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quaint

(3,508 posts)
Mon Dec 6, 2021, 08:48 AM Dec 2021

Democrats eye massive shift in war on wildfires: Prevention

LaTimes (paywalled)
Democrats are proposing a potentially seismic shift in how the nation battles wildfires by dramatically increasing funding for efforts that aim to prevent blazes, rather than focusing on the tools to put them out.

Under the social safety-net and climate bill passed by the House and now being negotiated in the Senate, Democrats would funnel $27 billion into the nation’s forests, including a sizable $14 billion over a decade for clearing vegetation and other dry debris that can fuel a fire.

Known as “hazardous fuels reduction,” such proactive measures have been “underfunded for so long,” said Ann M. Bartuska, a senior advisor at environmental nonprofit Resources for the Future and former Forest Service official. “This really cries out and says, ‘All right, we get it, we need to reduce wildfire risk.’”

But the funding is not yet secured. Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), a key moderate who has not committed to the bill, has long expressed concern about the overall cost and scope of the $1.85-trillion plan. He has specifically indicated he doesn’t want to see overlap between the recently approved bipartisan infrastructure plan and the social spending bill. That could put a bull’s-eye on the wildfire prevention efforts, which got $3.3 billion in the bipartisan plan.

Dear Universe, please do something about f'ing Manchin.
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Democrats eye massive shift in war on wildfires: Prevention (Original Post) quaint Dec 2021 OP
Easy solution... essaynnc Dec 2021 #1
You can get a lot of rakes for $14 billion! quaint Dec 2021 #2
Bring back the CCC Throck Dec 2021 #3
Agree! quaint Dec 2021 #4
Yes, 1000 times yes wendyb-NC Dec 2021 #5
Thank you LA Times Mr.Bill Dec 2021 #6
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