Bipartisan Support for Environmental Issues Is Still Possible.

Yesterday, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted unanimously to advance a bill that would make it easier for states to conduct prescribed fire. It’s a pragmatic and finely scoped bill. While traditional DC advice is that opening up the Clean Air Act is untouchable, this bill proved otherwise. Even in an era of heightened politics, all committee members saw value in the bill moving forward.

The bill – the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act (WEPA) – would clearly define prescribed fire under the Clean Air Act’s Exceptional Events clause and streamline how states apply for these demonstrations. As wildfires increasingly affect people across the country, this bill is an opportunity to make a real impact for states that want to conduct controlled burns that prevent and mitigate extreme wildfire.

Senate offices on both sides of the aisle worked on finding a bipartisan solution for close to a year and cultivated a broad coalition of organizations intent on getting a legislative solution to one of the clearest hurdles facing states, tribes, and prescribed fire practitioners.

While much more needs to be done to solve some of our biggest environmental challenges, bills like this show that legislators on both sides of the aisle can come together to solve important policy issues.