S 453119th CongressIn Committee

Wildfire Intelligence Collaboration and Coordination Act of 2025

Introduced: Feb 6, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Wildfire Intelligence Collaboration and Coordination Act of 2025 would create a new Wildfire Intelligence Center (WIC) operating as an interagency entity jointly housed within the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of the Interior. The Center would serve as the core hub for wildfire data collection, modeling, forecasting, and decision support across the full wildfire lifecycle—from pre-fire risk reduction and land management to active firefighting, public health protections from smoke, and post-fire recovery. It would consolidate and coordinate real-time analytics, risk assessments, and interoperable data systems, and it would provide tools, training, and guidance to federal, state, tribal, local governments, and private partners. The bill also establishes a governing Board, enables interagency financing, allows private-sector engagement (notably for drought monitoring), and sets out a broad array of coordination and data standards obligations to improve efficiency and coherence in wildfire management. In short, the bill aims to create a centralized, science-based, cross-agency platform for wildfire intelligence and planning, with the goal of improving prediction, risk communication, evacuation planning, air quality management, and overall wildfire resilience across the United States. It would also formalize governance and funding mechanisms to support sustained interagency collaboration.

Key Points

1Establishment of the Wildfire Intelligence Center (WIC): A joint office within the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, and the Department of the Interior to study, coordinate, and implement wildfire-related issues, including real-time assessment and prediction of fires in wildland and built environments, and to support land management, risk reduction, and response activities.
2Comprehensive functions and tools: The Center would provide science-based analytics, predictive services, and decision support across all phases of fire; maintain a nationwide wildland fire risk catalog; assist with evacuation and public safety power shutoffs planning; offer data-driven risk assessments and post-fire recovery guidance; and create a testbed for evaluating new decision-support tools.
3Data interoperability and IT infrastructure: The Center would develop interoperable IT systems, common data standards, data inventories, and a big-data architecture; it would integrate information from federal, state, tribal, and local governments, with emphasis on protecting confidential information and enabling rapid, shared access to essential data.
4Governance and funding: A 14-member Board representing multiple federal agencies would govern the Center, with a rotating chair, multi-year terms (up to four terms possible for a member), and a high threshold for voting (2/3 majority). The Center would have an Executive Director who can engage with the private sector on drought monitoring and may enter into contracts and other arrangements; interagency funding would be permitted to establish and operate the Center, with at least 15 days’ notice to appropriations committees before transfers.
5Coordination with other entities: The Board would coordinate with the National Wildfire Coordinating Group, state and tribal governments, and other agencies with land-management responsibilities or relevant data/science capabilities; the Center would also develop training curricula for state, territorial, local, tribal officials, and emergency managers.

Impact Areas

Primary groups/areas affected- Federal agencies involved in wildfire management (Agriculture, Commerce, Interior and their agencies like Forest Service, NOAA, USGS, NWS, etc.)- State, tribal, and local governments responsible for land management, incident response, and community safety- Incident management teams, land managers, firefighters, and emergency responders- Public health entities and communities affected by wildfire smoke and air qualitySecondary groups/areas affected- Private sector data and technology providers (through the Center’s coordination and potential drought-monitoring partnerships)- Public safety officials and utilities planning for evacuations and power shutoffs- Researchers and academia engaged in wildfire modeling and risk assessmentAdditional impacts- Potential improvements in wildfire prediction, risk communication, and post-fire recovery planning- Enhanced data interoperability and centralized decision support could reduce duplication of effort and improve efficiency- Privacy, civil liberties, and security considerations related to the integration of data from civil, military, and intelligence communities, and the handling of confidential information- Funding dynamics and interagency financing could affect budgeting, oversight, and prioritization across multiple agencies- Requirements for standards and training could influence how states and tribes prepare for and respond to wildfiresThe bill emphasizes interoperability and data integration, including the use of big-data architecture and real-time risk products.It allows for cross-agency fund transfers to support the Center, with required notice to appropriations committees, which could affect how agencies allocate funds.It contemplates private-sector involvement in drought monitoring, which could bring new tools and expertise but also raises questions about governance and conflicts of interest.The Center’s data and tools would be designed to assist a wide range of stakeholders, from federal land managers to local responders and communities at risk, including evacuation planning and public health risk communication.

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