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Pew urges states to 'measure, manage, mitigate' rising disaster costs including wildfires
Summary
Pew Charitable Trusts told Wyoming legislators states should track total disaster spending, adopt sustainable funding mechanisms and invest in mitigation to reduce long‑term costs; Pew offered technical assistance examples from other states.
Rona Joy Sen of the Pew Charitable Trusts told the committee that across the country disaster costs are rising and state budgeting practices are lagging. Pew recommended a three‑part framework — “measure, manage and mitigate” — to improve state fiscal resilience.
Measure: Sen said states should track full disaster spending across prevention, response and recovery to understand total fiscal exposure. She pointed to research showing large increases in state suppression spending over recent years in some states.
Manage: Pew recommended fiscal tools for sustainable funding, including establishing dedicated suppression funds that can be drawn quickly during emergency periods rather than relying on supplemental appropriations. She said Pew has worked with other states on legislation to create wildfire suppression funds that include suppression, training and equipment replacement.
Mitigate: Sen urged investments that reduce future costs, including mitigation projects, land‑use planning and resilient infrastructure, and noted that mitigation reduces future suppression demand and long‑term fiscal exposure.
Pew offered to support the committee with technical assistance and pointed to examples where states enacted new funds and reporting practices; the organization emphasized that budgeting reform and mitigation together produce the best fiscal and public‑safety outcomes.
Ending: Pew’s representative offered to provide further assistance to Wyoming as staff craft fund designs and budgetary reporting mechanisms.
