Max Baucus: Baucus Bill Would Create Firefighting Trust Fund

Senator Introduces Measure To Ensure Agencies Have Resources To Battle Wildfires

July 11, 2007 -- (Washington, D.C.) – Montana’s senior U.S. Senator Max Baucus today introduced a bill that would set up a new trust fund that would provide a steady and reliable stream of revenue the Forest Service and other agencies would use to battle wildfires without borrowing from other programs.

Baucus said the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management frequently borrow emergency fire suppression funds from themselves through program money allocated by Congress. This cycle of taking funds from other important programs, such as hazardous fuel reduction projects, to fund firefighting activity undermines both agencies and leaves priority programs unfunded, Baucus said.

“We’re staring down the barrel at another dangerous fire season in Montana and much of the West,” Baucus said. “And every year we have to go back to Congress and ask for emergency dollars. It’s a never ending cycle of taking money from some programs to pay for fighting our wildfires. It makes no sense – we shouldn’t have to rob Peter to pay Paul.”

The Baucus bill, the Stable Fire Funding Act of 2007, would authorize $600 million in seed money to create a trust fund for the Forest Service in fiscal year 2008, as well as $200 million in seed money for a BLM trust fund. That seed money will generate interest, which would be used to cover 80 percent of firefighting costs that go over the agencies’ budgets provided by Congress for that given year.

“This bill is a stop-gap measure that will kick-in to cover firefighting costs in bad fire years,” Baucus said. “Some years the fund won’t need to be tapped, other years it will. The point, though, is to make sure other important programs aren’t hurt in the process. This bill will provide a steady, long-term funding mechanism to deal with catastrophic wildfire while protecting other important programs under the Forest Service and BLM.”

With record temperatures already this summer we’re on track for another destructive and expensive fire season, Baucus said. Last month Baucus toured the Madison Arm Fire near West Yellowstone. Officials told Baucus that agencies can spend up to $1 million per day fighting blazes.

“I want to do all I can to ensure that the fire fighting dollars are there when Montana needs them,” Baucus said.

“Max’s bill is an innovative idea that will keep red tape and Washington wrangling to a minimum while making sure our wildland firefighters get the resources they need to keep Montana safe,” said Montana Senator Jon Tester. “This is smart, sustainable, and it will streamline the funding process.”

Source: Senator Max Baucus

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