JOINT RESOLUTION MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $40,000 TO THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (DEM) FOR THE NORTHEASTERN FOREST FIRE PROTECTION COMPACT, the official text

H7705 2026 -- H 7705 ======== LC005124 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $40,000 TO THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (DEM) FOR THE NORTHEASTERN FOREST FIRE PROTECTION COMPACT Introduced By: Representatives Cotter, Chippendale, Speakman, Carson, McGaw, Kennedy, Kazarian, and Tanzi Date Introduced: February 11, 2026 Referred To: House Finance 1 WHEREAS, The Northeastern Forest Fire Protection Compact (NFFPC) was established 2 in 1949, and acts as a mutual aid pact for wildfires exceeding local capabilities; and 3 WHEREAS, Currently, the NFFPC has a formal agreement among seven New England 4 states, New York, and five Canadian provinces that provides for sharing of firefighting resources, 5 technology, and training; and 6 WHEREAS, Rhode Island is an active member of the Northeastern Forest Fire Protection 7 Compact (NFFPC) with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management s Division 8 of Forest Environment representing the State; and 9 WHEREAS, The compact serves to facilitate cost-sharing and resource sharing during 10 emergencies, allowing states to access specialized resources without maintaining them full-time, 11 however, when a state requests aid, that state is responsible for paying the wages, salaries, 12 transportation, and maintenance of the employees and equipment from the assisting state; now, 13 therefore be it 14 RESOLVED, That there is hereby appropriated, out of any money in the treasury not 15 otherwise appropriated for the fiscal year 2026-2027, the sum of forty thousand dollars ($40,000) 16 to the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management for The Northeastern Forest Fire 17 Protection Compact (NFFPC); and the state controller is hereby authorized and directed to draw 18 their orders upon the general treasurer for the payment of said sum, or so much thereof as may be 1 from time to time required, upon receipt of properly authenticated vouchers. ======== LC005124 ======== LC005124 - Page 2 of 3 EXPLANATION BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N MAKING AN APPROPRIATION OF $40,000 TO THE RHODE ISLAND DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT (DEM) FOR THE NORTHEASTERN FOREST FIRE PROTECTION COMPACT *** 1 This resolution would appropriate the sum of $40,000 to the Rhode Island Department of 2 Environmental Management. ======== LC005124 ======== LC005124 - Page 3 of 3