Wildfires are increasing in frequency, size, and severity. From 2013 to 2022, there were an average of 61,410 wildfires impacting an average of 7.2 million acres each year. The farm bill is one vehicle through which Congress can establish, modify, and repeal programs and policies related to wildfire mitigation, suppression, and recovery.

Background

The farm bill is a five-year, multi-billion-dollar piece of legislation that governs a vast array of agricultural and food programs, from crop insurance and biomass subsidies to nutrition and rural broadband. The most recent farm bill, the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-334), included 12 titles: Commodities, Conservation, Trade, Nutrition, Credit, Rural Development, Research, Forestry, Energy, Horticulture, Crop Insurance, and Miscellaneous.