[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6190274,"mediaKeyId","5052009-627a56b31230a163d05ed3eb5a94209a","parentId",5052009,"title","Wyoming forester proposes widening EFSA statutory definition to cover all state‑administered lands","audioSeconds",230,"startMs",6830000,"endMs",7060000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5052009-627a56b31230a163d05ed3eb5a94209a&start=6830&end=7060","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5052009-627a56b31230a163d05ed3eb5a94209a/thumbnail_6830000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6190274/Wyoming/Wyoming-forester-proposes-widening-EFSA-statutory-definition-to-cover-all-stateadministered-lands","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190274-adf1ade4118fb86a90365d71d6a94c23/orig.mp4?Expires=1770732823&Signature=JNwwwVEUSH1ThtG9~movnXQo6kvk~k~i0ufRArT~amRdUbXdukwTvMzNN0Dbmz5P3q7yyHeMAYBxBAuEIRefXtzuBWRLDQpKch7iLVg3ZsUE-7qlma8XA1JlraBqSLGqVb7rbAtT6DJfeN9jTzZTJ4Boh5Iflv2c7q42qaHce8OlpN6yyFKRiHLVzNyQoEQdKXVthIWzbpOxImeG7Xh4qu5o9pQ1xOarUczM4oVWLyV2Mma5OLGRoALy9UqfMo8J~edKg7G6Y-oAYq73TwJlJtNDIS-6QAwrg6sj4qtsqF0vMn2kzBRQqMsboxa0A5PJthV9zTVK9HGFiylIpZUEgQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Wyoming Legislature","date","2025-06-24T10:07:02Z","article","Wyoming State Forester Kelly Norris asked the Joint Appropriations Committee to consider statutory language changes to the Emergency Fire Suppression Account (EFSA) so the fund explicitly covers “all state administered lands” rather than only lands defined in the current Title 36 definitions.

Norris said EFSA currently uses definitions from chapter 36 that identify state trust lands (lands under the Board of Land Commissioners). She noted Wyoming manages other state lands — state parks, Game and Fish holdings and agency property — that are outside that statutory definition and, in practice, can cause uncertainty over suppression billing when those lands burn.

Why it matters: The proposed change is aimed at reducing billing disputes and clarifying which state property EFSA can reimburse. Norris said the state forester’s authority to coordinate fire management and reimbursement was expanded by the enactment referenced in the meeting (enrolled act 62, following last year’s legislative action), and the statute change would align EFSA’s definitions with that expanded authority.

Committee questions and clarifications
Senator Larson asked whether the State Board (Board of Land Commissioners) had been briefed; Norris said not yet but offered to present the concept to the Board. Norris clarified that the change would not reduce or alter existing protections for state trust lands; it would only make EFSA inclusive of additional state‑administered properties for suppression reimbursement.

Ending
Norris described the proposal as a ‘‘clean up’’ to reconcile statutory language with current agency duties. The committee asked staff to examine statutory text and return recommended language so the change would not create unintended conflicts with existing trust‑land rules.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Joint Appropriations Committee, June 23, 2025 - PM","oneSentenceSummary","Wyoming State Forester Kelly Norris asked legislators to consider updating Title 36 language so the Emergency Fire Suppression Account (EFSA) can pay suppression costs on all state‑administered lands, not only lands defined as state trust lands.","taxTitle","Appropriations, Joint & Standing, Committees, Legislative, Wyoming","taxId",18090,"location","Wyoming","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6190278,"Arizona forester: inmate crews, mitigation and scaling state capacity to meet growing wildfire risk",1079,2760000,3839000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5052009-627a56b31230a163d05ed3eb5a94209a&start=2760&end=3839","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5052009-627a56b31230a163d05ed3eb5a94209a/thumbnail_2760000.jpg","/articles/6190278/Wyoming/Arizona-forester-inmate-crews-mitigation-and-scaling-state-capacity-to-meet-growing-wildfire-risk","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190278-efe1ab4fcc1c81006b22a38da48361ee/orig.mp4?Expires=1770732823&Signature=mtzsT5rWfbt5oDMAHwKOiWfLTcAjjvNsqVqoVf19w3oOfYh7nfb~EqYsBZ-Zcgsu9cJFT~Qrli8PQQROddXW16dSNxUA~QZ8XabIPQwrsoetYM3nBrdu8w4kcP2ReQXFYbO9Sy2VnicGNq~xY-P6ZZT0VKfDutBaB2MTPBUl-7Pv1btUyYkFyN2Oeyk4pW5-VbIq8-YAGAzO6q8OWccQIPAVPo2xqWQLpVIwWJNCEbkrUpboQs7dSRRe1oIcgmOPHunnr~yDyB7V~AsD~I8rALuWrt0xCZvCpj8idu2k3sihV~Ur6C9aE4D8UMYXcVJIsn-GGk7c~qWPwb25tZ2vTQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Tom Torres, director of the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management and Arizona’s state forester, told Wyoming legislators that Arizona has expanded firefighting personnel and mitigation capacity in recent years and relies heavily on multiple staffing models including inmate crews.

