Strengthening Wildfire Resiliency Through Satellites Act of 2025
The Strengthening Wildfire Resiliency Through Satellites Act of 2025 would require the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), to create a competitive grant program to monitor wildfires by satellite. The program would fund at least three grants to eligible state-level entities to acquire and integrate high-resolution satellite imaging (including visible, near-infrared, shortwave infrared, thermal infrared, and radar data) through public-private partnerships. The goal is to improve detection, assessment, response to active fires, understanding of burned areas and fire intensity, support prescribed-fire planning, and guide post-fire risk assessment and disaster recovery. The bill authorizes funding of $20 million per year for 2026–2028 and requires a Congress-facing report on program outcomes and recommendations for long-term continuation.
Key Points
- 1Establishment of a competitive grant program within one year, with at least three grants to eligible entities to monitor wildfires by satellite.
- 2Eligible activities include purchasing and integrating advanced satellite imaging (multi- and hyper-spectral, visible through radar) via public-private partnerships, and using the data to monitor active fire behavior, burned area, intensity/severity, prescribed-fire safety, and post-fire risk/recovery.
- 3Eligibility and administration: eligible entities are State foresters, emergency managers, or equivalent State officials; the Secretary determines grant amounts and administers the program, including applications.
- 4Reporting to Congress: by the last day of the second fiscal year after enactment, the Secretary must report on applications, awardees, program impact on wildfire prevention, recommendations to establish a long-term program, and other effectiveness data.
- 5Funding authorization: appropriations of $20 million for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2028 to carry out the program.