Press Releases

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Last night, Congressman Matt Rosendale (MT-02) led a special order on the House floor with Western Caucus Chairman Dan Newhouse (WA-04) to raise awareness on the dangers of a potential fire retardant ban.

“Fire retardant is a vital and effective tool for Montanans and rural communities, slowing the spread of fires and minimizing damage,” said Rep. Rosendale. “Wildfires burned more than seven and a half million acres across the United States in 2022. This number could easily be doubled or tripled if not for the use of safe and effective fire retardants.”

Watch Rep. Rosendale’s remarks here.

“The consequences of a future ruling preventing the use of fire retardants are especially dire for Montana. If this were to happen, catastrophic wildfires would threaten thousands of lives and millions of dollars in assets,” Rosendale continued.

This effort is in response to the case Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (FSEEE) v. United States Forest Service (USFS) in Montana’s Federal District Court that alleges violations of the Clean Water Act for discharges of aerial fire retardant into navigable waters without a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit. If FSEEE wins this case or receives an injunction, it would prevent the USFS and other firefighting organizations from aerially dropping fire retardants nationwide during the coming 2023 fire season.