FLAME Act Will Improve Response to Minnesota Forest Fires
Legislation to dedicate more funding and resources to fight forest and wild fires passed the U.S. House of Representatives today by an overwhelming margin. The Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act (FLAME) creates a special fund for fighting fires. In the past, the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management were forced to use funds from other programs to pay for catastrophic fires.
"The Forest Service budget has become untenable; 48 percent of the Forest Service's budget is currently used to fight fires and the shift of Forest Service funds for fire suppression has robbed other programs like recreation and the maintenance of our national lands and forests," said Congressman Jim Oberstar. "This was a truly bipartisan bill, it passed by a margin of 412 to 3, only the prayer wins passage with a wider margin. Wildfire burns indiscriminately; it does not check for party affiliation, it simply destroys everything in its path."
The FLAME legislation also establishes a wildfire grant program designed to assist communities in preparing for wildfires. Grants could be used for purchasing firefighting equipment and training programs for local firefighters. Grants could also be used for education and public awareness regarding wildfire.
"When the Ham Lake fire first broke out in the spring of 2007, it could have been contained with a single modern fire truck," Oberstar said. "But the equipment was not there because the grant application was tied up in red tape with the Department of Homeland Security. That agency wanted to see a tie-in to terrorism before it would approve the funding. Well, in Northeast Minnesota, wildfire is a terrorist, and this new program will give first responders the tools they need to protect people and property."