By Jordan Hansen
Daily Montanan on September 3, 2025
A major deadline set by an Executive Order from President Donald Trump to consolidate the firefighting apparatus in the Department of Interior and the U.S. Forest Service is approaching, with some advocacy organizations hoping it will improve coordination.
Interior and the Forest Service, which is housed in the Department of Agriculture, need to present a plan by Sept. 10 on how they’re going to consolidate firefighting efforts. A second deadline, on Dec. 9, requires the two departments to unveil a plan to increase state and local firefighting capacity.
Partners in Wildfire Prevention, a coalition which includes clean energy interest groups, economic organizations, the Western Fire Chiefs Association and the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, said there’s not enough attention on the issue of wildfires at the national level. They view the order as some acknowledgement of that and are hopeful it improves fire response.
“What we don’t know yet is exactly what the decisions are that come out of the order,” said Chet Wade, a spokesperson for the group. “That’s why we think it’s important to draw attention to it. And what we hope to see is greater collaboration, stronger communication, better more effective operations.” ….
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