A resolution honoring the individuals fighting and the individuals who have fallen responding to wildland fires during the ongoing 2020 wildfire season.

III 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. RES. 766 Honoring the individuals fighting and the individuals who have fallen responding to wildland fires during the ongoing 2020 wildfire season. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES OCTOBER 26 (legislative day, OCTOBER 19), 2020 Mr. DAINES (for himself, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. CRAMER, Ms. MCSALLY, Mr. RISCH, Mr. CRAPO, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. HOEVEN, Mr. BARRASSO, Mr. ENZI, and Ms. MURKOWSKI) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs NOVEMBER 12, 2020 Committee discharged; considered and agreed to RESOLUTION Honoring the individuals fighting and the individuals who have fallen responding to wildland fires during the ongo- ing 2020 wildfire season. Whereas, since 8:00 p.m. on August 18, 2020, the National Preparedness Level has been at 5, the highest level, in- dicative of above-normal wildfire activity and a maximum commitment of wildfire suppression resources and per- sonnel; Whereas, as of September 23, 2020, 43,917 large wildfires had burned 7,027,861 acres across the Western United States; VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:08 Nov 13, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR766.ATS SR766 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 SRES 766 ATS Whereas warmer and drier weather and mismanagement of the forests of the United States are exacerbating the threat of wildfires and contributing to the above-normal fire activity in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and other western States in 2020; Whereas Federal, State, local, and Tribal agencies have mobi- lized wildland handcrews, interagency hotshot crews, en- gine crews, smokejumpers, helitack crews, pilots, rapellers, incident management teams, first responders, and other wildland firefighters to help combat wildfires in the West; Whereas, as of September 23, 2020— (1) 534 crews and more than 30,000 wildland fire- fighters are mobilized to assist with efforts to contain wildfires that threaten communities throughout the West; (2) the Department of Defense had approved and mobilized more than 400 United States Marines, sailors, and soldiers to assist with wildfire suppression efforts; (3) multiple State Governors had mobilized members and units of the National Guard to assist with wildfire suppression efforts; and (4) wildland firefighters from several countries, in- cluding Mexico and Canada, had been mobilized to re- spond to wildfires in the United States; Whereas the private sector has made significant contributions to wildfire response, providing crews, equipment, tech- nology, expertise, and aircraft to assist wildfire suppres- sion efforts; Whereas, as of September 23, 2020, many wildland fire- fighters, including 2 Montanans, had paid the ultimate price while preparing and training to combat, protecting communities from, and combating wildfires in 2020; VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:08 Nov 13, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR766.ATS SR766 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 SRES 766 ATS Whereas the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19) pan- demic has exacerbated the public health and public safety risks inherent in combatting wildfires; Whereas, as of September 23, 2020, dozens of people in the United States had lost their lives, and thousands of homes, approximately 30 of which were in Montana, had been destroyed, in wildland fires; Whereas, were it not for the efforts and bravery of wildland firefighters, those numbers would have been much higher; Whereas, during 2020, wildland firefighters in the United States have not only risked their lives to fight wildfires in the United States, but have also provided their serv- ices to combat the bushfires in Australia; and Whereas wildland firefighters, first responders, sheriffs, and community leaders have acted bravely and risked their lives to contain dangerous wildfires across the Western United States to protect families and critical infrastruc- ture: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate— 1 (1) recognizes— 2 (A) the efforts and sacrifices of the 3 wildland firefighters who have risked their lives 4 to fight intense wildfires in 2020; and 5 (B) the support, resources, and personnel 6 mobilized by the international partners of the 7 United States; 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:08 Nov 13, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\SR766.ATS SR766 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 SRES 766 ATS (2) honors the bravery and heroism of the men 1 and women assisting in responding to and combat- 2 ting wildfires; 3 (3) expresses appreciation and gratitude to fire- 4 fighters for protecting lives and property in the 5 United States during the ongoing 2020 wildfire sea- 6 son; 7 (4)(A) honors the ultimate sacrifice of the 8 wildland firefighters who lost their lives assisting in 9 fighting wildfires in 2020; and 10 (B) extends deepest condolences to the families, 11 friends, and colleagues of those wildland firefighters; 12 (5) expresses full support for communities 13 throughout the West as those communities focus on 14 recovery and rebuilding affected areas and commu- 15 nities; 16 (6) values the longstanding partnerships and 17 collaboration between Federal, State, local, and 18 Tribal agencies coordinating wildfire response ef- 19 forts; and 20 (7) supports continued cooperation and collabo- 21 ration between Federal, State, local, and Tribal enti- 22 ties to mitigate the underlying factors driving more 23 intense wildfire activity. 24 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:08 Nov 13, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\SR766.ATS SR766 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS