03/31/05 Eye on the fire season

03/31/05 Eye on the fire season

Of course the concerns about the drier than normal conditions in the Pacific Northwest do not just focus on the potential of drought in much of the region, and how it applies to agriculture. In fact, reports by several fire coordination agencies, most recently a report by Oregon State University and U.S. Forest Service researchers, are suggesting that the Northwest will face the threat of more severe forest and rangeland fires this year than any other region in the nation. But then again, regions outside the Northwest have seen some relief from the dry spell of the last few years thanks to heavy rains and above normal precipitation. Among the many agencies that have been keeping a close eye on the drought like conditions in the Northwest is the U.S. Department of Agriculture. JOHANNS: We're going to try to do everything we can to try to deal with the issues that we will face at the U.S.D.A. to try to be as helpful as we can. Nothing is a substitute for Mother Nature but wherever we can help with the program, we'll be in place to do that. And Ag Secretary Mike Johanns is not just talking about providing drought relief efforts either, as his agency is also in charge of the U.S. Forest Service, the primary firefighters in federal forests. Johanns is well aware of the fire forecasts for places like the Blue Mountain range and grasslands of Northeast Oregon and Southeast Washington, and the mountain ranges of Southwest Idaho and Montana. Those places are expected to be on high alert through much of the summer. JOHANNS: We've already had a number of strategy sessions on what the fire season is looking like and what the hotspots are likely to be and I just had another follow up meeting, and really, nothing has changed. Meaning the outlook for potential fires remains high, and that it will take a coordinated effort as Johanns points out to keep fire to a minimum this summer. That includes work with the Department of Interior and its numerous bureaus to place necessary resources in priority locations before fire season is underway. And while there is hope that it would not come down to such a real world application, many are hoping the actions of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act and the Healthy Forest Initiative & such as aggressive fuels reduction & will be among the difference makers in keeping the impact of potential Northwest wildfires to a minimum in this dry spell of 2005.
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