[House Document 106-136]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]





106th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 106-136
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    A REQUEST FOR FUNDS FOR THE DEPARTMENTS OF AGRICULTURE AND THE 
                               INTERIOR

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

     A REQUEST FOR FUNDS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND THE 
   DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR TO BE USED TO ADDRESS THE URGENT NEEDS 
   ARISING FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE SEVERE AND NUMEROUS FIRES ON 
       FEDERAL PUBLIC LANDS THROUGHOUT THE WESTERN UNITED STATES




 September 30, 1999.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and 
                         ordered to be printed

                                -------                                

                    U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
69-012                     WASHINGTON : 1999       




                                           The White House,
                                    Washington, September 29, 1999.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives
    Sir: In accordance with provisions of P.L. 104-208, the 
Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 1997, I hereby request 
the following:


                       department of agriculture


     Forest Service, Wildland Fire Management: 
$100,000,000.


                       department of the interior


     Bureau of Land Management, Wildland Fire 
Management: $50,000,000.
    These funds will be used to address urgent needs arising 
from the consequences of the severe and numerous fires on 
Federal public lands throughout the western United States.
    I hereby designate the above requests as emergency 
requirements pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced 
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.
    The details of these actions are set forth in the enclosed 
letter from the Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget. I concur with his comments and observations.
            Sincerely,
                                                William J. Clinton.
    Enclosure.


             [Estimate No. 35, 106th Congress, 1st Session]

                 Executive Office of the President,
                           Office of Management and Budget,
                                Washington, DC, September 29, 1999.
The President,
The White House.
    Submitted for your consideration are requests to make 
available previously appropriated contingent emergency funds 
for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Interior 
(DOI). Your approval of these requests would make available a 
total of $150 million to fight wildland fires and rehabilitate 
fire-damaged Federal public lands in the western United States.
    P.L. 104-208, the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
1997, provided $550 million and $100 million, respectively, to 
USDA and DOI for emergency wildland fire management activities. 
The availability of a portion of this funding--$250 million for 
USDA and $50 million for DOI--was made contingent upon the 
President submitting a budget request to the Congress and 
designating the entire amount requested as an emergency 
requirement. None of the contingent funds have yet been 
designated as an emergency requirement and made available. The 
remaining $300 million in USDA funding and $50 million in DOI 
funding was available immediately upon enactment of P.L. 104-
208.
    Major recent fires in western States have resulted in costs 
that greatly exceed those of the average firefighting season, 
and new fires are being started daily by lightning and other 
causes. Funds currently available to USDA and DOI for wildland 
fire operations are insufficient to cover the expenses 
estimated to be incurred during this fiscal year. The requested 
funds--$100 million for USDA and $50 million for DOI--would 
support emergency wildland fire operations, including fire 
suppression, rehabilitation of fire-damaged lands, and 
treatment of hazardous fuels.
    I have carefully reviewed these proposals and am satisfied 
that they are necessary at this time. Therefore, I join the 
Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior in 
recommending that you make the requested funds available by 
signing the enclosed letter to the Speaker of the House of 
Representatives.
            Sincerely,
                                            Jacob J. Lew, Director.
    Enclosure.



    Emergency Appropriations: Amounts Previously Appropriated Made 
                       Available by the President

Department of Agriculture (USDA):
    Forest Service: Wildland Fire Management............    $100,000,000
Department of the Interior (DOI):
    Bureau of Land Management: Wildland Fire Management.      50,000,000

    P.L. 104-208, the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 
1997, provided $550 million and $100 million, respectively, to 
USDA and DOI for emergency wildland fire management activities. 
The availability of a portion of this funding--$250 million for 
USDA and $50 million for DOI--was made contingent upon the 
President submitting a budget request to the Congress and 
designating the entire amount requested as an emergency 
requirement. None of the contingent funds have yet been 
designated as an emergency requirement and made available.
    Major recent fires in the western United States have 
resulted in costs that greatly exceed those of the average 
firefighting season. At this time, a total of $150 million is 
required for emergency wildland fire operations, including fire 
suppression, rehabilitation of fire-damaged lands, and 
treatment of hazardous fuels.

                                

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