[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 126 (Wednesday, August 5, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S6363]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   FEDERAL WILDFIRE BUDGETING SYSTEM

  Mr. WYDEN. I was down here on the floor last night talking about the 
need for actually getting some real progress to fix the mess that the 
wildfire budgeting system in our country has become.
  I noted there have been several proposals offered, including one by 
myself and Senator Crapo called the Wildfire Disaster Funding Act, 
referred to the Budget Committee. There have been hearings held. There 
have been speeches given about the need to fix the broken system to 
provide Federal agencies with the help they need to battle the 
devastating blazes year in and year out. Senator Crapo and I have 
introduced a bill to fix this broken system, and we need to get some 
real results.
  In spite of all the talk, there hasn't been any real action. Twenty-
four hours later and I am back, pleased to be able to stand here 
tonight to say several of our colleagues have heeded my call, and 
tomorrow I will be putting into the Congressional Record a colloquy 
with all of our signatures--Democrats and Republicans--committed to 
resolving this issue in the fall. We have been working since last night 
to set aside a way to work together this summer, with the fires in the 
West literally fueling the hunger to take meaningful steps this fall, 
to finally end fire borrowing, and to ensure that Federal agencies have 
the resources they need to prevent these infernos from igniting in the 
first place.
  Just today, the Forest Service released a report that makes the very 
clear point that, for the first time in its history, the Forest Service 
is routinely spending more than half of its budget battling wildfires. 
They note that the cost of fire suppression could well increase to 
almost $1.8 billion by 2025. This vicious cycle of underfunding 
prevention work while huge infernos burn up Federal fire suppression 
accounts is going to get worse, and what we are going to see as it does 
is the Forest Service becoming the fire service. That is not in 
America's interest. It is particularly damaging to my part of the 
country.
  I am pleased to be able to say that, in the last 24 hours, we have 
made some real progress in addressing this challenge. There is a 
commitment on both sides of the aisle now, here in the Senate, to get 
this fixed this fall.
  (The remarks of Mr. Wyden pertaining to the submission of S. Res. 246 
are printed in today's Record under ``Submitted Resolutions.'')
  Mr. WYDEN. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.

                          ____________________