Endangered Species Act: Impact of Species Protection Efforts on the 1993
California Fire (Letter Report, 07/08/94, GAO/RCED-94-224).

In October 1993, a wildfire near Riverside, California, raged over about
25,000 acres--an area more than one-half the size of the District of
Columbia. The wildfire destroyed 29 homes. Some homeowners later alleged
that the loss of some homes was caused by the Interior Department's
regulations protecting the Stephens' kangaroo rat, an endangered
species. Specifically, the homeowners claimed that prohibitions against
"disking" for weed abatement--an annual process of reducing the amount
of vegetation around homes to protect homes from wildfires--prevented
them from saving their property. This report reviews (1) the development
and application of the disking prohibition; (2) the nature of the fire
and the resulting damage to homes; (3) the relationship, if any, between
the disking prohibition and the loss of homes; and (4) any developments
on the disking prohibition that have occurred since the fire.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  RCED-94-224
     TITLE:  Endangered Species Act: Impact of Species Protection 
             Efforts on the 1993 California Fire
      DATE:  07/08/94
   SUBJECT:  Endangered species
             Wildlife conservation
             Land management
             Environmental policies
             Wildlife
             Endangered animals
             Wildlife management
             Fire fighters
             Property damages
             Rodents
IDENTIFIER:  Riverside (CA)
             
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