The Nebraska legislature voted 36 to 0 on Monday to advance a bill to the second round of debate that would appropriate $1.7 million to improve the response to wildfires. LB634 directs that contracted single engine air tankers be stationed at Valentine and Chadron, one at each location, during the fire season. It would also provide for the thinning of forests, make more wildfire training available to volunteer firefighters, and develop a Type 3 incident management team.
The air tankers would be available through mutual aid agreements for fires that occur across the states lines in South Dakota, Colorado, and Wyoming.
Before the vote on Monday the bill was amended, adding the following:
Since an emergency exists, this act takes effect when passed and approved according to law.
At 5 a.m. on Saturday the U.S. Senate passed a budget bill for the first time in four years. It would provide funding for the federal government including the wildland fire programs of the five major land management agencies in fiscal year 2014, which begins October 1, 2013.
The bill included an amendment offered by Colorado Senator Mark Udall which increased the funding for wildland fire programs, providing $100 million more than originally specified in the bill. In a press release issued on March 21 the Senator said the amendment would:
…increase the funding availability for fighting wildfires and modernizing the air tanker fleet. … Our amendment would ensure that firefighting resources are given top priority. This will help give Federal land agencies the tools they need to save lives, homes, and property across the country.
Here is the official summary of the amendment:
Udall (CO) amendment to provide additional suppression resources to the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior for the protection of communities, homes, water supplies, utility infrastructure, and natural resources from catastrophic wildfires. (#239) Agreed to in Senate by Voice Vote.
The Senate version of the bill passed by one vote, 50 to 49, but it will face a tough test in the Republican dominated House of Representatives where it could be modified. Or if the House never passes any version of an appropriations bill for next fiscal year, the federal government would be back to a continuing resolution with little or no change to funding levels for the land management agencies.
The House of Representatives passed their version of a continuing resolution last week, H.R. 933, that would fund the U.S. government through the end of the fiscal year which ends on September 30. Congress still has not passed a budget in four years, but at least this would prevent the government from shutting down.
According to a press release from Congressman Mike Simpson whose district is very close to the National Interagency Fire Center in Idaho, the bill included “adequate funding for fire suppression shortfalls”. Here is an excerpt from the release:
…“Idaho and the West faced an intense fire season in 2013, requiring more funding than initially budgeted to protect communities and manage resources,” said Simpson. “While we do our best to predict a fire season and budget accordingly, some years are worse than expected, and it’s not until all is said and done that we can take stock of the costs and respond appropriately.”
H.R. 933 provides $570 million to address shortfalls in fire accounts. This includes $97 million for the Department of the Interior and $473 million for the Forest Service. With carry-over and reserve wildfire funds exhausted through budget cuts in recent years, the Forest Service had to borrow roughly $600 million from non-fire accounts to meet fire suppression needs in FY13, the largest transfer in recent history. With the entire fire season accounted for, the continuing resolution fully restores these accounts.
“If we continue to rob land management accounts to pay for fire suppression, we are going to see fires that are bigger, more catastrophic, and much, much more expensive,” said Simpson. “This funding makes those accounts whole so that the agencies can do the work necessary to improve the health of our forests and rangelands. More work needs to be done to remove hazardous fuels buildup and prevent catastrophic fires, and so in addition to this funding we need to review or existing fire policy and continue to look at management reforms.”
H.R. 933 passed the House by a vote of 267-151. The current funding resolution expires on March 27, and the bill will now be considered by the U.S. Senate.
The impacts of the sequestration budget reductions on the wildland fire program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may be just another in a series of past and future hits affecting the agency. In the last few days their Washington office has been distributing more details to the field about what to expect. We obtained the information below from someone who is not authorized to speak for the agency, therefore we are not able to disclose the person’s name.
The FWS fire program was told to assume their budget will be 5.1% less than the initial draft allocations due to sequestration, but that could change.
Fire employees may be assigned to other accounts to make up for shortfalls in fire budgets in order to avoid furloughs.
At least some FWS Regions should be able to absorb a 5.1% decrease with no furloughs necessary because of the cuts they made previously.
At this time it doesn’t appear likely that anyone in the FWS fire program will be furloughed.
Some of those in the higher levels of the agency are thinking that a “workforce reduction” may be required later. They may have to cut back on positions and/or conduct directed reassignments to prepare for future budget reductions.
The cuts the agency absorbed previously, before sequestration, have already created significant adverse impacts on their fire management capabilities.
There could be additional reductions when or if the Continuing Resolution budget is passed in the next couple of months.
Decisions on whether to stop conducting prescribed fire and fuels treatment projects will be up to each region.
Some regions have issued a moratorium on all prescribed burning.
Decisions on whether to hire fire-funded seasonals will be up to each region.
Required training can still occur, but no other training will be allowed.
Sequestration could be a “walk in the park” compared to future possible budget cuts.
Some were told, “It’s OK to do less with less. Don’t feel you have to knock yourselves out working hours of comp. time trying to maintain the level of performance you were able to do previously.” And, “Don’t let all the distractions going on right now interfere with your focus on safety.”
