09.29.06

Congress Gives Final Approval to $200 Million in Cantwell-Sponsored Emergency Firefighting Funds

WASHINGTON, DC – Friday, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) applauded the Senate’s final approval of the Defense Department Appropriations Act, which, in addition to provided needed funding for the armed services, includes $200 million in Cantwell-championed emergency funds to fight wildfires. The president is expected to approve the legislation in the next few days. The Cantwell-sponsored emergency funding measure would provide $100 million to the Forest Service and $100 million to the Interior Department to help combat wildfires.

“This critical funding will help confront the worst, most damaging fire season in decades,” said Cantwell. “These funds will help keep our wildland firefighters from running out of the resources they need to do their job. Today, Congress stepped up and delivered the additional resources needed to continue battling this year’s many forest fires.”

On September 7, the Senate approved $275 million in much-needed firefighting funds, $200 million of which was preserved in the final version of the legislation passed by Congress today. Without additional funds, the federal government has been forced to either cut back available firefighting resources or take money from other important programs, leaving these initiatives under-funded. As recently as 2004, Congress added nearly $500 million to the defense appropriations bill for wildfire funding. This year, Cantwell championed a similar approach and succeeded in securing $200 million to back efforts to combat wildfires.

There are currently four active wildfires in Washington state that have burned more than 230,000 acres. Washington state’s largest ongoing fire is the Tripod Complex Fire, which has burned more than 175,000 acres in north-central Washington. Nationwide, the 2006 fire season is already the largest fire season since 1960, with more than 83,000 fires and over nine million acres burned. The 2006 season, though still ongoing, is already 80 percent more active in terms of acres burned than the 10-year average.

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