‘Times of urgent need’: White House assembles Western governors ahead of wildfire season
touting his infrastructure package in La Crosse, Wisconsin, Biden argued the package would prepare “the country’s infrastructure for wildfires, floods and other extreme weather.” The president also poked fun at those who deny the role of climate change in the country’s shifting weather patterns.
“It’s 116 degrees in Portland, Oregon,” Biden said. “One hundred and sixteen degrees! But don’t worry, there’s no global warming. It doesn’t exist — it’s a figment of our imagination. Seriously.”
Governors convene with the president
The White House meeting is also set to bring together western state governors who have seen wildfires within their borders worsen in recent years.
The virtual meeting occurs in tandem with the Western Governors Association’s annual conference, which is set to center on environmental and energy policy in western states. The group of seven, consisting of five Democrats and two Republicans, includes:
- Kate Brown of Oregon
- Spencer Cox of Utah
- Mark Gordon of Wyoming
- Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico
- Gavin Newson of California
- Jared Polis of Colorado
- Steve Sisolak of Nevada
Absent from the meeting will be Western governors Greg Gianforte of Montana, Jay Inslee of Washington and Brad Little of Idaho.
Inslee, a Democrat, will not be attending because the meeting falls on the same day that Washington lifts its COVID-19 restrictions, his office told the Spokesman-Review. It is unclear why Gianforte and Little, both Republicans, will not be attending the event.
Increasing support for firefighters
After a June 23 meeting with the Federal Emergency Management Agency administrator, Biden lamented the “ridiculously low pay” that federal firefighters receive.
severe and persistent fires in western states due to the worsening effects of climate change on the western environment as well as community expansion into higher risk burn zones.
Scientific research shows that dryness has been intensifying in the West in recent years due to climate change. As global temperatures rise, the heat has contributed to drier conditions.
The administration is set to announce policies meant to increase the mitigation of wildfires while increasing community resilience to fires when they do occur, according to the senior official.
Such measures are will include increased satellite detection systems and better coordinating of the administration’s placement of emergency resources in regions at risk of fire outbreaks.
The administration is also planning to permanently shift resources toward fighting wildfires as some regions see near-year-round fire outbreaks, according to the senior aide.
Many of the efforts at mitigation are unlikely to be in place by the start of wildfire season, which begins on July 24. Yet administration officials contend that the immediate response efforts will help stop the worst effects of wildfires this year while state and federal actors prepare for the new paradigm around wildfires.
Follow Matthew Brown online @mrbrownsir.