|
|
News and Views |
|
House
Disaster Relief Bill Fills Firefighting Funding Gap for “This
year’s fire season is just beginning in The
Forest Service funding was approved by the House Wednesday as part of a stopgap
spending measure to keep the federal government running through March 6, 2009.
That bill became necessary because Congress has been unable to pass any of the
annual spending bills for Fiscal Year 2009. The bill, which also includes $22.6
billion in disaster relief for areas ravaged by hurricanes and fires, is
expected to be approved by the Senate later this week. Lewis
advocated for the increased funding with Congressman Norm Dicks of In
order to give the Forest Service a chance to prevent future fires, Lewis urged
the subcommittee to approve more spending for hazardous fuels reduction in
addition to ensuring that funds already allocated would not be transferred to
cover firefighting costs. The bill includes $125 million for Forest Service
grants to state and private forestry prevention programs, $50 million for fuel
reduction on the forest lands and $75 million for rehabilitation of forests that
have been burned. An additional $135 million was provided for Bureau of Land
Management emergency fire needs and $100 million was allocated to the Natural
Resource Conservation Service’s emergency watershed program. The
bill also provides $25 million to help the Forest Service address an on-going
manpower shortage in the lower ranks of its fire-fighting personnel. The problem
has been especially acute in the Click Here to Return to News & Views
|