Oregon Dept. of Forestry says it’ll soon run out of money

SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Officials at the Oregon Department of Forestry say just seven months into the state’s two-year budget cycle, they’ve spent most of the money lawmakers approved for the entire biennium and now need an emergency cash infusion.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports that agency officials say they need between $52 million to $132 million – otherwise they’ll have exhausted their budget by March.

The request comes as lawmakers and the governor are looking to expand the agency even further. They’re sponsoring bills that would bolster the agency’s firefighting capabilities and forest restoration work – above and beyond the immediate budget requests.