Bill to fund healthier forests

U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo) has introduced an amendment in the Senate to fully fund the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (HFRA). The amendment will authorize an additional $200 million in funding for Hazardous Fuel Reduction on Federal land, in order to fully fund the HFRA, which would also provide jobs thinning overstocked forests in rural communities and reduce the threat of wildfires. “Rural communities will finally get the resources they have been promised. The HRFA funds will help communities prevent wildfires and help create forest based jobs,” Barrasso said. Barrasso was joined by his Western Caucus senate colleagues, Mike Enzi (R-Wyo), Crapo (R – ID), Bob Bennett (R – UT), John Kyl (R-NC), Orin Hatch (R-UT), Ron Wyden (D.Ore.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.). Funding for the Hazardous Fuel Reduction Program has historically been provided at less than half the authorized amount of $760 million...Little Chicago Review

Here's what we need to do: Put some big banks, some insurance companies and some automakers on federal land next to these rural communities. That will ensure adequate funding for these thinning projects. Finally some of that "bail out" money would be wisely spent.