This bill establishes a new Wildfire Intelligence Center jointly housed in the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, and Interior to improve how the federal government manages wildfire data, research, and response coordination. The Center will serve as a centralized hub providing real-time fire forecasting, risk assessments, and decision-support tools to help federal, state, tribal, and local governments, land managers, and emergency responders prevent, prepare for, and respond to wildfires. The Center will consolidate existing wildfire research, data, and technology services currently scattered across multiple agencies and will develop common data standards and an interoperable IT system to improve information sharing. A 14-member board representing relevant federal agencies will govern the Center, which will be led by an Executive Director, and the bill requires the board to select a permanent headquarters location within one year of enactment. The legislation does not specify funding amounts but authorizes the three departments to transfer existing funds between their relevant agencies—including the Forest Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and U.S. Geological Survey—with 15 days' notice to Congress.
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