US wildfire mitigation legislative efforts

In response to significant wildfire activity in Oregon, U.S. lawmakers have introduced legislative measures aimed at reducing fuel loads and mitigating fire severity.

In late July 2026, Representative Cliff Bentz and Senator Jeff Merkley introduced the Wildfire Reduction Market Expansion Act of 2026. This bipartisan bill seeks to expand the definition of woody biomass under the Clean Air Act to include low-value wood from forest management, ecological restoration, and manufacturing residuals. The goal is to create new markets for these materials and expand the Renewable Fuel Standard to include biomass removed from federal lands, thereby incentivizing the removal of hazardous fuels.

By mid-August 2026, Representative Bentz proposed further legislative efforts to expand cattle grazing on public lands as a wildfire mitigation strategy. Drawing on experiments in Malheur County, Bentz argued that intensive grazing could create effective firebreaks by reducing the accumulation of grass and other combustible fuels. This proposal follows a season where wildfires have burned millions of acres across Oregon's rangelands and forests.