---
kind: "section"
citation: "43 U.S.C. § 1748b–1"
title: "43"
title_heading: "Public Lands"
number: "1748b–1"
heading: "Wildfire technology modernization"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/43/1748b-1"
units:
  - "Chapter 35 — Federal Land Policy and Management"
  - "Subchapter III — Administration"
---

# §1748b–1. Wildfire technology modernization

- (a) **Purpose—** The purpose of this section is to promote the use of the best available technology to enhance the effective and cost-efficient response to wildfires—
  - (1) to meet applicable protection objectives; and
  - (2) to increase the safety of—
    - (A) firefighters; and
    - (B) the public.
- (b) **Definitions—** In this section:
  - (1) **Secretaries—** The term “[Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g)” means—
    - (A) the [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) of Agriculture; and
    - (B) the [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g).
  - (2) **Secretary concerned—** The term “[Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) concerned” means—
    - (A) the [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) of Agriculture, with respect to activities under the [Department](/usc/43/1702.md?p=m) of Agriculture; and
    - (B) the [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g), with respect to activities under the [Department](/usc/43/1702.md?p=m) of the Interior.
- (c) **Unmanned aircraft systems—**
  - (1) **Definitions—** In this subsection, the terms “unmanned aircraft” and “unmanned aircraft system” have the meanings given those terms in [section 44801 of title 49](/usc/49/44801.md).
  - (2) **Establishment of program—** Not later than 180 days after March 12, 2019, the [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g), in consultation with the [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) of Agriculture, shall establish a research, development, and testing program, or expand an applicable existing program, to assess unmanned aircraft system technologies, including optionally piloted aircraft, across the full range of wildland fire management operations in order to accelerate the deployment and integration of those technologies into the operations of the [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g).
  - (3) **Expanding use of unmanned aircraft systems on wildfires—** In carrying out the program established under [paragraph (2)](#c-2), the [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g), in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, [State](/usc/43/31b.md?p=8) wildland firefighting [agencies](/usc/43/1702.md?p=m), and other relevant Federal [agencies](/usc/43/1702.md?p=m), shall enter into an agreement under which the [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) shall develop consistent protocols and plans for the use on wildland fires of unmanned aircraft system technologies, including for the development of real-time maps of the location of wildland fires.
- (d) **Location systems for wildland firefighters—**
  - (1) **In general—** Not later than 2 years after March 12, 2019, subject to the availability of appropriations, the [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g), in coordination with [State](/usc/43/31b.md?p=8) wildland firefighting [agencies](/usc/43/1702.md?p=m), shall jointly develop and operate a tracking system (referred to in this subsection as the “system”) to remotely locate the positions of fire resources for use by wildland firefighters, including, at a minimum, any fire resources assigned to Federal type 1 wildland fire incident management teams.
  - (2) **Requirements—** The system shall—
    - (A) use the most practical and effective technology available to the [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) to remotely track the location of an active resource, such as a Global Positioning System;
    - (B) depict the location of each fire resource on the applicable maps developed under [subsection (c)(3)](#c-3);
    - (C) operate continuously during the period for which any firefighting personnel are assigned to the applicable Federal wildland fire; and
    - (D) be subject to such terms and conditions as the [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) concerned determines necessary for the effective implementation of the system.
  - (3) **Operation—** The [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) concerned shall—
    - (A) before commencing operation of the system—
      - (i) conduct not fewer than 2 pilot projects relating to the operation, management, and effectiveness of the system; and
      - (ii) review the results of those pilot projects;
    - (B) conduct training, and maintain a culture, such that an employee, officer, or contractor shall not rely on the system for safety; and
    - (C) establish procedures for the collection, storage, and transfer of data collected under this subsection to ensure—
      - (i) data security; and
      - (ii) the privacy of wildland fire personnel.
- (e) **Wildland fire decision support—**
  - (1) **Protocol—** To the maximum extent practicable, the [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) shall ensure that wildland fire management activities conducted by the [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g), or conducted jointly by the [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) and [State](/usc/43/31b.md?p=8) wildland firefighting [agencies](/usc/43/1702.md?p=m), achieve compliance with applicable incident management objectives in a manner that—
    - (A) minimizes firefighter exposure to the lowest level necessary; and
    - (B) reduces overall costs of wildfire incidents.
  - (2) **Wildfire decision support system—**
