input, increasing the likelihood of litigation and delay of forest management projects. Despite passage in the House, the bill is unlikely to pass through the Senate.
Both Chambers Pass Energy and Natural Resources Bills
Before leaving Washington, the House and Senate approved a suite of energy, environment, and natural resources bills. The House passed a number of bills related to geothermal energy development, pipelines, nuclear energy, and water issues. The bills passed in the House include:
- H.R. 7073, the “Next Generation Pipelines Research and Development Act”
- H.R. 7370, the “Geothermal Energy Opportunity Act”
- H.R. 7422, the “Geothermal Cost-Recovery Authority Act”
- H.R. 6474, to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005
- H.R. 1657, the “Lake Winnibigoshish Land Exchange Act”
- H.R. 5490, the “Bolstering Ecosystems Against Coastal Harm Act”
- H.R. 2950, the “Coastal Habitat Conservation Act”
- H.R. 4094, the “Great Salt Lake Stewardship Act”
- H.R. 4596, the “Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins Endangered Fish Recovery Programs Reauthorization Act”
- H.R. 5509, the “Electronic Permitting Modernization Act”
Reported by Politico Pro, the Senate approved an amended version of H.R. 5009, to reauthorize the Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver Act. The Senate also passed S. 612, the “Lake Tahoe Reauthorization Act,” to extend restoration efforts.
ADMINISTRATION
FRA Makes Over $1B Available to Support Passenger Rail
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) announcing over $1 billion in funding to expand Intercity Passenger Rail Program for projects located outside of the Northeast Corridor. The new funding is available for projects that expand or establish new intercity passenger and high-speed rail service, improve the performance of existing service, and/or replace or rehabilitate rail infrastructure. Projects improving intercity passenger rail safety, reliability, performance, and any associated project planning elements including environmental review, are eligible for funding. The funding comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and builds on $8.2 billion in grants announced late last year for 10 passenger rail projects across the nation, including the first ever high-speed rail project.
To see a map of corridors identified for future federal investment, click here.
DOT Supports Response to Hurricane Helene
As part of the whole-of-government response to Hurricane Helene, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is supporting response and recovery efforts in impacted communities in North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, and Virginia. DOT personnel are on the ground in multiple locations. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has assessed hundreds of bridges and other critical infrastructure across the Southeast in coordination with local, state, and tribal governments. FHWA is also coordinating recovery efforts and is prepared to process Emergency Relief (ER) funding requests.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is working to ensure the national airspace returns to steady state operations. All airports across impacted states have reopened and flight cancellations have reduced from over 1,000 to less than 50. FAA’s Security and Hazardous Materials Safety Communication Support Team has deployed to restore communications to impacted towers and airports. FAA also has supported the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) with two aircrafts to conduct flyover assessments and transport emergency personnel and gear, including satellite communications kits.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has provided a 14-day period of emergency regulatory relief from Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations, including maximum driving time for property- and passenger-carrying vehicles from the date of declaration. This will enable truck drivers to get essential supplies to affected areas.
The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) issued temporary waiver of pipeline operator qualifications requirements, allowing operators to quickly support hurricane response and recovery efforts. PHMSA staff are coordinating with the North Carolina Utilities Commission to monitor natural gas leaks in Asheville, NC. The federal agency also expedited approval to allow the Memorial Health Meadows Hospital in Vidalia, Georgia to transport its surgical instruments for sterilization at a nearby hospital after it lost access to clean water required to process surgical instruments.
DOT is working to ensure a robust and efficient response to Hurricane Helene.
FHWA Announces $62B in FY25 Funding to Invest in the Nation’s Infrastructure
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) announced $62 billion in Fiscal Year (FY) funding for 12 formula programs that invest in infrastructure. The investments, enacted through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), are helping create good-paying jobs, building roads, bridges, and tunnel projects, and helping states address long overdue infrastructure needs. The FY25 funding is an increase of $18.8 billion in formula programs compared to FY21. Congress authorizes the Federal-aid Highway Program funds periodically through multi-year laws to assist states in construction, and improvement of highways and bridges on eligible Federal- aid routes.
