Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act of 2025

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Representative Kennedy's bill, the Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act of 2025.

This bill would expand wildfire research capacity by including Utah in the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes network, also known as SWERI. The SWERI program has proven to be a valuable model for scientific collaboration and forest health innovation, assisting in wildfire restoration and preparedness across the Southwest.

This legislation proposes Utah State University as the host university, which would partner with local, State, and Federal agencies to enhance forest and rangeland management and implement strategies for long-term ecological restoration. Adding a fourth institute in Utah has the potential to increase and accelerate the reach and impact of SWERI.

While I support adding another SWERI to the existing network, I must also note that I remain very concerned about the administration's proposed deep cuts to our land management agencies, which partner with SWERI and fund their key research efforts. The administration's attacks on these agencies threaten the very existence of current SWERI and the viability of the new Utah site.

We need sustained investment for research to protect our communities and landscapes, and the administration's proposed level of investment would certainly not be sufficient to support the existing program, let alone the expansion proposed by this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support for this legislation, but I also call upon my colleagues to join us in standing up to this administration's reckless cuts.

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Mr. HERNANDEZ. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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