[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 116 (Tuesday, July 15, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1467]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        FEDERAL LAND ASSISTANCE, MANAGEMENT, AND ENHANCEMENT ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                          HON. LYNN C. WOOLSEY

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 9, 2008

  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, with nearly 300 fires continuing to burn in 
California, it is clear we cannot afford to wait to deal with the 
enduring threat forest fires pose to our communities. That's why I rise 
in strong support of H.R. 5541, the Federal Land Assistance, 
Management, and Enhancement (FLAME) Act.
  Over the last decade, we've seen a dramatic increase in the number of 
devastating forest fires. Those fires have long lasting effects on our 
ecosystem, increasing the deadliness of mudslides, which destroy our 
homes, displace once vegetated areas with bare terrain, and disburse 
large quantities of pollutants across broad regions.
  Nine million acres burned across the United States last year, and 
there is no indication that 2008 will be any different. Climate change 
and drought are creating longer and more intense fire seasons, while a 
century of fire containment has made the forests denser and more 
vulnerable to burning.
  The increase in forest fires has led to skyrocketing costs for 
federal fire suppression efforts, which prevents the U.S. Department of 
the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service 
Agency from adequately funding essential programs that will lessen the 
intensity of fires, reduce their frequency, and better protect the 
public. The FLAME Act would prevent future forest fires from 
devastating communities across the country and crippling federal land 
management agency budgets by creating an emergency national fund 
devoted solely to fighting such destructive fires. This fund will be 
separate from traditional funding for fire mitigation and prevention.
  It's our responsibility to empower our nation's firefighters with the 
tools they need to effectively fight forest fires. I ask my colleagues 
to join me in passing this important legislation to better ensure that 
our citizens, environment, and ecosystem are safe from the dangers of 
forest fires.

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