News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                            Contact: Howard Gantman

Friday, January 7, 2005                                                              or Scott Gerber 202/224-9629

                                                                                                http://feinstein.senate.gov

 

Forest Service Backs off Plan
 for Devastating Cuts in Fire Prevention Funds for California

 Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) today announced that the U.S. Forest Service has backed off from a proposal to take away $9 million from California for preventing wildfires by shifting 15 percent of the hazardous fuels reduction funding for the State to other areas of the country.

“I was delighted to learn today that California will not be losing money, but will actually be receiving $2 million more this year than last, for a total of $52 million,” Senator Feinstein said.  “I would like to thank Under Secretary Mark Rey for his reconsideration of this issue.  It means a great deal to our State.”

In a letter to Agriculture Under Secretary Rey last month, Senator Feinstein had cited the devastating impact that redeploying hazardous fuels reduction funding for the Healthy Forests Restoration Act to other parts of the country would have had on California, such as:

·        90% less funding to implement community fire plans;

·        50% less funding to remove fuels from areas surrounding homes on Forest Service land (wildland-urban interface zones); and

·        Treating 20,000 fewer acres in the Sierra Nevada forests.

The reduced funding would have also harmed efforts to curb wildfires in areas of Southern California such as Lake Arrowhead, Big Bear and the San Diego suburbs that are still recovering from last year’s catastrophic wildfires.

James Peterson                         Yelena Grossman                                  D’Ann Lanning                           René Hanna

Regional Director                       Field Rep resentative                               Field Rep resentative                   Staff Assistant

Office of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein

750 B Street, Suite 1030            11111 Santa Monica Blvd.

San Diego , California 92101        Los Angeles , California 90025

(619) 231-9712 Phone                (310) 914-7300 Phone

(619) 231-1108 Fax                    (310) 914-7318 Fax

* Representing Imperial, Orange , Riverside , San Bernardino and San Diego counties

* Further information about Senator Dianne Feistein 's position on issues of concern to California and the Nation are available at her website: http://feinstein.senate.gov.

* You can also receive electronic e-mail updates by subscribing to her e-mail list at http://feinstein.senate.gov/issue.html.