Thursday Top of the Scroll: Huge wildfire, drought package readied for House votes
A package of 48 bills related to wildfire, forest management and drought will reach the House floor in one giant measure next week as Democrats try to push through their version of how best to tackle the climate crisis on public lands. The bill, called the “Wildfire Response and Drought Resiliency Act,” H.R. 5118, would boost pay and benefits for wildland firefighters, help the Forest Service fill gaps in fire management staff and promote bigger forest management projects to reduce hazardous fuels … Among the measures, the act would authorize up to $500 million to the Interior Department through fiscal 2026 to prevent Lake Powell and Lake Mead from “declining to critical low water elevations.”