To view the allocation of funding by state and program organized by fiscal year, click here.
DOE Unveils $1.3B Funding Plan to Boost Carbon Capture
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED) issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) to fund up to $1.3 billion in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) technologies. The funding will be available under the Carbon Capture Demonstration Projects Program and the Carbon Capture Large-Scale Pilot Projects Program. OCED, in collaboration with the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, expects to offer funding in three topic areas. The first area will be for commercial-scale carbon capture demonstration projects integrated with CO2 transportation and storage infrastructure at up to one coal-fired plant and up to two industrial facilities. The second will be for large-scale carbon capture pilot projects and the third will be for planning and design activities to support the development of networks that can share CO2 transport and storage infrastructure. The funding announcement is likely to be released in late 2024.
DOE and USDA Announce Over $2.8B to Support Clean Power in the Midwest
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced over $2.8 billion to support reliable, affordable, and clean power in the Midwest. DOE announced the closing of a loan guarantee up to $1.52 billion under the Energy Infrastructure Reinvestment (EIR) program to help finance and resumption of service of an 800-MW nuclear generating station in Michigan. USDA announced over $1.3 billion in Empowering Rural America (New ERA) program awards for two rural electric cooperatives to reduce the cost of electricity passed on to their members for clean power.
New Economic Development Report Offers Roadmap for Strengthening Community-Led Opportunities
The Department of Interior (DOI), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and Department of Commerce (DOC) released a report outlining recommendations to enhance community-led economic development by creating jobs in the sustainable forest product sector and outdoor recreation while supporting healthy, resilient forests. The report was developed in response to climate change impacts, workforce and housing shortages, and barriers to intergovernmental coordination in rural forest-dependent communities. According to USDA’s press release, the report recommends that agencies:
- Connect the communities they serve to economic development support by leveraging existing community networks.
- Work with partners and communities to find innovative ways to adapt to public recreation facilities and sustain local recreation economies facing climate change impacts.
- Make smart investments in wildfire risk reduction and reforestation to benefit local ecosystems, economies, and communities.
- Utilize co-stewardship, Good Neighbor Agreements, and other relevant authorities to enhance tribal capacity to drive and complement a sustainable forest products sector.
- Improve the forest products workforce pipeline by increasing training opportunities for truck drivers, equipment operators, and nursery developers.
- Explore housing initiatives to include construction with sustainable materials, with the aim of building and maintaining the workforce in these rural communities.
DOE Awards $17M to State and Local Governments to Support Clean Energy Projects
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced its latest round of award recipients through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program. The EECBG program will distribute $16.9 million to 22 local governments to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and lower overall energy use. The program is designed to fund a wide range of energy efficiency and decarbonization projects. Recipients will use the funds to support low- income households through energy assessments and efficiency upgrades, to conduct electrification studies for municipal facilities, to purchase electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, to install solar arrays and battery storage, to leverage Energy Savings Performance Contracts, and more.
To learn what grantees are doing with this round of funds, click here.
USDA Partners with Organizations to Bring Affordable Clean Energy to Rural Americans
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA is moving forward in the awards process with eight new clean energy projects through the Powering Affordable Clean Energy (PACE) program. Approved projects will receive more than $248 million to help lower electricity bills for households, expand reliable access to renewable energy and create jobs for rural families, small businesses, and agricultural producers. The PACE program, funded by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), helps rural communities access clean, reliable, and affordable energy. The program provides low interest loans with up to 60% loan forgiveness to renewable energy developers, rural electric cooperatives, and other rural energy providers for renewable energy storage and projects that use wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, and biomass.
Interior Department Announces $254M for Local Parks
The Department of the Interior (DOI) announced the single largest grant investment ever from the Land and Water Conservation Fund’s (LWCF) Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program (ORLP). Through ORLP, the National Park Service (NPS) will invest $248.68 million into 54 projects for the redevelopment or creation of new local parks. The ORLP program is a nationally competitive, dollar-for-dollar matching grant program that aids disadvantaged, urban communities that lack access to close-by outdoor recreation. The program provides grants for community sponsored park projects where the population is greater than 30,000 residents. Managed by the NPS and funded through the LWCF, the program provides matching grants up to 50% of total project costs.
