Wyoming Delegation Urges USDA to Support Local Wildfire Recovery Efforts

Wyoming’s Congressional delegation is urging the feds to support local wildlife recovery efforts in the state. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter has the details.

U.S. Senators John Barrasso and Cynthia Lummis as well as U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman (all R-WY) sent a letter Friday to the U.S. Department of Agriculture urging approval of a disaster designation request in response to the devastating wildfires across the state. Having a formal disaster designation in place gives Governor Mark Gordon and the state of Wyoming access to federal resources and disaster relief programs for the impacted areas and industries.

In the letter, the delegation emphasized the immense damage suffered and its implications for Wyoming’s agricultural production. The delegation expressed strong support for Governor Gordon’s disaster designation request and urged the USDA to allow for regulatory flexibility while Wyoming’s agricultural infrastructure is rebuilt.

In the letter, the delegation stated that Wyoming has faced an extremely damaging fire season with more than half a million acres lost and the total number of fires so far in Wyoming this year is 522 with 24 being larger than 1,000 acres.  

Full text of the letter can be viewed here.