Torres said Arizona now employs about 260 people (up from 88 in 2020) and averages roughly 2,000 fires per year, burning about 450,000 acres annually across jurisdictions. In 2024 he said his department recorded roughly 2,160 fires, 280,000 acres burned and about $21,000,000 in state spending.

Why it matters: Torres’ presentation highlighted how states with complex land ownership and large national forest footprints (Arizona’s six national forests) combine state staff, local fire districts and federal partners to respond. His mitigation focus — and the scale of Arizona’s inmate crew program — offered an operational model with both capacity and workforce considerations relevant to Wyoming.

Workforce and inmate crews
Torres said Arizona runs about 12 inmate hand crews of 20 people for wildfire response (about 240 participants) and an additional eight 20‑person inmate crews devoted to mitigation work. He said the program has operated more than 30 years in Arizona and is governed by a contract between his department and the state Department of Corrections. He said compensation for trainee inmates is low (around $1.50 per hour) and the state also operates a “post” crew — a civilian crew of former inmates — as a workforce continuity and reentry pathway; several former inmate crew members later worked for the department.

Aviation, funding and mitigation goals
Torres said Arizona has few state‑owned large aviation assets but uses exclusive lease contracts for single‑engine air tankers and air attack aircraft; very large air tankers and many helicopters come through US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management agreements. He cited a multi‑year state investment that raised mitigation outputs from roughly 5,000 treated acres in 2022 to over 30,000 treated acres in 2024, with a 2026 target of 40,000 acres per year and a 5‑year sustainable goal to maintain that level.

Torres described Good Neighbor Authority as an important tool for treating federal forest lands near at‑risk communities and stressed strengthening private‑sector capacity (contractors) as a priority to scale mitigation work.

Quote
“We used inmate crews for well over 30 years,” Torres said. “We try to emphasize the fact that they're learning a skill and a skill set that can help them get a job when their terms are over.”

Ending
Torres told the committee Arizona continues to expand staff and mitigation work and is using a mixed model — state staff, leases, federal partners, inmate crews and contractors — to protect communities in diverse ecosystems from Sonoran Desert to ponderosa pine country.","Tom Torres, Arizona state forester, described Arizona’s growth in personnel and mitigation work, including use of inmate crews, exclusive aviation contracts, Good Neighbor Authority projects and a target of 40,000 treated acres per year.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6190283,"Montana official: county co-op model and new suppression fund boosted wildfire response and mitigation",1422,257000,1679000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5052009-627a56b31230a163d05ed3eb5a94209a&start=257&end=1679","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5052009-627a56b31230a163d05ed3eb5a94209a/thumbnail_257000.jpg","/articles/6190283/Wyoming/Montana-official-county-co-op-model-and-new-suppression-fund-boosted-wildfire-response-and-mitigation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190283-753591bda15106eb7ce12a99d8c79693/orig.mp4?Expires=1770732823&Signature=aVTJj8EDDzfRKcz-zw3W~GnH8mmyMbVDmSaGUcQmuHqh7mms~IUub-McN-KCcpOH097xnKVcgVvKujs2gk2wPyu5Nl6yR42~usC35chYtwnr4NrsUy4Xh0Kzq5DlnDOAd6qv5wiQcl0dMT2krE59F4qpUDIn1Z2Mq7B-FTyRuPZ9xero-vVfvtlw8MTUOoAaO3--pDr5geCj6iAg4E8WY686kCQV-0UJ9sRK-2cUOanEMlgv2M8Zbeoie2TsdbnsUU9An8Ol5zLcILGo9~GsDMtWwX1LrKHzFd7QGQ22B0yDQxiUjNGaVjYp1bDjdvnxuQyDk6kpCC0ybq0CGZNZgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Wyatt Frampton, deputy state forester for the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, told the Wyoming Joint Appropriations Committee that Montana relies primarily on a county cooperative (co‑op) model for wildfire initial attack and backs counties financially when incidents exceed local capacity.

