5-7 IAT Simpson Wildfires

 Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson says Reducing Fuels Prevents Catastrophic Fires. Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman expresses great concern over Forest Service budget proposal.

 Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson recently blasted a Forest Service budget proposal that cut funding for active forest management in favor of funding the fire budget and new land acquisition. U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell testified on the budget in front of the House Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, which Simpson chairs. The hearing covered a variety of issues, including fire borrowing, Secure Rural Schools, and the states’ role in managing public lands.

Here is Congressman Simpson’s spokesperson Nikki Watts: “ Chairman Simpson started the hearing by expressing his concern about the impact that the forest fire budget has on the ability of the Forest Service to manage healthy forests. Because the Forest Service must borrow from other accounts to pay for fire costs when those costs exceed the agency’s budget, the Service’s ability to prevent catastrophic fires in the future could be jeopardized.  Simpson noted that today only 30% of the Forest Service’s budget is dedicated to actually managing the national forests, compared to 70% in the mid-1980’s. “Every time I’m in Idaho I hear from Forest Supervisors, District Rangers, and other Forest Service employees that they cannot manage their forests with the shrinking amount of funding they receive,” he said.”