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UAMPS offers wildfire‑mitigation planning to members, flags federal easement and liability issues
Summary
UAMPS told Hurricane officials it will facilitate wildfire mitigation plans for member utilities, arguing plans reduce legal exposure and meet emerging credit‑rating scrutiny; staff pointed to federal easement access limits and the Fix Our Forest Act as a potential legislative remedy.
UAMPS staff proposed a member‑support program to develop wildfire‑mitigation plans and help municipalities implement them, framing the work as both risk management and a potential legal‑defense tool.
“If you don't have a wildfire mitigation plan, then that may be deemed to be a not prudent utility practice if you were to have a legal plan brought against you,” Jackie (UAMPS counsel) said during the meeting, summarizing the rationale for offering plan development and implementation support.
Why it matters: Staff said wildfire liability is increasingly material for utilities across the West; they cited multi‑billion‑dollar litigation in other states as evidence of potential exposure and said credit‑rating agencies are now considering wildfire‑risk management in their analyses. A proactive mitigation plan, staff argued, helps identify risk areas, creates operational response plans and provides documentation useful in litigation or regulatory reviews.
Federal easement access: Council members asked whether federal restrictions hinder clearing of easement corridors. UAMPS staff said federal access and permitting can complicate vegetation management on federal lands and pointed to a federal bill—referred to in the briefing as the Fix Our Forest Act—that UAMPS is supporting in Washington, D.C., to ease clearance work on federal lands.
Program design: UAMPS described the offering as facilitation: the agency would help members develop mitigation plans, train staff on response, and—where members choose—assist with implementation. Participation would be voluntary; UAMPS staff said they would coordinate legal‑practice review with city attorneys to address sovereign‑immunity concerns and local policy choices.
Quote: “We’re thinking it as a good way to, you know, 1, proactively manage against wildfire risk, and, b, if a wildfire does happen…this would be very favorable,” Jackie said. The briefing noted implementation choices and degree of member participation will vary by service territory and risk profile.
Next steps: UAMPS will share follow‑up materials and talking points on easement access and federal legislative developments; staff offered to loop in city attorneys and continue coordination on implementation details.