Frampton said the department “has the duty to ensure protection of lands under state and private ownerships” and described two delivery models: county co‑op agreements that fund and equip local governments and a direct protection model in which the department staffs engines, aircraft and frontline wildland positions.

Frampton said Montana protects about 60,000,000 acres (roughly 92% state or private ownership within the department’s responsibility) and supports more than 400 volunteer or local-government fire organizations through its co‑op program. In the co‑op model, he said, counties provide initial attack and the department supplies training, equipment and financial backing when local resources are exhausted.

Why it matters: Montana’s co‑op structure shifts most initial containment work to local firefighters while preserving state-level financial ‘‘backstop’’ capacity. Frampton argued the approach delivers fast initial attack — which is typically more cost‑effective and safer — while enabling statewide surge capacity for larger incidents.

Details and funding
Frampton outlined Montana’s fiscal approach as two parts: preparedness funding and a separate fire suppression fund. Preparedness — personnel, training, base equipment — is an annual appropriation of roughly $14,000,000, of which state law requires one‑third to be raised through a wildfire assessment paid by landowners. For suppression, Frampton said Montana’s 10‑year average season cost is about $29,000,000 but varies widely; major seasons can cost tens of millions more.

He described legislative changes over time (House Bill 354 and, most recently, House Bill 883) that modified how the suppression fund is replenished and how much can be held in reserve. He said House Bill 883 authorized biannual withdrawals of up to $60,000,000, split $30,000,000 for risk reduction/forest health projects and $30,000,000 to increase wildfire preparedness and surge capacity.

Mitigation and example projects
Frampton said Montana is using mitigation money to contract fuels treatments and forest‑health projects near priority communities. He reported more than 60,000 acres under contract across the state and cited a municipal watershed project near Butte (a Good Neighbor Authority project) that aimed to protect a city drinking‑water supply by improving forest health.

Frampton also described Montana’s in‑house engine build program, a fleet of 55 state engines and five modified Huey helicopters operated through a federal property access program (the aircraft are maintained and crewed by the department). He said Montana is hiring more wildland firefighters, modernizing aviation, and prioritizing prepositioning and exclusive use aviation contracts to keep response capacity local.

Quotes
“We have the duty to ensure protection of lands under state and private ownerships,” Frampton told the committee, adding that the department prioritizes an “aggressive initial attack program” to keep fires small and reduce costs.

What the committee asked and clarified
Committee members asked about Montana’s landowner assessment. Frampton said the assessment is required, currently structured as a $50 flat rate covering the first 20 acres and a $0.50 per‑acre charge for additional acres; the fee must raise one‑third of the department’s preparedness budget and appears as a line item on property tax statements. He also confirmed state trust lands are not charged assessments where state law prohibits assessments.

