Proposal To Limit Fire Retardant Use Released

The U.S. Forest Service is releasing a proposal to limit the use of fire retardant in areas that are home to threatened plants, fish and animals.The draft environmental impact statement follows a ruling last year from U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy, who ordered the Forest Service to look more closely a the possibility retardant kills endangered species.Public meetings are set across the nation, including one in Missoula May 26th. "The use of fire retardant, in concert with firefighters on the ground, allows the Forest Service to safely protect landscapes, resources and, most importantly, people's lives," said Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. "Research and experience demonstrate that aerially applied fire retardant, used in an appropriate manner, reduces wildfire intensity and the rate of spread, which increases the effectiveness of our fire suppression efforts on the ground."Most wildfires are managed without the use of fire retardants. From 2000 through 2010, aerially applied retardant was used on about 8.5 percent of wildfires on National Forests System lands, and over the last ten years, on lands managed by the Forest Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, and the states, only one of every 5,000 retardant drops has impacted waterways...more