The bill establishes two new funds within the Forest Conservation Act: the Wildfire Suppression Fund and the Post-Wildfire Fund. The Wildfire Suppression Fund is created as a nonreverting fund in the state treasury to ensure a stable source of funding for wildfire suppression efforts, which includes control, technology acquisition, and securing grants. The Post-Wildfire Fund similarly serves as a nonreverting fund aimed at providing financial resources for post-wildfire emergency stabilization and recovery activities. Both funds will be administered by the energy, minerals, and natural resources department, which will also be responsible for reporting on fund balances, expenditures, and recommendations for future appropriations.

Additionally, the bill introduces new definitions related to wildfire management, including terms such as "emergency stabilization," "fire suppression damage repair," and "wildfire disaster management." It amends existing definitions to clarify the scope of what constitutes a wildfire and the actions taken in response to it. The bill mandates annual reporting by the energy, minerals, and natural resources department to the legislative finance committee, detailing fund balances, reimbursements, and historical expenditures related to wildfire management. The provisions of this act are set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
introduced version: 68-2-7
AF substitute: 68-2-7