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Policy Brief - How the 2024 Farm Bill Can Support Wildfire Preparedness and Recovery

Fact Sheet

Tracy Schohr
Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor
University of California
Quincy

Team Members: Schohr, T1, Roche , L2, Pinzón Jiménez, N3
  1. Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor , , Quincy, California, 95971
  2. Cooperative Extension Specialist in Rangeland Management, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, 95616
  3. Postdoctoral Scholar, UC Davis Founder, Farmer Campus, University of California, Davis , Davis, California, 95616

Abstract

Research can be essential to policy-making, as it offers data-driven insights that inform decision-making. The objective of this fact sheet is to provide a concise document for policymakers and stakeholders with clear, actionable recommendations for the next federal Farm Bill. This fact sheet summarizes research findings from a survey of farmers and ranchers impacted by Wildfires. It includes background information, evidence-based recommendations for future federal policies. The purpose of the fact sheet is to help guide Congress’s development of the next Farm Bill to better support the recovery and resiliency to wildfire impacts to farmers and ranchers.NACAA member Tracy Schohr was responsible for layout and design of the fact sheet; outreach and distribution; and the lead author. Schohr, specifically was responsible for developing the section “2024 Farm Bill can Support Wildfire Preparedness and Recovery”. The research project that supported the baseline data was led by Dr. Natalia Pinzón Jiménez, with survey design, survey outreach, and data interpretation support from Dr. Leslie Roche and Schohr.  The survey has been broadly distributed to ranchers, community stakeholders, industry organizations and elected officials. The research team has had follow up directly from Congressional Offices and media. The policy brief findings have been published in industry trade publications such as the California Cattleman Magazine (February 2025 page 54 and November 2024 Page 27), Agri-Pulse news (November 6, 2024), and Western Farm Press (January 8, 2025). There has also been university extension on the research project, including the policy brief: University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (January 2, 2025) and University of California, Davis (December 18, 2024). Schohr also presented the research project findings and policy brief during the statewide 2025 Rustici Rangeland Science Symposium that drew over 160 attendees who were ranchers, conservation organization leaders, university researchers and government agency staff. Schohr is hopeful with thousands of views of this policy brief, to have research to policy impact, with the next Farm Bill better serving wildfire-impacted ranchers from the team’s research and extension efforts.

Factsheet