Lawmaker pushes federal reforms to let Utah manage wildfire risks locally

A Utah representative argues that federal rules hinder state fire prevention and proposes legislation to give local officials more control over land management.

Summer wildfires in Utah have become a yearly threat, with over 743 incidents and nearly 387,000 acres burned so far in 2026. Federal agencies currently manage about 70% of the state's land, restricting local officials from implementing preventive actions like prescribed burns and timber thinning. As Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Federal Lands, the author is championing several bills to return land-management powers to the state, including the Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act, which would establish a research hub linking universities and land managers.

The recently passed Fix Our Forests Act expands Good Neighbor Authority to improve coordination between federal and state entities. Other pending legislation—Cross-Boundary Wildfire Solutions Act, Accelerating Forest Management Act, and Forest Health and Wildfire Risk Reduction Act—seek to remove legal obstacles to collaborative fire-mitigation projects. The author emphasizes that empowering local leaders is essential for faster, more effective wildfire response and long-term resilience.