U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell responded to concerns from House appropriators this week over Obama administration plans for a major restructuring of the Forest Service budget and a proposed drop in funding for forest roads and research (E&E News - subscription req'd). The agency is proposing to combine what have been three separate habitat, [read more]
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar applauded the passage of legislation creating the FLAME Wildfire Suppression Reserve Fund last week. "Creation of the Wildfire Suppression Reserve Fund enables safe and effective management of wildland fires without pulling resources away from other environmental priorities, such as clean, abundant water and safe, [read more]
The Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement (FLAME) Act adopted into the Interior appropriations bill was signed this weekend by the President. The measure establishes a new approach to budgeting for costly wildfires by setting up a pair of "FLAME" funds that will act as reserve accounts for the Forest Service and the Department of [read more]
The Senate on Thursday sent President Obama the $32.2 billion fiscal 2010 Interior-Environment Appropriations bill that includes a 16% increase for the Forest Service's State and Private Forestry programs, along with a 23% increase for S&PF programs funded through the Wildland Fire Management appropriation. The bill also establishes the FLAME fund for emergency wildland fire suppression. [read more]
Senate leaders unanimously approved the creation of a separate source of funding for federal agencies to suppress large-scale wildfires via an amendment to the Interior Appropriations bill last week. The Federal Land Assistance Management and Enhancement Fund ("FLAME" fund) is designed to alleviate funding problems caused by emergency wildland fire costs and is supported by [read more]
NASF Executive Director Jay Farrell was one of five panelists that presented views on federal biomass legislation to a national webinar audience on May 15. Approximately 120 participants from across the nation learned and discussed the positions of the American Forest Foundation, the Forest Guild, the National Alliance of Forest Owners, NASF, and the Society [read more]
H.R. 1404, the Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act, or FLAME Act, passed 412 to 3 in the House of Representatives Thursday. The legislation sets up a partitioned account for funding emergency wildfire suppression activities and aims to relieve much of the strain these catastrophic fires have had on the U.S. Forest Service and [read more]
House and Senate leaders introduced bipartisan legislation this week designed to alleviate funding problems caused by emergency wildland fire costs. The Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act (FLAME Act) (H.R. 1404) was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by U.S. Reps. Nick J. Rahall (D-WV), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Norm Dicks (D-WA), Mike Simpson [read more]
The Senate is currently debating various amendments including two related to USDA Forest Service S&PF Programs. NASF supports an amendment from Senator Bingaman (D-NM) to broaden the authorities and increase funding for USDA Forest Service, as well as an amendment from Senator Mark Udall (D-CO) which eliminates the match requirement for economic stimulus funds. NASF [read more]
Over a dozen State Foresters were in Washington, D.C., this week for more than 40 meetings in the halls of Congress. NASF President Leah W. MacSwords also joined representatives from the National Association of Conservation Districts, the USDA Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service for a Joint Forestry Team meeting. The group met [read more]
