Senators Wyden, Merkley push for wildfire funding fixes

Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., asked Senate leaders Monday to include emergency funding for wildfire suppression in any short-term funding agreement considered this week to keep the federal government running.

They also asked for a permanent fix to the way that wildfires are funded so federal agencies can stop raiding fire prevention funds to pay for fighting these devastating wildfires.

Already this year, 45,000 wildfires have consumed more than 8.5 million acres across the U.S. and nearly 30,000 firefighters have battled these blazes. And the cost to fight these fires has grown to as much as $243 million in one week.

“It is clear that emergency supplemental funding is needed to help repay the cost of suppressing these fires and ensure that funding is returned for fire prevention and vital forest health programs,” the senators wrote. “We urge you to continue your leadership and include sufficient emergency supplemental funding to cover the total borrowing cost and protect our communities, resources, and firefighters, and also provide a permanent fix for wildfire suppression funding, in any continuing resolution to fund the Federal government at the end of September.”

Earlier this year, Senator Merkleyled the effort in the Senate Appropriations Committeeto pass a version of the Wildfire Disaster FundingAct, bipartisan wildfire funding legislation developed by Sens. Wyden and Idaho’s Mike Crapo.

The Senate was scheduled to vote Monday on a continuing resolution that includes $700 million in emergency firefighting funding, but it still has to pass both chambers and be signed by the President.

A copy of the letter sent to Senate leaders is included below:

September 25, 2015

The Honorable Mitch McConnell The Honorable Harry Reid

Majority Leader Minority Leader

United States Senate United States Senate

Washington, D.C., 20510 Washington, D.C., 20510

The Honorable Thad CochranThe Honorable Barbara A. Mikulski

Chairman Ranking Member

Senate Committee on Appropriations Senate Committee on Appropriations

Washington, D.C., 20510 Washington, D.C., 20510

Dear Majority Leader McConnell, Minority Leader Reid, Appropriations Chairman Cochran, and Appropriations Ranking Member Mikulski:

As the Senate Committee on Appropriations resumes the FY2016 appropriations process, we request emergency supplemental funding for wildfire suppression, as well as a permanent funding fix for wildfire suppression, in any short term continuing resolution at the end of this month.

Over the course of this year, nearly 30 thousand firefighters have been engaged in over 45 thousand wildfires that have consumed more than 8.5 million acres across the United States, and the costs of battling these fires has grown to as much as $243 million in one week. These costs are not just financial; thirteen firefighters have lost their lives, hundreds of structures have been destroyed, and thousands more are threatened. With overtaxed equipment, personnel, and budgets, both active duty military personnel and international resources have been deployed to assist in these efforts.

The Forest Service has already transferred $450 million from other programs and is preparing to transfer an additional $250 million in order to fund suppression during this intense wildfire season. These repeated funding transfers affect crucial activities throughout the Forest Service, including hazardous fuels reduction, forest management, restoration, conservation, and road maintenance.

Over the past 20 years the cost of fire fighting has grown precipitously; the Forest Service has spent more than 52% of its budget on wildfire suppression already this year, compared to 16% of its budget in 1995. Continuously shifting funds from designated forest health and management programs to fire suppression efforts exacerbates a system of spiraling costs and has shortchanged wildfire prevention.

It is clear that emergency supplemental funding is needed to help repay the cost of suppressing these fires and ensure that funding is returned for fire prevention and vital forest health programs. We appreciate the Appropriations Committee’s recent action to include $1.054 billion in emergency funding for wildfire suppression in the FY2016 Interior Appropriations bill, as well as authorizing language to ensure that future cost overruns for wildfire suppression come out of the disaster cap.

We urge you to continue your leadership and include sufficient emergency supplemental funding to cover the total borrowing cost and protect our communities, resources, and firefighters, and also provide a permanent fix for wildfire suppression funding, in any continuing resolution to fund the Federal government at the end of September.

We appreciate your consideration of this important request.

Sincerely,

__________________ _________________

Jeffery A. Merkley Ron Wyden

United States Senator United States Senator