[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 127 (Monday, September 16, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10608-S10609]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BINGAMAN (for himself, Mr. Kempthorne, and Mr. Craig):
  S. 2078. A bill to authorize the sale of excess Department of Defense 
aircraft to facilitate the suppression of wildfire; to the Committee on 
Armed Services.


             the wildfire suppression aircraft transfer act

 Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, this Nation has had a very severe 
fire season this year. So far almost 6 million acres have burned. The 
average amount burned over the last 6 years is a little over 2 million 
acres per year. Airplanes, known as airtankers, play a critical role in 
fighting wildfires. Airtankers are used in the initial attack of 
wildfires in support of firefighters on the ground and, on large 
wildfires, to aid in the protection of lives and structures from 
rapidly advancing fires.

[[Page S10609]]

  Today, I and my colleagues, Senators Kempthorne and Craig, are 
introducing legislation that will help ensure that Federal firefighters 
continue to have access to airtanker services. The Wildfire Suppression 
Aircraft Transfer Act of 1996 will help facilitate the sale of former 
military aircraft to contractors who provide firefighting services to 
the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior. The existing 
fleet of available airtankers is aging rapidly and fleet modernization 
is critical to the continued success of the firefighting program.
  Currently, legislative authority does not exist for the transfer or 
sale of excess turbine-powered military aircraft, suitable for 
conversion to airtankers, to private operators. This greatly hampers 
efforts to modernize the airtanker fleet. This bill will require that 
the aircraft be used only for firefighting activities.
  Time is very short, but it is critical that this bill become law in 
this Congress. If we fail to pass this law, airtanker operators will 
not have access to the planes they need to update the aging airtanker 
fleet.
  I urge my colleagues to support our efforts to ensure that Federal 
firefighters have the resources they need to protect the public and 
their property from the threat of wildfires.
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