FEDERAL LAND ASSISTANCE, MANAGEMENT AND ENHANCEMENT ACT -- (House of Representatives - March 25, 2009)
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Mrs. CAPPS. I thank Chairman Rahall for giving me time.
Mr. Chairman, I rise in very strong support of this FLAME Act. This much-needed legislation comes at an important time. Our Nation will be facing longer and more intense fire seasons due to global warming and drought. The cost of fighting fires has grown enormously in recent years, and projections indicate that this trend will only increase, especially in populated wildland-urban interface areas.
The Forest Service has spent over $1 billion per year in 5 of the last 7 years to extinguish fires. And as the chairman just said, wildland fire management activities are estimated to consume close to half of the Forest Service's budget this year.
These escalating costs are having a significant impact on the Forest Service. For example, the Forest Service is forced to pull funds from other programs, leaving fewer funds available for campground maintenance and forest restoration.
The emergency fund created by the FLAME Act will reduce the need to deplete important Forest Service programs and will provide more reliable funding than uncertain year-to-year supplementals.
Even more important, the FLAME Act will ensure the Forest Service has regular funding available for day-to-day fire management. This includes important prevention steps, like FIREWISE Communities, hazardous fuels treatment, and restoration work.
It's absolutely essential that our efforts to fight today's fires don't hurt our efforts to prevent tomorrow's fires. This bill will ensure this is the case.
Mr. Chairman, the Zaca fire that burned 240,000 acres in my congressional district 2 years ago burned for 3 months, from July through September, and it cost the Forest Service $120 million. One fire. With close to 3,000 fires in California last year alone, and the fire season expected to start earlier than usual, it's very clear that we have a real need to create----
The CHAIR. The time of the gentlewoman has expired.
Mr. RAHALL. I yield the gentlelady another 30 seconds.
Mrs. CAPPS. It's very clear that we need to create an emergency Federal fund dedicated solely to fighting devastating wildland fires, a rainy day fund for forest fires. This idea is long overdue.
This legislation deserves to be approved by the House, and I urge all of my colleagues to address the long-term wildfire suppression fund situation by supporting this FLAME Act.
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