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U.S.
Senator Member: Agriculture, Energy, Veterans' Affairs, Ethics and Aging Committees |
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For Immediate
Release June 7, 2006 |
CONTACT: Cody Wertz – Comm. Director 303-455-7600 Andrew Nannis – Press Secretary 202-224-5852 |
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WASHINGTON, D.C. – With the wildfire season upon us and Colorado facing extreme fire danger conditions, United States Senator Ken Salazar today asked Congress to help fund rural fire departments facing a critical funding need. In a bipartisan letter with Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) to Senators Conrad Burns and Byron Dorgan, the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies, respectively, Senator Salazar urged the Committee to provide $10 million in funding for the Rural Fire Assistance (RFA) program. “Oftentimes rural fire departments are the first line of defense for raging prairie and forest fires, in this time of drought it is paramount that the federal government do everything it can to assist these front-line departments,” said Salazar. “Funding the Rural Fire Assistance grant program will help support our rural and volunteer fire departments across the country.” RFA provides volunteer fire departments with grants of up to $20,000 for training, equipment purchase, and prevention activities. Fire departments receiving grants must serve a community of less than 10,000 people near federal land, must pay for at least 10 percent of the project being funded, and must have a mutual aid agreement with the local Department of Interior agency or with the State. In FY06, Colorado fire departments received $482,000 in grants through the Rural Fire Assistance program. This was the 10th highest funding level for any state in the Nation. A copy of Senator Salazar’s letter to Senators Burns and Dorgan can be viewed by clicking here.
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