Last week when the federal budget deal was being hurriedly thrown together as the government shutdown approached, there was an effort to include a provision to fix the fire borrowing fiasco, where funds are taken from other functions to pay for wildfire suppression. The legislation the President signed increased the debt limit and appropriated an additional $165 billion for the Department of Defense, but there was nothing earthshaking in the bill specifically related to wildland fire. However it included more money for most federal agencies, including the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior. Some of those funds may find their way into fire budgets in the next few months.
Today President Trump is releasing his proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2019 which begins in October. One of our sources said it includes the fire funding fix. But expecting Congress to pass a traditional year-long budget has become a quaint idea.
Bill ;
I agree that Congress is a debacle ! There absolutely needs to be a marked increase in funding to control wildfires ! I am disappointed in Montana’s Congressional Delegation ,for not being more forceful in mitigating the severe consequences of last years Wildfires ; i.e loss of life ,property damage , damage to wildlife and habitat ,health consequences ,etc . Keep the Budget money at home and give less for the Egyptians .Pakistan etc. , and the UN!
I have been wanting to contact Secy Zinke [a Montanan] ,directly but I fear that anything reaching him,is “filtered ” by several layers of underlings ?
Please provide a “direct contact” mailing address ,Fax # , Ph # for Secy .Zinke and perhaps more may get accomplished . Thank you.