State Foresters Respond to President's Budget
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"We appreciate the recommendation for increased investment in the Forest Inventory & Analysis, Forest Legacy, and national priority Landscape Scale Restoration Programs. However the administration’s budget proposal contained reduced funding levels to several programs, including Urban and Community Forestry and Forest Stewardship. State Foresters are also disappointed by the insufficient funding levels for other programs, including State Fire Assistance and Volunteer Fire Assistance, critically needed during an era of increased wildfire threat," DeLong said.
Jay Farrell, NASF executive director said, "Wildfire suppression funding is an overarching issue that affects all State & Private Forestry Programs. The transfer of funds from non-suppression accounts to pay for disaster wildfires directly impacts every state forestry agency’s ability to deliver critical forest conservation and management programs. Until we fix the fire funding issue, forest managers will not be able to invest in critically needed proactive forest management projects.
"Congress must fix fire funding and do so now. State Foresters supported the bipartisan compromise proposed at the end of last year, which provides a good place to continue progress toward a resolution by July 4," Farrell said.