More information at Wildfire Today about the recent budget reductions in the federal wildland fire agencies:
A fire balloon or sky lantern as seen in a testosterone commercial
Another advertiser on television for some unfathomable reason is using imagery of a fire balloon or sky lantern in a commercial. This time it is a company selling AndroGel, which is testosterone. In November it was Mercedes.
These incendiary devices use burning material such as rubbing alcohol or a candle to heat the air in a bag made of tissue paper or very thin plastic. The heat makes the device lighter than air causing it to rise into the sky, staying aloft for 10 minutes to 2 hours. They can be very pretty to watch especially when they are released dozens or hundreds at a time such as at a wedding or some other celebration. The problem is they are uncontrollable and sometimes start wildfires or structure fires.
As we told you on February 27, 2013, a bill has been introduced in the Oregon legislature, HB 3199, that would prohibit the use of sky lanterns (or fire balloons), as well as exploding targets, and tracer ammunition on land within the boundaries of a forest protection district. The bill can be tracked at http://gov.oregonlive.com. As this is written it is in the Agriculture and Natural Resources committee. (UPDATE: the bill was signed by the Governor and will take effect January 1, 2014.)
On February 22 the the Secretary of Interior sent a letter to all DOI employees warning them of possible furloughs without pay if the sequester budget cut went into effect. The letter was similar to the one sent February 11 by the Secretary of Agriculture with similar bad news for the U.S. Forest Service and other agencies.
As we first wrote on October 13, the Budget Control Act of 2001 which is usually referred to as the fiscal cliff or sequester, will require federal wildland fire programs to be cut by at least $218 million, or 8.2 percent. The provisions of the act took effect on Friday, March 1. There is a chance that our elected politicians will introduce and pass legislation modifying or reversing some portions of the act, but so far both political parties seem very satisfied with what they have done, allowing the sequester to begin.
There are four agencies within the DOI that employ large numbers of wildland firefighters: National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Fish and Wildlife Service.
The scariest part of both letters was the warning of possible furloughs, which is basically being told to not come to work. Furloughed firefighters will receive no pay and will not be able to take paid leave, such as annual or sick leave. DOI employees were warned of furloughs of up to 22 work days, over a month without pay. The DOA letter did not specify how many days of furlough may be forced upon their employees.
Below are some key quotes from the DOI letter:
“…we expect that thousands of permanent employees will be furloughed for periods of time up to 22 work days…”
“… all affected employees will be provided at least 30 days notice prior to executing a furlough…”
“Many seasonal employees will be furloughed, have delayed starts, shortened employment periods, or will not be hired at all.”
“Middle-class Americans who expected to spend their summer vacations at our 398 national parks, 561 refuges, and over 258 public land units will encounter reduced hours and services or even closures.”
CAL FIRE expects to fully contain the River Fire on Thursday which has burned 407 acres east of Lone Pine, California. Thick brush and winds measured at 25 mph challenged the 500 firefighters that initially fought the blaze after it started on Sunday. Remaining on the fire Wednesday morning are 234 personnel, 11 engines, 6 crews, and 2 water tenders. CAL FIRE is calling it 85 percent contained.
Oregon may regulate exploding targets and sky lanterns
A bill has been introduced in the Oregon legislature, HB 3199, that would prohibit the use of sky lanterns (or fire balloons), exploding targets, and tracer ammunition on land within the boundaries of a forest protection district. (UPDATE: the bill was signed by the Governor and will take effect January 1, 2014.)
“Concealed carry is a right, target shooting is not”
Those were the words of Utah state senator Margaret Dayton who resurrected her bill that would give the state forester the authority to ban target shooting on state lands during periods of enhanced wildfire danger. Earlier she withdrew the bill after it received criticism from some shooting enthusiasts. The bill passed the Senate this week along with another that would allow firefighters to access water on privately owned land to aid them in fire suppression efforts.
A bill is speeding through the Colorado Senate that would add safeguards to prescribed fires conducted in the state. Senate Bill 13-083 would:
Establish control over prescribed burning within the Division of Fire Prevention and Control in the Department of Public Safety;
“Prescribed Burn Managers” must be certified by the Division for prescribed fires occurring on state lands or conducted by state agencies on private lands. This does not apply to “burning conducted by an agency of the federal government”;
A Prescribed Burn Manager must be on site during a prescribed burn “until the fire is adequately confined to reasonably prevent escape”;
Allows the Division to collect fees for providing training and certifications.
Getting manufactured crisis fatigue?
While the people we send to Washington to conduct the nation’s business have not passed a federal budget in four years, and they propel us from one manufactured crisis to another, some of us may tire of the hype as we reel from one ridiculous deadline to another. Unfortunately the impacts on the land management agencies from the budget cuts required by the sequester will be significant unless they are reversed within the next few weeks.
On October 13, we first wrote about the sequester, which will require federal wildland fire programs to be cut by at least $218 million, or 8.2 percent.
