UPDATE!! Tim Sheehy Fuels Forest Fix With New Bill

Rookie Senator Delivers on Firefighting Reform

Nearly two months after being passed by the United States Congress, Montana Senator Tim Sheehy’s Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act has been signed into law by President Trump. The bill aims to strengthen the nation’s aerial wildfire suppression fleet and ensure year-round capabilities to combat catastrophic wildfires.

Eliminating bureaucratic obstacles to fight wildfires more quickly and aggressively is America First common sense, and I am honored to have President Trump sign my first bill into law so we can better support the brave first responders on the front lines fighting wildfires. As we enter the bulk of fire season during what has already been the worst year for wildfire on record, I’m grateful President Trump is taking decisive action to ensure we can respond better, faster, and stronger to wildland fires across the country. - Senator Tim Sheehy

Sheehy Celebrates First Legislative Victory

Senator Tim Sheehy joined President Trump in the White House as the bill was signed into law alongside an executive order aimed at combating the escalating wildfire crisis that continues to threaten large portions of the country. The bill was originally introduced by Senator Sheehy in January with Democratic Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico. After soaring through the Senate on a unanimous vote in April, it finally passed through the House earlier this month and reached the President’s desk.

A Busy Freshman Year on Capitol Hill

Senator Sheehy has been busy since taking office in D.C., spearheading a bipartisan push for wildfire reform. Fifteen different pieces of legislation have been introduced with Sheehy’s sponsorship, and with the Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act, Sheehy becomes the only rookie senator to push a bill through both the House and the Senate and have it become law in the 119th Congress.

The highest calling of government is to protect its people, and President Trump is delivering our federal wildland firefighting apparatus the tools needed to ensure a robust response to these disasters and better protect American families from catastrophic wildfire,” said Senator Sheehy.

Federal Firefighting Support Expands with Executive Order

The executive order that accompanied the ceremony stems from a letter sent to President Trump back in May. Led by Sheehy and joined by 16 other Senate and House Republicans, the letter expressed their support for the wildfire-mitigating order when it was introduced.

Here's the original story from April 14th, 2025:

Montana Senator Tim Sheehy continues to fight for firefighting reformation within the US Senate

After passing the Aerial Firefighting Enhancement Act in the Senate last week, Senator Sheehy has joined forces with Senators John Curtis (R – Utah), John Hickenlooper (D – Colo.), and Alex Padilla (D – Calif.) in presenting the Fix Our Forests Act, legislation originally introduced in the House of Representatives.

Fix Our Forests Act

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, 2024 saw a 231% increase in burned acres across the nation, from 2.7 million acres in 2023 to nearly 9 million. The Fix Our Forests Act aims to update and establish new processes to reduce wildfire risks, streamline treatments for forest health, and create interagency assistance programs for communities. These aims will also cascade into expanded research on wildfire prevention, detection, and mitigation alongside reforestation, seeding, and nursing through a new Wildfire Intelligence Center, which will also help federal response and coordination across agencies nationwide.

Sheehy Speaks

“Better stewarding our forests is something we can all agree on, regardless of party, because it helps secure a stronger economy, more resilient, healthy forests, and safer communities,” said Senator Sheehy. “I’m proud to join my colleagues on this important legislation to support those on the frontlines protecting communities from catastrophic wildfire, better manage our forests, create more good-paying jobs, and unleash our resource economy.”

“Utah and the American West are on the front lines of a growing wildfire crisis—and the longer we wait, the more acres will burn, and more families will be impacted,” said Senator Curtis, with Senator Hickenlooper adding “We need to act NOW with the speed required to mitigate wildfires and make our homes and businesses more resilient to these disasters, and to put in place protections for our communities and the environment.”

Senator Tim Sheehy is a first-term senator, beating John Tester in the 2024 election. Sheehy stepped down as the CEO of Bridger Aerospace during his Senate campaign, an aerial firefighting company based out of Belgrade.