Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, announced $228 million from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to support wildland fire management in fiscal year 2023. This funding will support continuing pay increases and new training opportunities for federal firefighters, fuels management work to reduce fire risk, burned area rehabilitation to help speed recovery after fires, and fund work that will examine the impacts of climate change on fire management.

“All Americans have a shared interest in improving the conditions of our National Forests and public lands. Wildfires are dangerous disasters and threaten communities across the country, but there are measures we can take to reduce the risk and harm caused. These funds will help address wildfires more rapidly, increase retention and skills in the Federal firefighting workforce, and ensure better stewardship of our forests and public lands,” said Chairman Manchin.

Read the full release from the U.S. Department of the Interior here.