Rep. Dicks Promotes Legislation to Improve Management of Forest Firefighting Costs

REP. DICKS PROMOTES LEGISLATION TO IMPROVE MANAGEMENT OF FOREST FIREFIGHTING COSTS

Noting that firefighting costs now consume 48 percent of the budget of the U.S. Forest Service, Congressman Norm Dicks testified today in support of legislation he has co-sponsored to improve firefighting capability on federal lands without harming routine operations of the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management.

Rep. Dicks, Chairman of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, appeared before the House Natural Resources Committee today in support of H.R. 5541, which creates a special "fund for catastrophic emergency wildland fire suppression activities." He argued that the bill would result in a more cohesive wildland fire management strategy for the nation's federal land management agencies, and that it would eliminate the problem of borrowing from other non-fire accounts within the agencies during years when firefighting costs are excessive.

Citing the demographic and climate changes that have resulted in larger and more serious forest fires on federal lands in recent years, Rep. Dicks said that the increasing fire management costs have unfairly diminished operating accounts in the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. He noted the ironic result that the budget situation forces the agencies to reduce activities --including forest thinning and reduction of undergrowth-- that can actually reduce the incidence and seriousness of forest fires.

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