FCC to Vote to Require 988 Calls Be Routed to Local Call Centers
Next month, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will vote to require all calls to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline be routed by wireless carriers to local call centers. If FCC approves the rule, cellphone carriers would be required to use geo-routing to connect callers to the closest 988 call center to the caller’s physical location. This is intended to streamline connections to local resources and broaden services. FCC will vote on October 17 to finalize the rule, which was formally proposed in May. The lifeline number typically connects callers to a local center based on their three-digit area code. However, many individuals use a mobile number with an area code different to where they currently live, making this method often ineffective.
OTHER FEDERAL NEWS
Dockworkers are Striking, What Does That Mean?
Tens of thousands of dockworkers on the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast went on strike early Tuesday over wages and automation at ports. The strike is a result of months of stalled contract negotiations and a last-minute change of counteroffers. The walkout has affected the largest East Coast ports, the Port of New York and New Jersey, and other major ports located in Savannah, Georgia, Hampton Road, Virginia, and Baltimore, Maryland. These ports handle around half of U.S. ocean imports including items such as apparel, decorations, and fruits and vegetables. A strike could amount to an estimated economic impact of anywhere between hundreds of millions of dollars to $5 billion per day. If the strike persists for over a month, consumers may face shortages and price increases for a range of goods. The Biden Administration has enlisted a few high-ranking officials including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, acting Labor Secretary Julie Su, and Economic Advisor Lael Brainard to help with negotiations if requested.
Want Your Community to Be Climate Resilient? Put Someone in Charge
Communities across the country are continuously reminded of the necessity for climate action. Regional, state, and local leaders are directly confronted with community recovery and rebuilding after a natural disaster, making adaptation and resilience strategies a priority. Route Fifty’s article states that to have a real chance at building resilience, there needs to be someone in charge. There needs to be a person who is given the authority to coordinate, fund, and carry out a plan to succeed. Over the next decade, state and federal agencies will have the opportunity to allocate over $500 billion in federal dollars toward strengthening climate resilience and transitioning to a low-carbon future. Communities that are prepared to apply for and take advantage of these funding opportunities, that have strategies and plans in place, will fare better than those that don’t. According to a recent Deloitte survey of government leaders, only a small number of state and local agencies have a cross-functional and funded working group in place to coordinate efforts across their organization. A state-level leader to align various region’s overall priorities is critical.
Updates from the federal delegation
SENATOR HICKENLOOPER
Hickenlooper’s Launch Communications Act Signed into Law
New law will modernize space launches, support space exploration
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Eric Schmitt celebrated the announcement that President Biden signed their bipartisan Launch Communications Act into law. The new law, which the senators introduced last year, will modernize the current Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) process for licensing spectrum for commercial space launches to help the U.S. remain the global leader in space exploration.
“Our Launch Communications Act is a win for American innovation,” said Hickenlooper. “We’re excited President Biden signed it into law so we can lead the next era of space exploration.”
“It’s great news that the White House signed my Launch Communications Act into law. I will never stop advocating for common sense legislation which streamlines unnecessarily burdensome government processes. As Ranking Member of the Space and Science Subcommittee on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, I have made it a priority to make it easier, not harder, for the commercial space industry to continue to innovate. America must maintain its edge in the 21st century space race against China, and this legislation is a necessary step in maintaining American space dominance. I want to also thank Senator Hickenlooper and Representatives Soto and Dunn for their work on this critical piece of legislation. I look forward to working with my colleagues to ensure the new law is implemented correctly and enforced properly,” said Schmitt.
The FCC’s current process for licensing spectrum for commercial space launches was created decades ago when there were very few commercial space launches. The FCC’s licensing rules have not kept pace with the growing demand for commercial space launches that support scientific, economic, and national security objectives.
