Statement by Senators John McCain, Jeff Flake & John Barrasso Applauding Wildfire Prevention Reforms in Budget Resolution
Press Release
U.S. Senators John McCain (R-AZ), Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and John Barrasso (R-WY) released the following statement today applauding the wildfire prevention reforms included in the Senate Budget Resolution for Fiscal Year 2016:
"We commend Budget Committee Chairman Mike Enzi for reporting and passing a Budget Resolution that calls on Congress to address funding shortfalls in Forest Service's suppression budget but also promotes wildfire prevention using industry-led forest thinning and forest stewardship contracts.
"We believe that thinning our forests is one of the best ways to control the ballooning costs of fighting wildfires. We also believe that the Forest Service and the U.S. Department of the Interior should have the funding they need to fight wildfires. The provision on wildfires in the Budget Resolution is largely based on the FLAME Act Amendments, legislation we recently reintroduced in Congress and that Chairman Enzi has supported. We're pleased that our approach is reflected in the Senate Budget Resolution.
"We also want to commend our colleagues, Senators Ron Wyden and Mike Crapo, for offering a different amendment that focuses solely on boosting suppression funding, and thank Senator Wyden for modifying his amendment to state that Congress may establish additional criteria for how wildfires access FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund. By merging elements of our proposals, we can improve the federal government's wildfire suppression and prevention budgets in a fiscally responsible manner. We look forward to continuing our work to advance mutually agreeable wildfire prevention and suppression legislation beyond the Budget Resolution.
"As catastrophic wildfires grow in frequency and intensity across the West, it is critical that we do everything we can to prevent them from spreading in the first place. The Senate Budget Resolution calls for a common-sense, fiscally responsible approach to addressing the growing threat of wildfires and protecting fire-prone communities across the country."
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