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Contact: USDA Press
Phone: (202) 720-4623
Email: press@xxxxxxxxxxx
TOMORROW: Secretary Perdue, U.S. Senators Attend Forest Service 2017 Fire Briefing
(Washington, D.C., September 25, 2017) – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue will join invited U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) (Senate voting schedule permitting) at the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) for a 2017 fire briefing TOMORROW, September 26th at 3:00 p.m. ET. Following the briefing, Secretary Perdue and the senators will hold a media availability to discuss this year’s fire season, as well as the way the USFS is funded. Currently, the agency has to borrow money from prevention programs to combat ongoing wildfires. Secretary Perdue believes Congress should treat major fires the same as other disasters and should be covered by emergency funds so prevention programs are not raided. Below is additional background information of the fire funding issue and further details about tomorrow’s briefing:
Secretary Perdue, U.S. Senators Attend USFS 2017 Fire Briefing, Host Media Availability
WHAT: Secretary Perdue will welcome U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID), Steve Daines (R-MT), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Jim Risch (R-ID), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) to the USFS for a 2017 fire briefing and host a media availability immediately after.
WHERE: USDA Forest Service Headquarters, Fire Desk (Yates Building, Promenade level)
201 14th Street SW, Washington, DC 20024
WHEN: TOMORROW, Tuesday, Sept. 26th at 3:00 p.m. ET
*NOTE: Any media interested in attending must RSVP to press@xxxxxxxxxxx by 10:00 a.m. ET TOMORROW, Tuesday, September 26th.
Background:
Recently, wildland fire suppression costs for the fiscal year exceeded $2 billion, making it the most expensive year on record. This summer, wildfires have ravaged states in the west, Pacific Northwest, and Northern Rockies regions of the United States. Currently, the fire suppression portion of the Forest Service budget is funded at a rolling ten-year average of appropriations, while the overall Forest Service budget has remained relatively flat. Because the fire seasons are longer and conditions are worse, the ten-year rolling fire suppression budget average keeps rising, consuming a greater percentage of the total Forest Service budget each year. This increase forces agency to take funds from prevention programs to cover fire suppression costs. Secretary Perdue’s proposal would ensure both fire suppression and prevention efforts receive the proper funding they need. Just last week, Secretary Perdue urged State Foresters to call on Congress to fix this fire funding problem. You may click HERE and HERE to listen to excerpts of his remarks.
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