A congressional hearing held at the Texas State Capitol this week aired anger from Texans at the federal response to the more than 24,000 wildfires sparked across the state since the beginning of fire season. Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Forest Service said their agencies will review Rep. Michael McCaul's complaint [read more]
NASF joined the National Fire Protection Association and members of the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) to bring wildfire safety messages to a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill on October 11 during Fire Prevention week. Said panelist Jim Karels, Florida State Forester and chair of NASF's Fire Protection Committee, "Federal fire assistance programs including [read more]
A new fee for firefighting services has received been approved in CA despite complaints about its financial burden to rural residents. The surcharge -- a maximum $90 emergency fee on habitable buildings outside cities -- was less than previously announced, with many families qualifying for discounts.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, CalFire, is making tough decisions about firefighting resources after a $34 million budget cut due to the severe financial crisis affecting the state. Some of the effects of the cuts include 730 fewer seasonal firefighters and cancellation of the exclusive use contract for the DC-10 air tanker, according [read more]
More than 214,000 acres of State forest were treated with prescribed burning during the 2009-2010 fiscal year that runs July 1 through June 30, a number some hope will help lessen the wildfire threat.
Rural fire chiefs in Alabama are beginning to worry about the fall wildfire season, but it's economic--not environmental--concerns that are at the forefront. The Alabama Forestry Commission has eliminated 75 employees this year as it struggles to make up for a $5 million reduction in its annual budget. With fewer Forestry Commission employees, volunteer fire [read more]
The NASF Forest Fire Protection Committee has prepared a briefing paper on improving state forestry agency collaboration with All-Hazard Type 3 IMTs for wildland fire support and all-hazard response, as well as a new NWCG pilot program.
NASF continually surveys all states to determine progress in identifying communities-at-risk and developing Community Wildfire Protection Plans. Survey results for FY2008 indicate a significant increase in the number of communities at risk (CAR) that have been identified as being at reduced risk. Because State Foresters have made recent advances in the methods and information used [read more]
