Position on the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act of 2026 (WEPA)
The Federation of American Scientists supports the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act of 2026 (WEPA). The Act would amend Section 319(b) of the Clean Air Act so that it addresses prescribed burns as a standalone activity. If passed, this bill would support wildfire resilience by reducing administrative barriers to getting needed prescribed burns on the ground.
Prescribed fires, like wildfires, produce particulate matter small enough to be absorbed into the bloodstream once they enter the lungs (PM2.5). Under the Clean Air Act’s authority, EPA sets limits on the amount of particulate matter that states can emit annually. At present, prescribed burns are technically eligible for exemption from being counted towards these permissible thresholds for particle pollution. However, there is currently a high administrative burden on states to achieve these exemptions. WEPA would make changes to simplify the process of exempting prescribed burn particulate matter emissions from total emissions, removing a disincentive for prescribed burning.
“FAS supports the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act as an important step forward in improving the ability of land managers and communities to apply prescribed fire at scale. Prescribed fire, when managed strategically and safely, is a critical tool for decreasing the overall risk of catastrophic megafire and associated wildfire smoke emissions” said Dr. Hannah Safford, Associate Director of Climate and Environment at FAS.
At a time of decreased federal capacity and as we face a likely future where weather conditions are less favorable for prescribed burns to be conducted safely, WEPA would give states more autonomy to move forward with needed forest management activities while retaining EPA’s important oversight role.
Regardless of its source, PM2.5 can exacerbate respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. However, prescribed fire smoke is planned and therefore can be mitigated more effectively than smoke from uncontrolled megafires. Science-based management and monitoring can help ensure that prescribed fire reduces the overall burden of PM2.5 on communities in the coming decades.
It is also critical that communities have the tools and resources they need to make sure that people can protect themselves from smoke. For this reason, we also applaud the bill’s authorization of the Smoke Ready Communities grant program to support readiness for smoke impacts.
“In addition to passing this bill, we urge Congress to take additional action to address wildfire smoke as a public health threat through improved data and technology to support the safe, targeted, and effective use of prescribed fire; science to understand the impacts of wildfire and prescribed fire smoke on human health; and improved community access to the information and tools needed to mitigate the impacts of smoke on people’s lives and livelihoods” said Jessica Blackband, Senior Manager of Climate and Environment at FAS.
A one-pager on the bill is available here, and the full bill text is available here.
The Federation of American Scientists supports the Wildfire Emissions Prevention Act of 2026 (WEPA). The Act would amend Section 319(b) of the Clean Air Act so that it addresses prescribed burns as a standalone activity. If passed, this bill would support wildfire resilience by reducing administrative barriers to getting needed prescribed burns on the ground. […]
The NCARS Act would amend the National Security Act of 1947 to establish a durable, coordinated federal approach to national resilience.
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