Here are some excerpts from an article at the Union Democrat with examples of impacts on the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service in California:
The Associated Press obtained a Park Service memo Friday that detailed some of the planned Yosemite cuts. Staff reductions would end guided ranger programs at Wawona and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, eliminate a program in which 3,500 volunteers provide 40,000 hours of activities and mean less frequent trash pickup due to loss of campground staff.
Park administrators fear that less frequent trash pickup would potentially attract bears into campgrounds.
Seasonal road closures like that of Tioga Road may be extended later than usual because there will be less staff available to clear snow.
“The reductions would limit the National Park Service’s ability to sustain a full complement of seasonal employees needed for interpretive programs, maintenance, law enforcement and other visitor services as we are preparing for the busy summer season. Local communities and businesses that rely on recreation to support their livelihoods would face a loss of income from reduced visitation to national parks.”
In the Stanislaus National Forest, cuts could reduce funds available for fuels reductions that help prevent catastrophic forest fires. About $134 million in lost wildland fire management funds would lead to as many as 200,000 fewer acres treated nationwide, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack wrote in a letter dated Feb. 5 to U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
The Forest Service is also prepared to close up to 670 of 19,000 developed recreation sites nationwide, such as campgrounds, picnic areas and trailheads, according to Vilsack.
Webinar today: Debunking Myths in Wildland Fire
Today from 1 until 2 p.m. MT:
Sarah McCaffrey will present findings from recent research on social issues of fire management with particular emphasis on the accuracy of various accepted truths about the public and fire management and the variables that actually are associated with approval of different fire management practices.
The United States government is taking steps leading toward open access to the results of taxpayer-funded scientific research. Too often researchers pay privately owned scientific journals “page charges” to publish their findings, which then are sold back to taxpayers in the form of subscriptions which cost hundreds or thousands of dollars a year or more than $30 to read one paper if you don’t have a subscription.
At least partially in response to an on-line petition at the White House web site which received over 65,000 signatures (including mine), the administration issued a memorandum today that increases access to research. It helps, but is not an ideal solution. The new procedures require agencies that spend more than $100 million annually on research to develop plans to make the results of federally-funded research publically available free of charge within 12 months after original publication. While that is better than keeping it secret or making taxpayers pay twice for the data, 12 months is too long. It should be much shorter, say, 3 or 6 months after appearing in a journal. In addition, ALL research should be available to the public, not just research funded by agencies that spend more than $100 million on R&D.
For the last three years Congress has dithered about the issue, doing little until last week when a bill was introduced, theFair Access to Science and Technology Research Act, which would force the public release of journal articles within six months of publication. It also only applies to agencies that spend more than $100 million a year on R&D.
The for-profit Elsevier corporation headquartered in the Netherlands has published papers on wildland fire research written by government employees, and vehemently opposes the bill, according to an article in the Washington Post. In fact, in 2011 Elsevier backed a bill that would quash open access to scientific articles. The bill died after it encountered serious opposition.
At Wildfire Today we have ranted about this for the last couple of years (tag: open access), and it’s heart-warming to see some progress is being made.
Cottonwood Fire near Crawford, Nebraska, June 18, 2012. Photo by Bill Gabbert
A bill has been introduced in the Nebraska Senate that would enhance wildfire training, preparedness, and suppression capability of firefighters in the State. The proposed legislation would provide two single air tankers in the northwest part of the state and develop a Type 3 incident management team, in addition to other provisions. Senator Al Davis of Hyannis will present the bill, called the Wildfire Control Act of 2013, to the Legislature’s Natural Resources Committee on Friday.
Key provisions of the proposed legislation include:
Contract with private aviation companies to place two single engine air tankers during the fire season at airports near Chadron and Valentine. These planes would provide rapid initial attack across a broad area of western Nebraska on both private and public lands, keeping fires small and less destructive.
Thin forests to reduce fuel loads, substantially reducing wildfire risk, intensity, and rate of the spread, and reduce risks to residents, communities and emergency personnel.
Provide expanded training programs for volunteer firefighters, private landowners and communities in order to increase fire suppression effectiveness and safety.
Develop a Nebraska-based Type 3 incident management team that would serve as a comprehensive resource to augment and help manage large wildfire operations.
Expand the federal excess property programs managed by the Nebraska Forest Service to provide volunteer fire districts with fire suppression equipment.
Rehabilitate forest lands that have been destroyed by wildfires.
The bill was introduced by Senator Davis and has eight co-sponsors.
Two bills have been introduced in the Colorado state Senate that could affect fire prevention and the management of prescribed fires. The bills were inspired by recommendations made by the Lower North Fork Wildfire Commission.
SB 13-082, Wildfire Matters Review Committee, establishes a permanent interim committee to study wildfire prevention and mitigation policy. The committee will work with the Department of Public Safety and the State Forest Service, and will be comprised of ten legislators.
SB 13-083, Prescribed Burn Program, requires the Division of Fire Prevention and Control to establish a prescribed burn program. The program must have specific rules and standards, and there must be policy to address an escaped prescribed burn. The rules will specify that a state certified burn manager, or a nationally qualified burn boss, manage any prescribed burn.
