U.S. Sen. John Curtis (R-UT) on June 24 signed on as the lead original cosponsor of a bipartisan bill that would direct the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to establish a program to provide hazardous fuels transportation grants.
The Hazardous Fuels Transportation Assistance Act of 2026, S. 4887, which is sponsored by U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), seeks to support communities and forest managers in removing byproducts of forest thinning operations that if left unattended could increase the risks of wildfires.
“Across Utah and the West, we know that active forest management is essential to reducing wildfire risk and protecting communities. But when the cost of hauling woody biomass becomes a barrier, hazardous fuels can remain on the landscape and undermine the very restoration work designed to make forests safer,” Sen. Curtis said. “Our common-sense, bipartisan bill helps get that material out of our forests, supports rural economies, and gives local partners the tools they need to better steward our public lands.”
If enacted, S. 4887 would reauthorize the Hazardous Fuels Transportation Assistance program and codify the program by establishing a program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide grants to for-profit companies, nonprofit organizations, and other entities to alleviate transportation-related economic barriers to biomass removal from hazardous fuels management activities.
The grants would support the transportation of hazardous fuels to processing facilities; costs associated with woodyards, loading facilities, scales, and custom chipping; the purchase, lease, maintenance, or modification of equipment that facilitates the transport of hazardous fuels; and workforce development, according to a bill summary provided by the lawmakers.
Additionally, the measure would authorize $25 million in funding, consistent with previous appropriations, annually for 2026 through 2030 with a $3 million cap per award, of which up to $250,000 of an award may be used for the purchase of equipment. Grants would provide a federal cost-share of 75 percent, except for tribes, which would be eligible for a 90 percent federal cost-share, the summary says.
“Thinning the forest is only half the job,” said Sen. Kelly. “This legislation will help get the material left behind out of the forest to prevent more wildfires and support the jobs, businesses, and forest restoration projects so many Arizona families depend on.”
The legislation is supported by numerous entities, including the National Forest Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, the Ecological Restoration Institute, the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, the Southwest Loggers Association, the American Biomass Energy Association, the National Association of State Foresters, and the National Wild Turkey Federation, among others.