Congress passes forest fire fighting measure
Congress passes forest fire fighting measure
11 July 2008
published by www.montanasnewsstation.com
USA — The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that gives the U.S. Forest Service a dedicated fund for fighting catastrophic fires.
The legislation means the agency won’t have to raid its fire prevention budget to cover the costs of firefighting unanticipated fires.
Numbers show that an estimated 2% of wildfires account for about 80% of the cost of fighting those types of blazes.
The legislation also requires the USFS and the Interior Department to give Congress a comprehensive strategy for fighting fires.
The measure now heads to the U.S. Senate for a vote.
