Democrats eye massive shift in war on wildfires: Prevention

[quaint]

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.

[essaynnc]

1. Easy solution...

RAKE THE FOREST !!

[quaint]

2. You can get a lot of rakes for $14 billion!

[Throck]

3. Bring back the CCC

[quaint]

4. Agree!

[wendyb-NC]

5. Yes, 1000 times yes

It makes so much sense.

[Mr.Bill]

6. Thank you LA Times

for getting us from Build Back Better to "social spending bill". Idiots.