Ending
Frampton closed by emphasizing coordination: Montana does not expect any single agency to hold all resources and highlighted cross‑border sharing during high‑demand periods. He offered to answer follow‑ups from Wyoming staff and legislators.","Wyoming State Forester Kelly Norris introduced Wyatt Frampton, Montana deputy state forester, who described Montana’s county cooperative (co‑op) response model, a legislatively backed suppression fund partly authorized by House Bill 883, and new mitigation investments that have produced tens of thousands of acres of treatments.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6190264,"Pew: states should measure, manage and mitigate wildfire costs; offers framework for disaster‑ready budgets",188,9165000,9353000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5052009-627a56b31230a163d05ed3eb5a94209a&start=9165&end=9353","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5052009-627a56b31230a163d05ed3eb5a94209a/thumbnail_9165000.jpg","/articles/6190264/Wyoming/Pew-states-should-measure-manage-and-mitigate-wildfire-costs-offers-framework-for-disasterready-budgets","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190264-8bdb63484b0964e929dd988a7982cfd4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770732823&Signature=X1x2DSxA0bMvhil8zsoyWuvCSPgGaGCxm6NZ-qQLTocPamoyE7OAB8GVcI2--mt7E5fNcve4Vb1N1PnvaEg6HXx63Rrv6Sh7TpYGaPFzgd4q-~Wn6ojMfbeeJeM1Sy4n1somfaARsjsX~7zCIlLNctD9YEdaM8X5iqh7yTOHcSt0T~CNOFm6px9w26PEtwBKo3y~Z3XzTaj1M6UI0GkwqmiK5r0HMyV8Ob~8Lgd1oEuEABHkx~cIufjq9GGCDaHOVl-98LH~wFnuk507MPEwp9DCQXnfCD1WSlx5Q2uKz6fZRNiFUq4w53yVmJhxQzst7eHfhHM349kDinkGNRQgjg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Rona Joy Sen of the Pew Charitable Trusts told the committee that rising disaster frequency and cost — including wildfires — creates fiscal risk to state budgets and that states should adopt a three‑part approach: measure disaster costs across agencies, manage funding with forward‑looking budgeting or dedicated funds and mitigate risk through pre‑event investments.

Sen described research showing states often rely on supplemental appropriations after high‑cost seasons and cited examples of other states that created wildfire‑specific suppression funds and mitigation allocations. She said Pew helped New Mexico develop draft legislation to create a wildfire suppression fund that provides immediate access to suppression dollars, funds training and equipment replacement, and seeks to stabilize fiscal impacts.

Why it matters: Pew’s research frames wildfire spending as a fiscal stability issue rather than only an operational emergency problem. The guidance urges states to track disaster costs comprehensively and to fund mitigation that reduces long‑term spending growth.

Quotes
\"At the heart of our recommendations are three guiding principles: measure, manage and mitigate,\" Sen told the committee.

Ending
Sen offered Pew’s research and technical assistance to states that want to design suppression funds, budgeting tools and mitigation investments that reduce long‑term fiscal exposure.","Rona Joy Sen of the Pew Charitable Trusts told the committee Pew’s ‘measure, manage, mitigate’ framework for aligning state budgeting with rising disaster costs and offered technical assistance examples from other states.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6190269,"Wyoming fire chiefs propose regional modular crews, recommend EFSA floor and mitigation pot",1094,7041000,8135000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5052009-627a56b31230a163d05ed3eb5a94209a&start=7041&end=8135","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5052009-627a56b31230a163d05ed3eb5a94209a/thumbnail_7041000.jpg","/articles/6190269/Wyoming/Wyoming-fire-chiefs-propose-regional-modular-crews-recommend-EFSA-floor-and-mitigation-pot","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190269-739cbc8aebd0db7617a1cfa2c3af7d75/orig.mp4?Expires=1770732823&Signature=jV3mXxwegUvGz0UjmdwbnVM-f2APYQu-2SDskJdYHWfsLDcxkwo~h6u9zLaJWlIpwmqVKkJ2rpFzj~NuVPsG-ArmzpRqFGXdLXz3OUoXzd7C-Py6DpKNh73FsMaN0KXjwLVPBfoVou6~Bc3AAdlQtVOVzxOKXGHlyVhMip-YNYIRwTmyLnFOUJXN9BJGvm4theLt8Obr-MUAIZLS-ySFJfs75oFEoapwWcNXrrv7RGaOQPb97uCFsl0YLIpQ3JVM1hyiZ~lrOMphKyuA4rgirV7N7YYenyVek2tp49MB7h4uFB2waM2UHp8Do1al4nfDDbksomvYoEb0goVUG3Nx2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Campbell County Fire Warden JR Fox and Sublette County Fire Warden Shad Cooper presented a Wyoming Fire Service recommendation to the Joint Appropriations Committee proposing four regional “modules” of firefighting capacity, additional state fire management support staff and targeted mitigation funding.

