Proposed cuts to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) spell uncertainty for disaster relief funding in the state.
The Wyoming Office of Homeland Security provides assistance and coordination to local governments during disasters and emergencies. The agency is 92% federally funded, according to statements made by Ashley Paulsrud with the office during a May 19 and 20 Joint Judiciary Committee meeting in Torrington.
Many of the grant programs Homeland Security offers come from FEMA. However, Paulsrud said the state of FEMA is in flux and dramatic changes might mean states will have to shoulder a larger burden of disaster relief.
“The state of Wyoming has a threshold of $1.1 million. That is the amount of damage we would have to have if we want to qualify for FEMA public assistance,” she said. “We have heard that they are proposing a quadrupling [of] that threshold. That means for the state of Wyoming, that number will increase to $4.3 million.”
Paulsrud said none of the state’s prior disasters would have met that threshold, even last year’s fires. She said Homeland Security expects its budget will probably be “different,” with an increased request from the general fund likely.
Pres. Trump signed an executive order in March calling for “State and local governments and individuals play a more active and significant role in national resilience and preparedness, thereby saving American lives, securing American livelihoods, reducing taxpayer burdens through efficiency, and unleashing our collective prosperity.”
In place of FEMA funding, Homeland Security may be more reliant on the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, or EMAC, a framework that allows for resource sharing and mutual aid between states during disasters.
“EMAC delivers critical support while reducing resilience on federal resources, which I think will become even more important as we see those federal disaster response dollars decrease,” said Paulsrud. “The importance of EMAC and sharing our resources and supporting our state but other states around us, that will become more important.”
Paulsrud says EMAC will also be heavily in use as states prepare for the FIFA 2026 World Cup, due to take place in cities across the continent.
This reporting was made possible by a grant from the Corporation For Public Broadcasting, supporting state government coverage in the state. Wyoming Public Media and Jackson Hole Community Radio are partnering to cover state issues both on air and online.
