Sen. Kelly Applauds Naming of Arizona Leaders to Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission

Kelly worked across the aisle to champion the creation of the commission in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law 

Arizona Senator Mark Kelly applauded the naming of Lucinda Andreani, Coconino County Deputy Manager, and Neil Chapman, City of Flagstaff Wildland Forest Health Specialist, to the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission which Kelly led and established, alongside Republican Senator Mitt Romney, in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

“Our state and country are fortunate to have these talented Arizonans named to the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission. As we face yet another devastating wildfire season, our work to establish this commission will give Arizonans a larger voice on how the federal government can better prevent and combat damaging wildfires,” said Senator Kelly, who championed the creation of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. “I will continue working with Republicans and Democrats to ensure our state gets the resources it needs to protect Arizona communities from wildfires.”

Last year, Kelly and Romney led the introduction of the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Act, bipartisan and bicameral legislation to establish a commission of federal and non-federal stakeholders—including city and county level representation—to study and recommend fire prevention, mitigation, management, and rehabilitation policies for forests and grasslands which was successfully included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

In 2021 alone, over 500,000 acres burned in Arizona, damaging homes, small businesses, and agricultural properties, according to the National Interagency Fire Council. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, shaped by Kelly, invests $8.25 billion to protect communities against wildfires, support wildfire recovery efforts, and reduce hazardous fuels on federal, state, and tribal lands.