The proposal seeks to add modular capacity available statewide in surge conditions rather than prescribing a single fixed resource type. Each regional module would include seasonal wildland firefighters supervised by crew supervisors and module leaders, with regional leadership and administrative support above them. Presenters said the modular approach allows resources to be combined into larger teams or split into smaller units for engines, hand crew or other assignments as conditions require.

Why it matters: Chiefs argued that increasing state‑level surge capacity and retaining mid‑level fire managers reduces the likelihood of multi‑week federal incident management responses and can lower total suppression costs by improving sustained response after the first 24–72 hours of an incident.

Staffing and logistics
The Wyoming Fire Service’s initial design described roughly 10 seasonal wildland firefighters per region, supervised by a crew supervisor and module leader, with a regional manager overseeing each region and a small central support team for finance and administration. Committee discussion counted the proposal as roughly 14 new full‑time equivalent (FTE) supervisory/support roles and about 40 seasonal positions in the first pass; presenters emphasized that final staffing and locations should be determined by the state forester and program managers.

Funding recommendations and EFSA changes
Chiefs and state fire leaders proposed two budgetary adjustments for committee consideration: a minimum balance (a ‘‘floor’’) for the Emergency Fire Suppression Account (EFSA) to ensure predictable suppression funding, and a larger cap/floor structure to limit volatility. During discussion, speakers suggested a floor around $40,000,000 and a cap or surge authority up to $60,000,000 as a conversation‑starting point; committee staff were asked to prepare scenarios using 10‑year averages and inflation adjustments.

Mitigation pot
The chiefs also recommended creating a mitigation account (example figure discussed: up to $10,000,000) to fund pre‑fire risk reduction work — contracts, fuels treatments, private‑sector capacity building and use of inmate crews or contractors for year‑round projects.

Local government perspective
Johnson County Commissioner Bill Novotny described the fiscal pressure counties face after large fires: his county received more than $12,000,000 from the state trust mitigation program but also incurred millions in firefighting and economic damage from the large Hausdroff (Elk) fire. He urged continued mitigation funding, Good Neighbor Authority projects to protect municipal watersheds, and recognition of county expenses that do not trigger state suppression assistance.

Quotes
\"If you look at how those costs were spread out over, the entities that were involved, We wouldn't be here, on sound financial footing if it had not been for the fire suppression account to come in and provide, that,\" Commissioner Bill Novotny said of the Hausdroff fire response.

Ending
Committee members asked staff to prepare cost estimates, staffing scenarios and EFSA balance scenarios for future meetings. Jurisdictional and operational details (engine allocation, exact regional hubs) were left to state forestry to refine before any appropriation decision.","Campbell and Sublette County fire wardens and the Wyoming Fire Service proposed creating four regional modular firefighting units (each with seasonal firefighters and supervisors), requested staff support positions, and recommended a policy framework including a minimum EFSA balance and a $10 million mitigation account.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Wyoming forester proposes widening EFSA statutory definition to cover all state‑administered lands

Arizona forester: inmate crews, mitigation and scaling state capacity to meet growing wildfire risk

Montana official: county co-op model and new suppression fund boosted wildfire response and mitigation

Pew: states should measure, manage and mitigate wildfire costs; offers framework for disaster‑ready budgets

Wyoming fire chiefs propose regional modular crews, recommend EFSA floor and mitigation pot