August 5, 2003 The Seattle Times

Forest Service firefighting outstrips budget

By Matthew Daly
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Forest Service has exhausted its firefighting
budget at a time when more than 24 large wildfires are raging in the
West.

The agency said yesterday it would begin transferring money from other
accounts — including fire-prevention projects — to
continue putting out fires.

Money is a perennial problem for the Forest Service and one that has
drawn increasing criticism from Western legislators and watchdog
groups. They say the agency needs to do a better job estimating how
much will be needed to fight fires and Congress should find a way to
provide the money.

"Here we go again," said Keith Ashdown, a spokesman for Taxpayers for
Common Sense, a watchdog group that has criticized the Forest Service.
"Unfortunately, we handle every fire season like it's a financial
crisis."

Ashdown and other critics say the makeshift approach — borrowing
from accounts for fire prevention, road repair and restoration of
areas damaged by previous fires — makes little sense, since many
of the programs are intended to keep fires from happening at all.

Yesterday's announcement comes less than a week after Congress
rejected President Bush's request for $289 million in emergency
spending to fight wildfires. Bush had requested the money —
which would supplement $578 million already allocated for firefighting
by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management — as part of
an emergency spending bill for natural disasters.

Pressured by record federal deficits and eager to leave town, the
House Republican leadership cut out the wildfire money before leaving
on summer recess July 25.

The Senate had approved the firefighting money in its version of the
emergency bill but removed the appropriation last week to align its
bill with the House and send it to Bush for his signature.

The omission left many Western senators seething.

"I have as conservative a voting record as anybody, but I don't try to
be crazy about it," said Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah. "If there's
something that's a legitimate role of government, even conservatives
understand you fund it."

The Forest Service said yesterday it expects to spend at least $773
million on firefighting this year, about $355 million more than
allocated in the current budget. That estimate could go up, depending
on the severity of large fires burning in nine Western states,
officials said.

The Forest Service spent more than $1.4 billion in 2002, one of the
worst fire seasons on record.

Also yesterday:

• Peri Dare Van Brunt, 46, who admitted she started the worst
fire on record in the Sequoia National Forest when she lit a campfire,
was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

The U.S. Forest Service is seeking $148 million for the cost of
fighting the 150,000-acre, four-month fire, forest restoration and
other losses such as hunting licenses and food, hotel and gas
revenues. Private landowners are also asking for restitution.

• Glacier National Park's busy west gate reopened to tourists
yesterday, more than a week after a fast-moving wildfire threatened
the park headquarters and the small town of West Glacier, Mont.

Comment by poster: Here we go again!... I'm currently watching the PBS
Nova program on forest fires. A very good show but it doesn't address
any solutions to managing huge fuels buildups.

Larry, currently salvaging burned trees so that green trees can be
saved

Larry Harrell wrote:

August 5, 2003 The Seattle Times

Forest Service firefighting outstrips budget

By Matthew Daly
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Forest Service has exhausted its firefighting
budget at a time when more than 24 large wildfires are raging in the
West.

The agency said yesterday it would begin transferring money from other
accounts — including fire-prevention projects — to
continue putting out fires.

Money is a perennial problem for the Forest Service and one that has
drawn increasing criticism from Western legislators and watchdog
groups. They say the agency needs to do a better job estimating how
much will be needed to fight fires and Congress should find a way to
provide the money.

"Here we go again," said Keith Ashdown, a spokesman for Taxpayers for
Common Sense, a watchdog group that has criticized the Forest Service.
"Unfortunately, we handle every fire season like it's a financial
crisis."

Ashdown and other critics say the makeshift approach — borrowing
from accounts for fire prevention, road repair and restoration of
areas damaged by previous fires — makes little sense, since many
of the programs are intended to keep fires from happening at all.

Yesterday's announcement comes less than a week after Congress
rejected President Bush's request for $289 million in emergency
spending to fight wildfires. Bush had requested the money —
which would supplement $578 million already allocated for firefighting
by the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management — as part of
an emergency spending bill for natural disasters.

Pressured by record federal deficits and eager to leave town, the
House Republican leadership cut out the wildfire money before leaving
on summer recess July 25.

The Senate had approved the firefighting money in its version of the
emergency bill but removed the appropriation last week to align its
bill with the House and send it to Bush for his signature.

The omission left many Western senators seething.

"I have as conservative a voting record as anybody, but I don't try to
be crazy about it," said Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah. "If there's
something that's a legitimate role of government, even conservatives
understand you fund it."

The Forest Service said yesterday it expects to spend at least $773
million on firefighting this year, about $355 million more than
allocated in the current budget. That estimate could go up, depending
on the severity of large fires burning in nine Western states,
officials said.

The Forest Service spent more than $1.4 billion in 2002, one of the
worst fire seasons on record.

Also yesterday:

• Peri Dare Van Brunt, 46, who admitted she started the worst
fire on record in the Sequoia National Forest when she lit a campfire,
was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

The U.S. Forest Service is seeking $148 million for the cost of
fighting the 150,000-acre, four-month fire, forest restoration and
other losses such as hunting licenses and food, hotel and gas
revenues. Private landowners are also asking for restitution.

• Glacier National Park's busy west gate reopened to tourists
yesterday, more than a week after a fast-moving wildfire threatened
the park headquarters and the small town of West Glacier, Mont.

Comment by poster: Here we go again!... I'm currently watching the PBS
Nova program on forest fires. A very good show but it doesn't address
any solutions to managing huge fuels buildups.

Larry, currently salvaging burned trees so that green trees can be
saved

It's raining - slightly - in the PNW. Unfortunately, this little flurry
of storms will probably cause more fires than it helps.

This brings to mind the good ol' days of fighting fire in northern
California and not only not getting paid all summer and living on
General Store credit but being refused service at restaurants when a
whole crew - in dirty fire clothes - dropped in for a meal.

We don't need no stinkin Government credit cards, nosir!

(mike hagen) writes:

It's raining - slightly - in the PNW. Unfortunately, this little flurry
of storms will probably cause more fires than it helps.

Yeah, it has been quite a light show at night the last week. I think it
was Tuesday night, it looked like the Emmys there were so many flashes
going off. Fortunately, fire danger is pretty moderate because of the
cool weather and the moisture. The problem will come if it heats up and
the humidity drops again. I'm sure there are dozens of small fires
burning, any one of which could blow up into a major forest fire with a
little dry wind.

--
http://home.teleport.com/~larryc

(Larry Harrell) writes:

Also yesterday:

• Peri Dare Van Brunt, 46, who admitted she started the worst
fire on record in the Sequoia National Forest when she lit a campfire,
was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

One reason for the lower than average acreage burned this year might be
the felony convictions of the firebugs who started last year's fires.

--
http://home.teleport.com/~larryc