Summer wildfires will be with us again soon, although there is hope that a cold and wet winter (still with us in much of Idaho, central Oregon, the Greater Yellowstone) will mean a less active season in these areas. Much of the West is as ready, or more ready to burn than last year.
Overall each year is worse since the 1980s and firefighting threatens to consume the entire budget of land management agencies.
The FLAME Act (Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement Act) proposes to create a permanent fund for reliable monies for this, rather than relying on the luck of the political year for congressional appropriations and/or presidential support.
The details of when and how to fight fires will, of course, remain very controversial.
Up in FLAME. High Country News. By Evelyn Schlatte
Related. Montana fire prediction. Good news for western Montana, bad for eastern. Great Falls Tribune.
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Ralph Maughan
Dr. Ralph Maughan is professor emeritus of political science at Idaho State University with specialties in natural resource politics, public opinion, interest groups, political parties, voting and elections. Aside from academic publications, he is author or co-author of three hiking/backpacking guides, and he is President of the Western Watersheds Project.
