Igniting Innovation: Progress and a Path Forward for Wildfire Policy

About this episode

The episode discusses emerging solutions and federal policy strategies to tackle the wildfire crisis in the United States.

One year after the catastrophic wildfires that blazed through southern California, the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI) and the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) invite you to a briefing on emerging solutions to tackle the wildfire crisis, and the federal policy strategies for getting these solutions into the field. Communities nationwide are experiencing longer wildfire seasons and more intense, destructive wildfires. Hotter and drier weather, decades of fire over-suppression leading to the buildup of flammable materials, and increasing development in and around fire-prone areas have transformed wildfire—once a natural and sustainable part of American landscapes—into a major threat. From California to New Jersey, wildfires are taking a toll—costing the United States up to $424 billion annually and displacing tens of thousands of people. This briefing will highlight efforts to address this crisis, including wildfire preparedness, response, and recovery policies and innovations in the United States. Panelists will identify evidence-backed approaches—from smart zoning and upgraded building codes to fuels management and early detection—and the role of federal…

People in this episode

Host: Environmental and Energy Study Institute

Topics covered

• wildfire policy
• emerging solutions
• federal policy
• community resilience
• wildfire preparedness

Keywords

• wildfires
• policy
• preparedness
• resilience
• federal strategies

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Federation of American Scientists

Places: California, New Jersey, United States

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