Ryan Zinke Urges Feds to Use Montana Helicopters to Fight Wildfires

Today, Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke called on Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to allow the State of Montana's UH-1H helicopters to be used to fight the blazing wildfires that are burning across western Montana. Currently, there are 26 active fires burning in Montana, including the 18,000 acre Thompson-Divide fire in Glacier National Park and the more than 28,000 acre Bear Creek and 11,000 acre Trail Creek, both in Flathead National Forest.

In the letter, Zinke wrote: "I join with my colleagues, Senator Steve Daines and Governor Steve Bullock, in urging you to reverse the current prohibition on the use of Montana's UH-1H helicopters for firefighting efforts. Considering Montana is in a state of emergency due to the severe wildland fires burning across the state, immediate action is needed to protect human health, safety, and public lands.

"As you are well aware, the current fire season has had tremendous implications on states across the West. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has been working as swiftly as possible with available resources to effectively address wildfire dangers. However, regional and national resources are exhausted due to the sheer number of major incidents occurring at the same time. Montana's UH-1H helicopters would be an effective tool to initially address wildfires, just as they currently do on state lands, and then support additional suppression efforts. Failing to use these readily available aircraft with well-prepared aviation staff threatens the very thing we are aiming to protect: the livelihood of Montanans and lives of our firefighters. I urge you to reconsider the existing policy and make any necessary modifications to allow Montana to aid in the battle to contain these dangerous wildland fires."

Earlier this year, a bipartisan majority in the House of Representatives approved Rep. Zinke's Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015 which would immediately provide wildfire relief by allowing FEMA to fund wildfire suppression (TITLE IX--Major Disaster For Wildfire On Federal Land). It would also help on the front end by preventing catastrophic wildfires via active management with salvation and thinning projects. Ryan Zinke also was an early cosponsor of H.R. 167, Wildfire Disaster Funding Act.

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