The Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce joined 47 other business organizations in a group letter supporting an update to Colorado’s Firefighting Air Fleet.
The letter, sent to US Senators Bennett and Hickenlooper and US Representatives DeGette, Neguse, Hurd, Boebert, Crank, Evans, Pettersen & Crow, urged them to support the upgrade of the Air Force Reserve Command’s 302nd Airlift Wing’s aging C-130H aircraft to newer C-130Js. The 302nd, based at Peterson Space Force Base, is the only Air Force Reserve Command unit equipped for aerial firefighting. A critical mission as wildfires in Colorado grow more frequent and severe.
This $1 billion investment in eight next-generation C-130J planes is essential to the continued strength of our national defense, emergency response capabilities, and Colorado’s economic future. With wildfires burning an average of 7.5 million acres annually across the state, the need for modern, efficient aircraft is not abstract—it is immediate and deeply tied to the safety of our communities and the resilience of our infrastructure…