    - (A) **In general—** The [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g), in coordination with [State](/usc/43/31b.md?p=8) wildland firefighting [agencies](/usc/43/1702.md?p=m), shall establish a system or expand an existing system to track and monitor decisions made by the [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) or [State](/usc/43/31b.md?p=8) wildland firefighting [agencies](/usc/43/1702.md?p=m) in managing wildfires.
    - (B) **Components—** The system established or expanded under [subparagraph (A)](#e-2-A) shall be able to alert the [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) if—
      - (i) unusual costs are incurred;
      - (ii) an action to be carried out would likely—
        - (I) endanger the safety of a firefighter; or
        - (II) be ineffective in meeting an applicable suppression or protection goal; or
      - (iii) a decision regarding the management of a wildfire deviates from—
        - (I) an applicable protocol established by the [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g), including the requirement under [paragraph (1)](#e-1); or
        - (II) an applicable spatial fire management plan or fire management plan of the [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) concerned.
- (f) **Smoke projections from active wildland fires—** The [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) shall establish a program, to be known as the “Interagency Wildland Fire Air Quality Response Program”, under which the [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) concerned—
  - (1) to the maximum extent practicable, shall assign 1 or more air resource advisors to a type 1 incident management team managing a Federal wildland fire; and
  - (2) may assign 1 or more air resource advisors to a type 2 incident management team managing a wildland fire.
- (g) **Omitted—**
- (h) **Rapid Response Erosion Database—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g), in consultation with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) of Commerce, shall establish and maintain a database, to be known as the “Rapid Response Erosion Database” (referred to in this subsection as the “Database”).
  - (2) **Open-source Database—**
    - (A) **Availability—** The [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) shall make the Database (including the original source code)—
      - (i) web-based; and
      - (ii) available without charge.
    - (B) **Components—** To the maximum extent practicable, the Database shall provide for—
      - (i) the automatic incorporation of spatial data relating to vegetation, soils, and elevation into an applicable map created by the [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) concerned that depicts the changes in land-cover and soil properties caused by a wildland fire; and
      - (ii) the generation of a composite map that can be used by the [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) concerned to model the effectiveness of treatments in the burned area to prevent flooding, erosion, and landslides under a range of weather scenarios.
  - (3) **Use—** The [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) concerned shall use the Database, as applicable, in developing recommendations for emergency stabilization treatments or modifications to drainage structures to protect values-at-risk following a wildland fire.
  - (4) **Coordination—** The [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) may share the Database, and any results generated in using the Database, with any [State](/usc/43/31b.md?p=8) or unit of local government.
- (i) **Predicting where wildfires will start—**
  - (1) **In general—** The [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g), in consultation with the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) of Energy, and the [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) of Commerce, through the capabilities and [assets](/usc/43/505a.md?p=1-A) located at the National Laboratories, shall establish and maintain a system to predict the locations of future wildfires for fire-prone areas of the United States.
  - (2) **Cooperation; components—** The system established under [paragraph (1)](#i-1) shall be based on, and seek to enhance, similar systems in existence on March 12, 2019, including the Fire Danger Assessment System.
  - (3) **Use in forecasts—** Not later than 1 year after March 12, 2019, the [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) shall use the system established under [paragraph (1)](#i-1), to the maximum extent practicable, for purposes of developing any wildland fire potential forecasts.
  - (4) **Coordination—** The [Secretaries](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) may share the system established under [paragraph (1)](#i-1), and any results generated in using the system, with any [State](/usc/43/31b.md?p=8) or unit of local government.
- (j) **Termination of authority—** The authority provided by this section terminates on the date that is 10 years after March 12, 2019.
- (k) **Savings clause—** Nothing in this section—
  - (1) requires the [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) concerned to establish a new program, system, or database to replace an existing program, system, or database that meets the objectives of this section; or
  - (2) precludes the [Secretary](/usc/43/1702.md?p=g) concerned from using existing or future technology that—
    - (A) is more efficient, safer, or better meets the needs of firefighters, other personnel, or the public; and
    - (B) meets the objectives of this section.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 116–9, title I, § 1114, Mar. 12, 2019, 133 Stat. 615.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section is comprised of section 1114 of Pub. L. 116–9. Subsec. (g) of section 1114 of Pub. L. 116–9 amended section 2208 of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Definition of “Secretary”

“Secretary” means the Secretary of the Interior, see section 2 of Pub. L. 116–9, set out as a note under section 1 of Title 16, Conservation.