4-19 IAT Widfires

 Simpson Examines Interior Department Budget. Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson hosted outgoing Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar at a hearing of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee to discuss budget issues.  Simpson, who chairs the subcommittee, oversees the budget for the Department of the Interior. He asked Salazar to discuss what he sees as challenges going forward for the Department, many of which are deepened by sequestration.

Congressman Simpson spokesperson Nikki Watts:  “Congressman Simpson has raised concerns that both the recently-passed Senate continuing resolution and the President’s budget proposal for FY14 fail to adequately address wildfire.  The Senate CR struck $97 million for wildfire suppression funding that was included by the House to address widely expected shortfalls in 2013. One of the surprising things that happened in the CR is that the Senate decided that we don’t need to fund wildfire suppression. That decision will likely lead to additional fire borrowing before the end of the fiscal year, robbing operations accounts even further. And now within this budget you’ve also reduced the hazardous fuels account by $87 million, which means that we are also not addressing the long-term costs of fires.”

At the end of the hearing, Chairman Simpson commended Secretary Salazar for working to address western issues during his tenure as Secretary of the Interior.  Salazar retires as incoming Secretary Sally Jewell was confirmed by the U.S. Senate yesterday.