Major Fire-Fighting Provisions Added To Appropriations Bill
September 24, 2009
09:34 AM
As the nation has seen lately, fire season in the West is getting longer, hotter and more intense. So, Chairman Bingaman is pleased to see key provisions from the Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act (FLAME) unanimously adopted as part of the Senate Interior Appropriations bill. The FLAME Act sets up a separate account and budget for fighting the largest and most complex fires, so that adequate funds are available and so that the agencies’ land management functions are not shorted.
The FLAME Act was introduced in the Senate in the spring by a bipartisan group of 15 co-sponsors, including Energy Committee Ranking Republican Lisa Murkowski as a lead co-sponsor. Senate Energy held a hearing on the bill at the end of July. In March, the House of Representatives passed a similar provision sponsored by Natural Resources Committee Chairman Nick Rahall by a whopping 412-3 vote.
Sen. Bingaman: “Funding wildfire fighting has become almost as difficult as fighting the fires. Today we took a significant step toward solving many of the recurring problems associated with expenses at the Forest Service and Department of the Interior. I especially appreciate the support Chairman Feinstein has given in adopting these provisions into the Interior Appropriations bill.”
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