Press Release

The Western Governors' Association testified today before the Senate Subcommittee on Forests and Public Land Management. Earlier this month, 18 governors signed a letter to appropriators requesting adequate support for wildland fire management activities. At least three million acres have burned so far this year. Last year, more than eight million acres burned, costing a record $1.6 billion in suppression costs alone.

James E. Hubbard, the State Forester of Colorado, testified on behalf of the governors at today’s hearing on the effectiveness of the National Fire Plan during this year’s fire season and on a 10-year comprehensive strategy recently agreed to by WGA and the Departments of Interior and Agriculture. The strategy was developed using a collaborative process that included all levels of government and stakeholders representing diverse interests, including environmental groups and industry.

"Western Governors are seeking continued substantial funding for wildland fire management and ecosystem restoration issues, along the lines of that received in fiscal year 2001," Hubbard said. "It has taken more than 100 years to reach the current situation of extreme fuel loads on our federal, tribal, state and private lands, and it will take a multi-year investment of time, money and on-the-ground work to address it. If we are to reduce the threat and consequences of wildland fire to communities and their resource base, we need to continue the effort launched last year."

In August, the secretaries of the Departments of Interior and Agriculture joined the governors in endorsing the document entitled, "A Collaborative Approach for Reducing Wildland Fire Risks to Communities and the Environment: 10-Year Comprehensive Strategy." It was designed to accomplish four goals across federal and adjacent state, tribal and private lands:

· Improve prevention and suppression,
· Reduce hazardous fuels,
· Restore fire adapted ecosystems, and
· Promote community assistance.

The strategy established a collaborative structure to accomplish those goals, with states and local governments as full partners in its implementation.

"What has become clear over recent years is that the federal land management agencies alone cannot do all that needs to be done.  They need communities, states, tribes, and landowners to be working with them as they design projects to reduce the risk of wildfire to both communities as well as the ecosystem," Hubbard said.  "If the funds are put into the budget, rather than releasing them only under the declaration of an emergency, the collaboration envisioned by Congress and the Governors can take place. And it will be meaningful, because it will actually be tied to the planning and implementation of projects in such a way that the environmental compliance work can be done in a timely fashion."

Hubbard noted that the states expect Interior and the Forest Service to begin working with them soon on an implementation plan, which will be completed by May 1, 2002. The plan will address the needed integration among the federal departments, as well as those of state, tribal and local programs. Performance measures, consistent priorities and timelines for accomplishing the goals of the strategy will also be established.

A copy of the testimony, the governors’ letter to appropriators and other related material are available on the WGA Web site at www.westgov.org.

The Western Governors’ Association is an independent, nonprofit organization representing the governors of 18 states and three U.S.-flag islands in the Pacific. Through their Association, the governors identify and address key policy and governance issues in natural resources, the environment, human services, economic development, international relations and public management.