Specifically, the Launch Communications Act will resolve current challenges in the FCC’s licensing process by:
- Requiring the FCC to allocate temporary spectrum access for commercial space launch and reentry activities on a secondary basis within the following frequency bands if approved:
- 2025-2210 MHz, 2200-2290 MHz, 2360-2395 MHz.
- Allowing launch providers to bundle spectrum applications for multiple similar launches in order to streamline the application process and decrease the administrative burden on providers and the FCC.
- Instructing the FCC to create an automated process to review applications instead of the current manual review process which has resulted in a ground stop of critical space launches in past cases of government shutdowns when applications cannot be processed.
- Requiring the FCC to issue new regulations to improve coordination with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to speed up the authorization process.
The Launch Communications Act is supported by Blue Origin and The United Launch Alliance, both of which have a presence in Colorado, in addition to SpaceX.
Hickenlooper, Graham, Coons, Young, Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Advance Domestic Processing of Critical Materials
Legislation will cut reliance on China for critical minerals essential to our national security, energy, and emerging tech
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Lindsey Graham, Chris Coons, and Todd Young introduced the bipartisan Critical Materials Future Act to establish a pilot program for the Department of Energy to financially support domestic critical mineral processing projects.
“China is rivaling American dominance by controlling the critical minerals market,” said Hickenlooper. “Boosting our domestic processing is how we’ll maintain American leadership in the world.”
“China maintains dominant control over critical mineral processing, which poses significant risks to our national security. It’s important for us to work with our allies to build better and more resilient processing capabilities,”said Graham.
“I’ve been hearing for years from national security and private sector leaders about the need for more capacity to process and recycle critical minerals here at home,” said Coons. “The Biden-Harris Administration and the newly formed Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains is already implementing ambitious programs to strengthen our energy security, and this additional funding and new authorities will support more of this urgent work.”
“Our reliance on global supply chains for critical materials poses a significant national security threat, especially as the Chinese Communist Party continues to manipulate this market,” said Young. “Our bill will take innovative steps to identify opportunities for American leadership and investment in critical material projects, strengthening domestic supply chains and boosting our economic and global competitiveness.”
The U.S. critical minerals list contains 50 minerals – including graphite, nickel, and cobalt – that are essential to our economy, infrastructure, and military capability. Critical minerals are used in smartphones, electric vehicle batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and more.
China currently controls 90% of the global processing capacity for rare earth elements and over 80% of the processing for other critical minerals like cobalt, gallium, and graphite. Experts have become increasingly concerned with U.S. dependence on China for critical materials, arguing it poses a significant risk to national security. In August 2023, China announced export controls on gallium and germanium, critical minerals used in semiconductor manufacturing. In October 2023, China introduced export license requirements for graphite, essential for battery anodes. And in June 2023, a cobalt mine in Idaho was forced to shutter its operations before it opened and lay off hundreds of workers as China flooded the market with cheap cobalt.
Specifically, the Critical Materials Future Act grants the Secretary of Energy the authority and funding to deploy innovative financial mechanisms, such as contracts for differences and advanced market commitments, to support critical material processing projects in the United States. The bill also requires the Secretary of Energy to conduct a comprehensive study on the impact of these financial tools on market dynamics and processing projects within the critical materials sector, and to provide recommendations for expanding their use to strengthen America’s processing capabilities.
The Critical Materials Future Act is supported by BPC Action, American Critical Minerals Association, Colorado Schools of Mines, and Employ America. For their statements of support, click HERE.
In a speech at the Colorado School of Mines earlier this month, Hickenlooper called for a ‘Project Mercury’ for critical materials, arguing that America needs to take back the reins on critical minerals production to secure energy independence.
“What we need is a Project Mercury for critical minerals… In less than five years, Project Mercury mobilized more than 2 billion people from major government agencies, from the aerospace industry, to combine their skills, their initiative, their experience, into a single, coordinated effort.… That’s exactly what we need with critical minerals, and indeed, what we need in all aspects of this Great Transition. We’re behind, and we need to rapidly build a foundation that will be able to launch American dominance in critical minerals,” Hickenlooper said in the speech.
