Mikulski: Supplemental contains long-term wildfire plan
July 23, 2014 | 09:36 PM
The Senate version of the emergency supplemental funding will contain money to cover anticipated fire suppression shortfalls for the remainder of 2014, but also President Barack Obama’s request to authorize future disaster funding for the U.S. Forest Service, a division of the Agriculture Department, and for the Interior Department, Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Barbara Mikulski, R-Md., said today in releasing a draft of the bill.
The supplemental includes $615 million in emergency firefighting funds for the remainder of 2014.
“These funds will prevent the Forest Service from having to borrow money from other funds, such as fire prevention, timber and construction projects or other programs,” according to a summary of the bill released today by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“For the past two years, Congress has been forced to appropriate more than $1 billion to repay funds that were transferred from other programs to pay for firefighting shortfalls.”
The release also noted that the bill includes the president's request for long-term disaster funding and that the provision is modeled on S. 1875, the bipartisan legislation authored by Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho.
“This bill allows disaster funding to pay for a portion of catastrophic firefighting needs, just as the United States does with hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters,” the release said. “The legislation will allow Congress in future years to provide additional firefighting funds before fire season start up, to break the destructive cycle of borrowing fire prevention and other funds to put out burning fires. The provision also prevents other important programs from being cut to pay for escalating firefighting costs.”
Draft bill — Making Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2014, and For Other Purposes
▪ — Summary
The supplemental includes $615 million in emergency firefighting funds for the remainder of 2014.
“These funds will prevent the Forest Service from having to borrow money from other funds, such as fire prevention, timber and construction projects or other programs,” according to a summary of the bill released today by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
“For the past two years, Congress has been forced to appropriate more than $1 billion to repay funds that were transferred from other programs to pay for firefighting shortfalls.”
The release also noted that the bill includes the president's request for long-term disaster funding and that the provision is modeled on S. 1875, the bipartisan legislation authored by Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho.
“This bill allows disaster funding to pay for a portion of catastrophic firefighting needs, just as the United States does with hurricanes, floods and other natural disasters,” the release said. “The legislation will allow Congress in future years to provide additional firefighting funds before fire season start up, to break the destructive cycle of borrowing fire prevention and other funds to put out burning fires. The provision also prevents other important programs from being cut to pay for escalating firefighting costs.”
Draft bill — Making Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for the Fiscal Year Ending September 30, 2014, and For Other Purposes
▪ — Summary
