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Biden Pledges $37 Million to California's Sonoma County for Wildfire Mitigation
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June 30, 2021
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34:31
1:59Now PlayingPresident Joe Biden is temporarily raising pay for federal firefighters to ensure that no one fighting wildland fires is making less than $15 per hour.
Biden's plan for the higher pay -- and other moves to boost U.S. wildfire fighting capacity and prevention efforts -- comes as he holds a virtual meeting Wednesday with governors from Western states to discuss what is shaping up to be a torrid wildfire season. In addition, a huge swath of the Pacific Northwest is in the midst in one of the worst heat waves in recent memory.
"We're doing everything possible to help you prepare for what's coming and some is already there," Biden told the governors.
Biden has expressed dismay at the starting pay for federal firefighters, which is significantly lower than many local and state fire agencies. Pay for new federal firefighters typically starts at $11 per hour to $14 per hour and they are overtime eligible, according to the Interior Department.
Western states have been parched by severe drought and record heat that has burned more than 2,000 square miles (5,300 square kilometers) this year. That’s ahead of the pace in 2020, which saw a near-record 15,000 square miles (40,000 square kilometers) burned as well as more than 17,000 homes and other structures destroyed.
The pay raise will come in the form of retention incentives and by providing additional bonuses to those working on the front lines. More experienced permanent firefighters could also be eligible for a 10% retention incentive. Temporary firefighters will be eligible to receive some incentive pay under the plan.
The meeting comes as the White House released a memo confirming its commitment to a clean energy standard, tax credits and 500,000 charging stations for electric vehicles, among other climate goals as officials pursue a two-track approach on infrastructure.
A memo by climate adviser Gina McCarthy and White House senior adviser Anita Dunn also pledges at least $10 billion to conserve and restore public lands and waters, address environmental injustice and create a Civilian Climate Corps to complete federally funded projects to respond to climate change and transition to a clean energy jobs.
On wildfires, administration officials have pledged to work with Congress to increase firefighter pay and convert at least 1,000 seasonal wildland firefighters to year-round workers as fires have grown more severe.
The U.S. Forest Service and Interior Department combine to employ about 15,000 firefighters. Roughly 70% are full time and 30% are seasonal. Those figures used to be reversed, but have changed as fire seasons have grown longer and more severe.
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