The House Appropriations Committee finished its markup of the fiscal 2010 spending bill for the Interior Department and Forest Service this week. The bill includes $2.77 billion for the U.S. Forest Service ($62 million above the President’s request and $154 million above 2009), including a $26.7 million increase over 2009 for the Forest Legacy Program. The spending bill also inclused $3.66 billion for wildland fire ($669 million above 2009 and $165 million above the President’s request). This includes $357 million for the new wildfire suppression contingency reserve accounts as requested by the President.