North Dakota National Guard soldiers and airmen worked with the Department of Emergency Services to build a handline and conducted a controlled burn to prevent the further spread of a wildfire near Mandaree on Oct. 6, 2024. Gov. Doug Burgum declared a statewide fire emergency and activated the North Dakota National Guard. (U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Samuel J. Kroll, visual information photographer)
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins issued a new memorandum to modernize and strengthen America’s wildfire prevention and response system. The administration says the policy direction enacts common-sense reforms that modernize and streamline federal wildfire system.
Concurrently, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum issued his own memorandum to streamline capabilities and strengthen federal, state, and local partnerships.
The memorandum marks a decisive shift away from outdated systems and fragmented responses that have too often hindered federal firefighting and wildfire response efforts.
In response to President Trump’s Executive Order 14308 – Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response, USDA will unify operations, strengthen partnerships with state, Tribal, and local governments, and modernize tools and training to better protect American communities from the escalating threat of wildfire.
USDA news release
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