Pew: states should measure, manage and mitigate wildfire costs; offers framework for disaster‑ready budgets

Rona Joy Sen of the Pew Charitable Trusts told the committee that rising disaster frequency and cost — including wildfires — creates fiscal risk to state budgets and that states should adopt a three‑part approach: measure disaster costs across agencies, manage funding with forward‑looking budgeting or dedicated funds and mitigate risk through pre‑event investments.

Sen described research showing states often rely on supplemental appropriations after high‑cost seasons and cited examples of other states that created wildfire‑specific suppression funds and mitigation allocations. She said Pew helped New Mexico develop draft legislation to create a wildfire suppression fund that provides immediate access to suppression dollars, funds training and equipment replacement, and seeks to stabilize fiscal impacts.

Why it matters: Pew’s research frames wildfire spending as a fiscal stability issue rather than only an operational emergency problem. The guidance urges states to track disaster costs comprehensively and to fund mitigation that reduces long‑term spending growth.

Quotes "At the heart of our recommendations are three guiding principles: measure, manage and mitigate," Sen told the committee.

Ending Sen offered Pew’s research and technical assistance to states that want to design suppression funds, budgeting tools and mitigation investments that reduce long‑term fiscal exposure.