U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio and Greg Walden
Last fall, we made an effort to come together to write a bill that would reduce the buildup of hazardous fuel in our forest to better protect homes and communities from forest fires. We were close to an agreement, but the clock ran out on us. Congress adjourned before our bill could be approved.
This year, we offered two separate bills that take different approaches to reducing fuel loads and improving forest health. But despite our disagreements, we completely agree that a long-term, well-funded effort is needed to get the job done.
Rectifying a century of forest mismanagement, by Democrats and Republicans alike, will take a significant amount of time and resources. Congress must approve substantial funding for fuel reduction projects.
Last year’s firefighting effort cost the federal government $1.6 billion, but Congress chronically under-funds firefighting forcing the Forest Service to borrow money from other accounts, including the already inadequate fuel reduction budget, to fight forest fires.
Even if Congress fully reimbursed these accounts, which it does not, fuel reduction projects get delayed and pushed to the next year when the accounts are once again robbed. For the safety of our communities and the health of our forests, this cycle cannot continue.
Congress recently had an opportunity to reverse this course, but the House of Representatives failed to act.
By the time you read this, the Forest Service will have run out of firefighting money and begun borrowing from other accounts. This doesn’t mean it will stop fighting fires, but it does mean it will start spending the fuel reduction budget on firefighting not fuel reduction.
We led a bipartisan effort in the House to add the president’s $289 million request for emergency firefighting money to this year’s supplemental spending bill. This wouldn’t have met the firefighting needs for the current year, but it would certainly help. Unfortunately, that effort was rejected and the House adjourned without approving a penny for additional firefighting.
The need for more firefighting money is not a partisan issue. Sen. Domenici, R-N.M., chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, recently said, “The real problem we are having in (not thinning) the forest … is because there isn’t any money to do it. Why isn’t there any money? Very shortly after the year begins, we have (to spend it) to put out fires.”
Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee Ted Stevens concurred with Domenici and threatened to force the House back into session to approve the firefighting money. Much to our dismay, Chairman Stevens relented, and the Senate adjourned without approving firefighting money as well.
Congress simply needs to step up and adequately fund firefighting and needs to approve legislation that includes that substantial money for fuel reduction. We will continue to lead the effort to make sure this happens. The safety of our western communities and the health of our forest ecosystems depend on it.
Congressmen Peter DeFazio, D-Springfield, and Greg Walden, R-Hood River, represent southwestern Oregon and eastern Oregon respectively in the U.S. House of Representatives.