House adopts changes to wildfire plan after debate over task force, mitigation funding and helicopter crews

The Wyoming House passed Senate File 152, a bill addressing wildfire management and state forester duties, after multiple floor amendments and votes that reshaped the measure’s implementation and funding over several hours of debate.

Senate File 152 began as a bill to restore depleted wildfire response accounts, clarify the state forester’s responsibilities and create a task force to compile lessons learned after the state’s large 2024 fire season. Representative Bair, the bill sponsor, moved a third‑reading amendment that removed the proposed task force and its specific funding; proponents said the same work could be accomplished by the legislature and the state forester through interim committee work and existing structures.

Supporters of retaining a task force argued the breadth of the problem — shifting federal resource availability, volunteer fire district reliance and operational communication gaps — required a dedicated, collaborative body over the summer and fall. Representative Sherwood noted federal staffing…