Hickenlooper also announced the introduction of two bipartisan bills with U.S. Senator Thom Tillis in his speech, which will guide a national strategy on a clean, responsible, and innovative approach to critical mineral sourcing.
Hickenlooper recently chaired a Senate hearing to explore strategies to urgently expand a diverse critical minerals workforce as the U.S. builds toward energy independence. Hickenlooper also recently joined a group of his Senate colleagues to introduce the bipartisan Global Strategy for Securing Critical Minerals Act, which works to ensure that the U.S., its allies, and global partners can count on a diverse and secure end-to-end supply of critical minerals. Hickenlooper also joined a group of his Senate colleagues earlier this year to introduce the bipartisan Enhancing Public-Private Sharing on Manipulate Adversary Practices in Critical Minerals Projects Act to protect American critical mineral projects abroad,
as well as the bipartisan Critical Minerals Security Act to evaluate the global supply and ownership of critical minerals, and make it easier for the U.S. to establish stable supply chains with our allies and partners.
Full text of the Critical Materials Future Act is available HERE. A one-pager explanation on this bill is available HERE.
SENATORS BENNET / HICKENLOOPER
Hickenlooper, Bennet, Colleagues Introduce Resolution to Recognize Latina Equal Pay Day
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, along with 23 of their fellow senators, introduced a resolution to honor Latina Equal Pay Day. The resolution recognizes the disparity in wages paid to Latinas, the significance of equal pay, and its larger impact on women, families, and the economy.
“Lost wages mean Latina women have less money to support themselves and their families, save and invest for the future, and spend on goods and services,” wrote the lawmakers.
Latina Equal Pay Day, which was observed on October 3, 2024, is a day to reflect on the continued impact of wage gaps on Latina women. More than 60 years after the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 1963, Latinas were paid just 51 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men in 2023. Latina women also lack fair access to family friendly workplace policies like paid leave and experience increased levels of workplace harassment.
Hickenlooper and Bennet joined Senator Catherine Cortez Masto to introduce the bill in the Senate.
Hickenlooper cosponsored a Latina Equal Pay Day resolution in 2022. He also cheered the passage of the Bipartisan Resolution Recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month in September.
Full text of the resolution available HERE.
Bennet, Hickenlooper Welcome $170 Million for Clean Water, Reliable Energy Infrastructure in Colorado
Denver — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper welcomed over $170 million in loans and grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for 12 Colorado projects in rural and Tribal communities to expand access to safe drinking water and reliable energy.
“Everyone deserves access to clean and safe water, no matter where they live. However, far too many rural communities in Colorado face the challenges of aging or unsafe water infrastructure,” said Bennet. “I’m glad towns from Holly to Del Norte will receive this federal support to help them continue delivering reliable, clean water to Coloradans across the state.”’
“Where you live shouldn’t determine if you have clean water to drink or reliable electricity to keep the lights on,” said Hickenlooper. “From Rocky Ford to Silverton, these investments will create thousands of good-paying jobs while expanding access to safe drinking water and reliable energy.”
The funding announcement is part of a $1.3 billion nationwide investment to make water infrastructure and the electrical grid more resilient to extreme weather, while creating thousands of well-paying jobs in the process. This funding comes from USDA’s Water and Waste Disposal Loans and Grants and the Electric Infrastructure Loan and Loan Guarantee programs. It is divided between over $127 million in grant funding and over $42 million in federal loans to the 12 Colorado projects.
