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BOISE — Wildland fire management is a year-round endeavor, even when snow covers the roof in Idaho.
On Tuesday, during a visit to the National Interagency Fire Center, Acting Deputy Secretary of the Interior Laura Daniel Davis announced a $138 million national investment to support wildland fire management. The funding is part of President Biden’s Investment in America Plan and bipartisan infrastructure law that invests $1.5 billion over five years to support wildland fire management across the country.
Daniel Davis said the department has allocated more than $70 million from the bipartisan infrastructure law to Idaho for post-fire recovery projects and power plant fuel management. More than $22 million of these funds have already been spent.
It’s unclear how much of these new funds will go directly to Idaho, but the state will likely benefit indirectly from the funds as they will be used to fight wildfires in the West. .
“Boiseans know that fires affect us every summer,” said Boise Mayor Lauren MacLean. “Whether it’s the smoke from Canada over the last few years, or whether it’s the planes flying above us that are deployed to protect the land that we love and that we all watch over.”
The new funding is intended to support modernization of wildland firefighter training, extreme wildfire risk reduction, restoration of landscapes recently damaged by wildfire, and advancements in fire science.
“We all know fire season is no longer a real season,” Daniel Davis said at a news conference Tuesday. “The frequency and intensity of fires is also impacting urban areas like Boise, threatening more homes, businesses and communities each year.”
These funds will be provided during an “El Niño year,” which could mean some changes to the country’s typical fire season, said Grant Beebe, Bureau of Land Management deputy director for fire and aviation. Told. El Niño conditions are typically warm and dry in the northwestern United States.
“Yes, there is snow on the ground. And yes, this year’s snowpack is down everywhere compared to last year, making it a record-low year… based on snowpack alone, this year too. “We don’t expect it to be a record low,” Beebe said. “It all depends on how lightning happens, what kind of dry heat we get in the summer. So what happens in peak fire season, June through September, depends on what happens in January. It’s definitely difficult to predict, but I think we all expect there will be another busy season. ”
The investment reflects the more intense wildfire seasons the U.S. has experienced in the past few years, and these trends are expected to continue in the future, Beebe said.
“We are planning for the worst and hoping for the best,” Beebe said.
Daniel Davis said investments like this one are being made to strengthen wildland fire programs across the country. The Department of the Interior is investing $1.5 billion over five years through the bipartisan Infrastructure Act to support wildland firefighters and assist communities and lands facing the threat of wildfires. The bipartisan Infrastructure Act also establishes the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission, which is charged with making recommendations to improve federal policy related to the mitigation, suppression, and management of wildland fires in the United States. Masu.
“Funding from the Biden-Harris Administration will increase support for federal wildland firefighters, including temporary pay increases and new mental wellness and wellness programs to help them adapt to the emerging realities of climate change. It also provides for large-scale and important reforms in the United States,” said Daniel Davis. He said.
Emily White is a reporter for the Idaho Press. She focuses on education and covers Boise and Ada counties. Follow her on Twitter @EmilyWhite177 and email her at ewhite@idahopress.com
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