GAO makes recommendations on fire management

By Rich Fairbanks

(Photo of Robin Nazzaro) The nonpartisan congressional watchdog Government Accounting Office has weighed in on wildfire management issues facing the new congress and administration –- laying out a number of solutions that apply as much to the Mendocino as they do forests across the country.

The statement from the GAO’s Robin Nazzaro, director of the natural resources and environment division, makes several key suggestions:

• Forest Service and Department of the Interior agencies, need to complete a cohesive national strategy that identifies long-term options and associated funding needs for responding to wildland fire issues.
• The Forest Service could take several steps to ensure that fuel (brush, small trees, and other vegetation) reduction funds are allocated to effectively reduce risk. Specifically, when allocating funds and selecting projects, the Forest Service could improve its processes by consistently assessing all elements of wildland fire risk and developing and using measures of the effectiveness for fuel reduction treatments.

Rich Fairbanks is the fire program associate for the California Nevada Region of The Wilderness Society. He can be reached at (415) 398-1111 ext 115.

Comments

[Johnny Rotten]

Thanks for your work Rich.

As anyone in Northern CA saw this summer the fire issue needs some attention.

[richard]

Yes,we got smoked pretty good here in Southern Oregon. I felt like a Kielbasa after a while.

I think most folks have figured out that it is smarter to burn that material in Feburary than in July and to burn it when you have some control of where the smoke goes..