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Fire mitigation may cut amenities
http://www.insidedenver.com/drmn/sta...009610,00.html
Headline: Fire mitigation may cut amenities Forest thinning could force need to take money from recreation, wilds protection By Deborah Frazier, Rocky Mountain News June 4, 2003 The Forest Service wants to clean out fire fuels on five times more land in Colorado than in past years, but that might mean fewer road repairs, campgrounds, trails and amenities for visitors. In 2002, the Forest Service spent $11.7 million on thinning trees and cleaning out dead wood, pine needles, brush and other fire fuels on 47,107 acres in Colorado. "We want to do five to six times that. We don't have the money, so we are developing a strategy to shift money from other programs," said John Twiss, acting director of fire and aviation for the agency's Rocky Mountain Region, based in Lakewood. "For the effect on fire fuels we need in this region and Colorado, we need to go at a faster pace," he said. That could mean taking money from recreation - skiing, trails, picnic areas and camping, wilderness protection and other programs to lessen fire risks in communities. "We have a certain budget," Twiss said. "We have the ability to shift the dollars. We need to know what the impacts and trade-offs are." Last week, Colorado Republican Rep. Scott McInnis' "Healthy Forests Restoration Act" won approval in the House. The bill, introduced May 1, includes no money for reducing wildfire risks in communities next to forests but streamlines the public comment and appeal process. The McInnis bill, co-sponsored by Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., would spend $70 million a year to create markets for wood, protect water supplies and curb disease and insect infestations. McInnis' office said there already was plenty of federal money to take out dead and dying trees and to clean up the forest floor near homes and rural towns. Critics disagree and say the bill, now in the Senate, won't alter the conditions that burned 600,000 acres and 388 homes in Colorado last year. "The Front Range of Colorado is a focus nationally for protecting homes and public safety," Twiss said. "If you are not focusing on that area, the red zone, your perspective is skewed. "If you want to aggressively reduce fire fuels, you need new ... (cont) |
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