Wildfire is part of life in the West. But how we prepare for it, respond to it, and care for the land afterward are policy choices.

As the West experiences one of its worst fire seasons in years, the federal government is changing how wildfires are fought, including restructuring federal firefighting operations and placing greater emphasis on quickly suppressing fires.

Putting out fires and protecting communities matters.

But the story is more complicated.

For generations, aggressive fire suppression has also allowed vegetation and other fuels to accumulate across some landscapes. Combined with hotter and drier conditions and continued development where communities meet wildlands, those conditions can contribute to increasingly destructive fires.

Here in Nevada, we know this conversation well.

Wildfire impacts our rural communities, Tribal Nations, public lands, wildlife habitat, watersheds, homes, and the firefighters who put themselves in harm’s way to protect our neighbors.

For Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada (LEAN), this is where creation care becomes neighbor care.

We need firefighters and resources ready when communities are threatened. But we also need to think beyond the fire burning today: investing in fuels reduction, prescribed fire where appropriate, healthy landscapes, responsible development, resilient communities, and long-term climate preparedness.

As we look toward Nevada’s 2027 Legislative Session, the question isn’t simply:

How quickly can we put out the next fire?

It is also:

What are we doing today so the next fire isn’t even more destructive?

That is a conversation worth leaning into.

For decades, the federal government’s approach to wildfire was fairly simple: put the fire out.

Beginning in the 1930s, the U.S. Forest Service operated under what became known as the “10 a.m. rule” — the goal of suppressing every wildfire by 10 a.m. the day after it was discovered.

That policy was eventually abandoned as our understanding of fire changed.

We now know that fire is a natural and sometimes necessary part of healthy Western ecosystems. When nearly every fire is suppressed, vegetation and other fuels can accumulate, potentially contributing to larger and more destructive fires later.

Now, aggressive wildfire suppression is receiving renewed emphasis from the federal government.

The old 10 a.m. rule has not officially returned, but the Forest Service has emphasized aggressive initial attacks and full-suppression strategies.

For Nevada, the question isn’t whether we should fight wildfires. Of course we should protect communities, homes, firefighters and lives when they are threatened.

The question is whether suppression alone is enough.

Wildfire policy must also include prescribed fire, fuel reduction, defensible space, responsible development, adequately funded firefighters, healthy forests and watersheds, and preparation for hotter and drier conditions across the West.

Creation care requires us to think beyond the fire burning today.

How do we protect our neighbors today while stewarding our lands so they are healthier and more resilient tomorrow?

Sometimes stewardship means putting the fire out.

Sometimes it means understanding that fire itself is part of creation.

Good public policy needs the wisdom to know the difference.

Feeding America’s statewide estimates, based on 2024 data, show:

• 481,460 Nevadans experienced food insecurity.
• Nevada’s overall food-insecurity rate was 15.1%—approximately one in seven residents.
• 148,850 Nevada children experienced food insecurity.
• The child food-insecurity rate was 21.6%—more than one in five children.
• Nevada’s annual food-budget shortfall was approximately $316.4 million.
• That represents a gap of approximately 91.2 million meals.
• The average cost of a meal in Nevada was $3.47.
• Approximately 38.1% of food-insecure Nevadans lived in households with incomes above Nevada’s SNAP eligibility threshold—meaning they may struggle to afford food while earning too much to qualify for assistance.

These are modeled estimates rather than direct counts. They also reflect conditions in 2024 and do not capture subsequent changes to SNAP or other nutrition programs.

As Nevada’s interim committees wrap up their work, their final meetings often include work sessions where legislators decide which proposals to advance as Bill Draft Requests, or BDRs. These recommendations grow out of months of testimony from community members, advocates, public agencies, and people with expertise in the issues.

Last week, several committees considered proposals that matter to the communities Lutheran Engagement and Advocacy in Nevada (LEAN) serves.

The Joint Interim Standing Committee on Revenue approved a drafting request to repeal Nevada’s tax abatements for data centers and establish a statewide moratorium on the construction or expansion of these facilities. The proposal targets NRS 360.754, which authorizes partial tax abatements for qualifying new or expanded data centers. This brings questions about public resources, responsible development, and care for creation directly into the conversation for 2027. Read more about the proposal.

The Joint Interim Standing Committee on the Judiciary unanimously approved a drafting request to strengthen oversight of automated license plate readers, including Flock cameras. The proposal calls for written policies, training, independent audits, and annual reporting. For LEAN, protecting public safety also requires protecting privacy, civil rights, and public accountability. Read more about the proposed safeguards.

The Joint Interim Standing Committee on Government Affairs also considered changes to improve public participation at the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada. Advocates called for meeting times accessible to working people, reliable phone and virtual participation, simpler written comments, and better language access. People whose household budgets are affected by utility decisions deserve a meaningful opportunity to be heard. This BDR was not acted on.

These are steps toward legislation. Approving a BDR authorizes a bill to be drafted; the proposal still must move through the legislative process before becoming law.

The 2027 Legislative Session may still be months away, but the decisions shaping that session are already underway. Our call to love our neighbors includes paying attention, asking questions, and helping ensure their experiences shape public policy.

When we talk about hunger, we often talk about whether our neighbors have enough food. We also need to ask whether they can trust the food on their tables.

Recent reporting raises concerns about the capacity of our public-health systems to investigate outbreaks and protect communities.

For LEAN, supporting food pantries, community meals, and strong public-health systems belongs to the same calling: loving our neighbors.

Who has access to safe food, and what are we doing together to protect that access?

Read more: A summer of recalls exposes holes in the nation’s food safety net — Nevada Current