Costa calls on USDA, DOI to further support combatting wildfires and preparing additional resources

WASHINGTON - Congressman Jim Costa (CA-16) joined a bipartisan group of colleagues in a letter to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack and Interior (DOI) Secretary Deb Haaland urging for additional support to combat wildfires and ensure Western communities have the resources they need to suppress wildfires.

“In California, eight of the state's largest wildfires in recorded history have occurred in the last five years. In that timeframe, 10 million acres have burned, hundreds of people have died, more than 32,000 homes and businesses have been destroyed and an unacceptable level of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants have been released into the atmosphere,” wrote the members. “As you are well aware, wildfires do not respect jurisdictional boundaries, so constant communication between public and private entities is crucial.

“Federal and state agencies, emergency response personnel, local governments, and landowners are all critical partners in wildfire mitigation and suppression efforts. We appreciate every effort made to coordinate with each of these parties and encourage that coordination to continue at every step, so that everyone on the ground has the most up-to-date information and can utilize the most effective tactics.”

The signatories of the letter include Mike Thompson (CA-05), Ken Calvert (CA-42), Dina Titus (NV-01), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Mark Takano (CA-41), Doug LaMalfa (CA-01), Mike Garcia (CA-25), Eric Swalwell (CA-15), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11), Jimmy Panetta (CA-20), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Jim Costa (CA-16), Tom McClintock (CA-04), Pete Aguilar (CA-31), David G. Valadao (CA-21), Doris Matsui (CA-06), Jerry McNerney (CA-09), Tony Cárdenas (CA-29), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Jay Obernolte (CA-08), Young Kim (CA-39), Mike Levin (CA-49), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Peter A. DeFazio (OR-04), Barbara Lee (CA-13), Darrell Issa (CA-50), and Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-07).

The full letter can be found here.