Sen. Bennet, Entire Colorado Congressional Delegation Urge Expedited Approval of Major Disaster Declaration for Wildfire Recovery

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24 -- Sen. Michael F. Bennet, D-Colorado, issued the following news release on Dec. 23:

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet and the entire Colorado Congressional Delegation sent a letter to President Donald Trump urging swift approval of Colorado Governor Jared Polis's request to designate Colorado's wildfires as a Major Disaster to bring in needed recovery funds for the state.

"Devastating wildfires have occurred across our state, forcing evacuations, threatening air and water quality, and destroying homes and businesses. Given the historic nature of these fires and their devastating impact on our communities, we urge you to expedite the approval process so that Coloradans have access to the resources they need to respond and recover quickly," wrote Bennet and his colleagues. "The unprecedented nature of this emergency merits a swift and comprehensive response. Given the rapid escalation and urgent need for support, we request an expeditious approval of the Governor's Major Disaster declaration request."

Three of the state's five largest fires have occurred in 2020. The East Troublesome fire grew sixfold in size in a matter of 24 hours and is the second-largest fire in state history. The Cameron Peak fire, which began burning in August, grew to over 200,000 acres - the largest fire in Colorado history. Additionally, the Grizzley Creek fire closed I-70, one of Colorado's major transportation corridors. These fires, in addition to the Middle Fork fire, Williams Fork fire, the Lefthand Canyon fire, and the Calwood Fire, caused thousands of Coloradans to evacuate and significant infrastructure damage.

As Ranking Member of the Senate Agriculture Committee's Conservation, Forestry, and Natural Resources Subcommittee, Bennet has consistently worked in Congress to improve Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) project delivery--urging the Government Accountability Office to provide recommendations for improvement and introducing the Making Access to Cleanup Happen (MATCH) Act with U.S. Senator Mitt Romney (R-Utah) to expedite cleanup and increase flexibility for local matching requirements.

In September, Bennet led U.S. Senator Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and U.S. Representatives Joe Neguse and Scott Tipton (R-Colo.) in urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to quickly approve EWP funding to mitigate and recover from wildfire damage. Days later, Bennet announced USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) approved the first tranche of EWP funds for $5 million worth of projects in Colorado to mitigate and recover from wildfires. Later that month, Bennet and a group of Western Democratic senators sent a letter to Trump asking him to provide additional federal assistance to improve the response to wildfires and assist the states, Tribes, and communities grappling with fires and their aftermath.

In October, Bennet joined his colleagues in asking the National Guard for a report on its readiness to help states prepare, fight, and recover from wildfires. Later that month, Bennet, Neguse, and Gardner sent a letter to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and USDA NRCS to request that they work with the State of Colorado and local governments to address the threat posed by recent fires to the region's watersheds and water supply. Bennet also urged Secretary of Interior David Bernhardt and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue to improve pay, job stability, and benefits for federal wildfire personnel. At the end of the month, Bennet visited Grand and Larimer counties to meet with local officials and first responders to assess the damage from the East Troublesome fire and the Cameron Peak fire.

Last month, Bennet led Wyden, Gardner, and U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) in two letters requesting that the Senate Committee on Appropriations include federal funding to support wildfire recovery efforts in the West in the end-of-year appropriations.

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December 23, 2020

To: Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20500

Dear Mr. President,

We write in strong support of Governor Polis' request for an expedited Major Disaster declaration for the State of Colorado. Devastating wildfires have occurred across our state, forcing evacuations, threatening air and water quality, and destroying homes and businesses. Given the historic nature of these fires and their devastating impact on our communities, we urge you to expedite the approval process so that Coloradans have access to the resources they need to respond and recover quickly.

An unusual weather event combined with extreme drought led to the catastrophic growth of several fires throughout the state. Three of the state's five largest fires have occurred in 2020. The East Troublesome fire grew sixfold in size in a matter of 24 hours and is the second-largest fire in state history. The Cameron Peak fire, which began burning in August, grew to over 200,000 acres - the largest fire in Colorado history. Additionally, the Grizzley Creek fire closed I-70, one of our state's major transportation corridors. These fires, in addition to the Middle Fork fire, Williams Fork fire, the Lefthand Canyon fire, and the Calwood Fire, caused thousands of Coloradans to evacuate and significant infrastructure damage.

These late-season fires are not normal. Typically, October marks the beginning of winter weather patterns in Colorado. As fire seasons grow longer, the availability of resources to our local communities gets stretched thinner. The unprecedented nature of this emergency merits a swift and comprehensive response. Given the rapid escalation and urgent need for support, we request an expeditious approval of the Governor's Major Disaster declaration request.

Thank you for your support in this urgent matter.

See signatories here: https://www.bennet.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/9/5/95c9c34b-630a-45a7-b1cf-6d1da0bd4a13/262A812D0E6372B6DF3CCA87E2E8E329.colorado-disaster-declaration-los.pdf