Firefighting Duties Reduce Preventive Action by Forest Service

Aug. 28, 2015

A report by the U.S. Forest Service indicates that more than 50 percent of the agency’s annual budget is now devoted to fighting fires. The demand for suppressing blazes hobbles work that can prevent wildfire such as restoration and watershed management.

According to projections in the report, catastrophic fires could burn twice as many acres by 2050. Agency officials have called upon the Congress for additional funding to support preventive initiatives that limit the risk of dangerous wildfires.
The agency is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Access the report at http://www.fs.fed.us/about-agency/budget-performance/cost-fire-operations.