ICYMI: Listen to the Opening Statements from the February 18th Wildfire Summit “How Have Colorado’s Wildfires Impacted You?”
Featuring: U.S. Congressman Joe Neguse, U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper & Colorado Governor Jared Polis
The BARN – Briggsdale, CO – February 18, 2021 – U.S. Congressman Joe Neguse: In 2020, Colorado battled one of the most devastating and brutal wildfire seasons we’ve ever seen. In the span of just a few months, our state experienced three of the five largest wildfires in state history, including the Cameron Peak and East Troublesome fires, which impacted communities in our district. These wildfires forced countless evacuations, threatened air and water quality and destroyed homes and businesses.
On February 18th, U.S. Congressman Joe Neguse hosted a wildfire summit to hear from Coloradans about their experiences this wildfire season. Joining Congressman Neguse was Governor Jared Polis, Senator Michael Bennet and Senator John Hickenlooper for a public conversation about wildfire mitigation and future wildfire prevention.
Below is the audio from each of their opening statements, courtesy of The BARN
| Over the last few months, we’ve partnered with local firefighters, state and local officials to help our communities weather these fires and recover. HERE’S WHAT WE’VE BEEN WORKING ON: We helped ensure first responders and firefighters are prioritized for COVID-19 testing, We helped secure a disaster declaration for Colorado’s wildfires to bring in needed federal resources for our state; We worked to bring in FEMA funding for the Cameron Peak, East Troublesome and Calwood Fires and introduced the Wildfire Recovery Act to boost the federal cost share so our local communities carry less of the burden, We introduced legislation to make major investments in wildfire mitigation and resiliency programs, and we launched the Bipartisan Wildfire Caucus in Congress to highlight these issues. We will continue to utilize every mechanism at our disposal to provide needed resources to protect our communities from catastrophic fires. Thank you for sharing your feedback! All the best, |
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