Fire Transfers

In five of the last seven years the US Forest Service firefighting branch has raided the coffers of the rest of agency to pay for expensive wildfire seasons. If Congress doesn't appropriate more money to fight fire, the agency simply can't walk away from fires in progress. It is left with pulling money from everywhere else in the agency to continue its fire fighting work. Estimates range from $400-700 million dollars that will need to come from the rest of the agency to cover fire costs for the 2008 season.

Congress appropriated $1.2 billion for suppression this year. With the $400 million infusion from the non-wildfire Forest Service programs, that total will rise to $1.6 billion. Fire funding accounts for nearly 50% of the total agency budget.

The House passed the Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act or FLAME to provide special funding for wildfires. Congress adjourned before the Senate could follow up. Stay tuned to see what will happen when they return after Labor Day and the Republican National Convention.