SAF Shares Concerns Regarding Wildfire Suppression Funding
SAF joined more than 100 organizations in writing a
letter to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to express its concern with the eroding budgets facing the Department of the Interior and USDA Forest Service. With such a steep amount of the money being used for wildfire suppression, agencies are left with significantly less for the multitude of public, state, and private land programs, including those that would help reduce the risk of future fires.
“SAF is encouraged that bipartisan leaders in the House and Senate continue to explore options to fix wildfire suppression funding. While the discussion draft makes great strides in addressing the holistic nature of the problem, SAF is concerned that the disaster funding language is not a comprehensive budgetary solution. Without addressing the rapidly increasing 10-year average, less and less will continue to be available for forest management, restoration, research, recreation, and other critical private and public land objectives.” – Clark W. Seely, CF, President of the Society of American Foresters.
For more information on SAF's Government Affairs activities, see the Advocacy & Outreach section.