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Read. Follow. Verify.Review of the 2015 Wildfire Season and Long-Term Trends
Record date · January 1, 2016
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What This Bill Does
This House Subcommittee hearing examined the 2015 wildfire season, which saw over 9 million acres burned. Lawmakers and experts discussed the increasing costs of and the impact of these costs on the Forest Service's .
When wild costs exceed allocated federal funding, the U.S. Forest Service must divert money from other conservation and management programs to cover the shortfall.
Who It Affects
Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
U.S. Forest Service
The agency must manage wildfire suppression while balancing the depletion of its non-fire program budgets.
Western state residents
Residents in these regions are subject to the direct impacts of catastrophic wildfire seasons and associated land management changes.
Key Facts
- The 2015 wildfire season resulted in over 9 million acres burned across western states and Alaska.
- The average number of acres burned annually has nearly doubled since the 1990s.
- Federal spending on wildfire suppression has doubled since the 1990s.
- Congressional appropriations for wildfire suppression have remained nearly stagnant despite rising costs.
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- The Forest Service and Department of the Interior are currently required to cover suppression cost overruns by using funds from non-fire budgets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Forest Service take money from other programs to fight fires?
How has the wildfire situation changed since the 1990s?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceFull breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Budgetary 'Fire Borrowing'
The hearing highlights a long-standing systemic issue where emergency fire costs cannibalize long-term conservation and management budgets.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.govinfo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance80How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz20Current news / social attention level
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