A full list of selected projects is below:
| Recipient | Grant Awarded | Loan Awarded | Description | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter Solar | N/A | $38,285,000 | Provide long term financing of a 75 MW solar farm | Arapahoe County |
| San Miguel Power Association | N/A | $29,784,000 | Build and improve power lines, invest in smart grid technologies | San Miguel County |
| City of Rocky Ford | $7,935,000 | $20,351,000 | Replace problematic sections of the existing water system | City of Rocky Ford |
| Town of Del Norte | $11,018,000 | $12,010,000 | Replace undersized and failing water piping and add fire hydrants to extend firefighting coverage | Town of Del Norte |
| Montezuma Water Company | N/A | $15,300,000 | Modernize the water system to increase capacity, install new water pumps | Montezuma County |
| Town of Holly | $6,189,000 | $4,740,000 | Construct a new well and treatment plant and improve system efficiency | Town of Holly |
| Town of Walsh | $4,404,000 | $1,550,000 | Upgrade the water treatment system | Town of Walsh |
| Sedalia Water and Sanitation District | $5,045,000 | $561,000 | Help replace an aging water distribution system and connect the system to Castle Rock’s water system | Douglas County |
| Town of Silverton | $2,764,000 | $2,165,000 | Improve wastewater treatment facilities | Town of Silverton |
| Town of Bethune | $2,662,000 | $1,523,000 | Decommission existing treatment plant and construct a new 3-pond evaporation system | Town of Bethune |
| Meadow Mountain Water Supply Company | $1,974,000 | $441,000 | Repair failing water distribution system | Allenspark, CO |
| Marble Water Company | $455,000 | $1,158,000 | Install new distribution lines, fire hydrants, and water pumps | Town of Marble |
REPRESENTATIVE LAMBORN
Congressman Lamborn’s Statement on Iran’s Attack on Israel
Washington, D.C. —Today, Iran launched the largest ballistic missile attack in its history towards Israel. Despite the scale of these relentless attacks many munitions were intercepted.
Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Co-Chair of the Israel Allies Caucus and Chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement:
“Today’s attack by Iran represents another escalation in its aggressive campaign against our ally, Israel. I’m relieved to hear that the Israeli Defense Forces successfully intercepted so many of the incoming munitions. I commend the IDF and Prime Minister Netanyahu for their relentless efforts in protecting the people of Israel. As Chairman of the Strategic Forces Subcommittee and Co-Chair of the Israel Allies Caucus, I have consistently supported Israel and worked to ensure it possesses the world-class air defense network that proved effective yet again. Our unwavering support for our great ally, Israel, remains steadfast and unbreakable. I will continue to monitor this situation in the Middle East,” said Congressman Lamborn.
REPRESENTATIVE PETTERSEN
Pettersen Introduces Bill to Combat Wildfires Through Early Detection Technology
WASHINGTON – U.S. Representatives Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) and Jay Obernolte (CA-23) introduced a bipartisan bill to help combat wildfires through advanced early detection using satellite technology. The Strengthening Wildfire Resiliency Through Satellites Act would create a three-year grant program under the United States Geological Survey (USGS), incentivizing states to use satellite technology for early wildfire detection, active fire monitoring, and post- disaster recovery.
Over 3 million Coloradans – more than 50% of the state’s population – live in a moderate to high risk area for wildfires. As wildfires become increasingly common, it is crucial to implement mitigation strategies, including early detection efforts to try and stop wildfires before they spread. Pettersen’s legislation would modernize wildfire management through satellite technology to reduce fire damage, enhance safety, and improve long-term recovery efforts.
“Wildfires have become a persistent and costly threat to Colorado, putting lives, homes, and our brave first responders at risk,” said Pettersen. “This legislation will equip our states with cutting-edge satellite technology to detect wildfires sooner, respond faster, and better protect our communities. I’m grateful for the partnership of Congressman Obernolte and will keep working to safeguard Coloradans from the devastating effects of wildfires.”
Last week, two of Representative Pettersen’s amendments to mitigate wildfire threats passed out of the House in the Fix Our Forests Act.
- Offered by Pettersen, the first amendment would require the Department of Interior, in coordination with states, local governments, tribes, and colleges, to identify critical lands damaged by natural disasters and support reforestation and restoration projects in those areas, enhancing community resilience against future threats.
- Co-led with Congressman Obernolte, the second amendment would prioritize the use of emerging technology like low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites through fostering public and private sector partnerships to support critical wildfire mitigation and early detection efforts. This amendment leverages public-private partnerships to enhance monitoring and prevention efforts, protecting communities from wildfires.
The Strengthening Wildfire Resiliency Through Satellites Act is endorsed by the Megafire Action, Federation of American Scientists, American Forests, and Earth Fire Alliance.
Bill text is available HERE.