Senators Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly are among a group of Democratic lawmakers calling for additional funding for wildfire recovery on federal lands.
Gallego and Kelly, along with New Mexico’s Martain Heinrich and Colorado’s John Hickenlooper, want assistance following numerous devastating blazes this year, including the Dragon Bravo Fire on the Grand Canyon’s North Rim. They sent a letter requesting resources on Friday to Senate appropriations Chair Susan Collins and Vice Chair Patty Murray, who are both Republicans.
“Repairing wildfire damages to National Parks, National Forests, and Bureau of Land Management lands is vital for the safety and economy of the entire country,” wrote the senators.
The letter did not specify how much federal funding is being requested by the senators.
Damage to federal lands is not covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the costs of cleanup, restoration and recovery fall to land agencies like the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management.
“Our nation’s public lands have tremendous intrinsic, economic, and ecological value. Gateway communities rely on the tourism generated by National Parks and other federal lands for economic development and employment opportunities,” the letter reads.
In 2025, almost a million acres of BLM lands burned. The Dragon Bravo and White Sage fires alone torched more than 200,000 acres over the summer in Grand Canyon National Park and on the Kaibab National Forest. The Dragon Bravo Fire destroyed the 100-year-old Grand Canyon Lodge in July along with more than 100 other structures on the North Rim of the park.
“Coconino County is no stranger to wildfires and their impacts to our economy, infrastructure, and tourism,” says Coconino County Supervisor Lena Fowler. “The Dragon Bravo Fire, one of the largest in Arizona history, devastated the North Rim and has caused significant impacts to area businesses whose livelihoods depend on tourism.”
In addition, wildfires this year scorched Joshua Tree National Park in California, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado, the Gila National Forest in New Mexico and elsewhere.
