Tom O'Halleran

01/19/2022 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/19/2022 11:28

O’Halleran, Kelly Join USDA, USFS for New 10-Year Wildfire Plan Announcement

PHOENIX-Yesterday, Congressman Tom O'Halleran (AZ-01) joined U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack, U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Chief Randy Moore, and Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) for the announcement of a new national strategy to address the nation's growing wildfire crisis. Much of the funding for today's announcement was made possible under the newly signed bipartisan infrastructure law, in which O'Halleran and Kelly worked to ensure $3 billion for programs to address wildfire defense, forest health, and wildfire recovery.

Find additional information about the announcement HERE.

"As a key player in Arizona's forest and water management for over 20 years, I have seen firsthand the struggle the 4FRI initiative has long faced to properly restore our forests. That's why I was so disappointed to see September's Phase Two contract failure that jeopardized the health of our forests and the safety of many Arizona families, businesses, and communities," said O'Halleran."Since then, through concentrated work with both Secretary Vilsack and Chief Moore, we've worked to secure new commitments, bigger investments, and concrete change for the Arizonans that suffer in the path of wildfires and their burn scars. I'm confident this new plan will address the concerns of Arizona families, restore the health of our forests, and work to prevent catastrophic wildfires like those we've seen tear through rural Arizona for years."

O'Halleran speaks at event announcing new funding, Tuesday January 18

According to USDA, the new strategy highlights new research on what Forest Service scientists identified as high risk "firesheds" - large, forested landscapes with a high likelihood that an ignition could expose homes, communities, infrastructure, and natural resources to wildfire. Firesheds, typically about 250,000 acres in size, are mapped to match the scale of community exposure to wildfire. The strategy calls for the Forest Service to treat up to an additional 20 million acres on national forests and grasslands and support treatment of up to an additional 30 million acres of other federal, state, Tribal, private, and family lands. Fuels and forest health treatments, including the use of prescribed fire and thinning to reduce hazardous fuels, will be complemented by investments in fire-adapted communities and work to address post-fire risks, recovery, and reforestation.

"The negative impacts of today's largest wildfires far outpace the scale of efforts to protect homes, communities and natural resources," said USDA Secretary Vilsack."Our experts expect the trend will only worsen with the effects of a changing climate, so working together toward common goals across boundaries and jurisdictions is essential to the future of these landscapes and the people who live there."

"We already have the tools, the knowledge and the partnerships in place to begin this work in many of our national forests and grasslands, and now we have funding that will allow us to build on the research and the lessons learned to address this wildfire crisis facing many of our communities," said USFS Chief Moore."We want to thank Congress, the President and the American people for entrusting us to do this important work."

Senator Mark Kelly,Andrew Sanchez Meador (NAU Ecological Restoration Institute), USDA Sec. Vilsack, USFS Chief Moore, Congressman Tom O'Halleran, Mary Mitsos (National Forest Foundation), Michiko Martin (Southwest Regional Forester), and Bruce Hallin (Director water supply, Salt River Project

In September of 2021, O'Halleran held the Forest Service accountablewhen they announced they'd canceled the contracting processto agree up in the second phase of the 4FRI Project.

In November, O'Halleran hosted Chief Moore in Flagstaff to see the Museum Fire burn scar and downstream watershed. Following his tour with the Congressman, Chief Moore announced new fundingand a redesigned strategy for the Four Forest Restoration Initiative, committing $54 million dollars in fiscal year 2022 to accelerate the needs for implementing high-priority projects on 135,000 acres over the next 10 years.

The funding set aside in the fall will also address annual road and bridge maintenance, and mechanically thinning on approximately 35,000 acres per year, and set aside $3.5 million toward Coconino County Flood Control District's request for federal funding for on-forest watershed restoration measures in the Museum Flood Area and $3 million for the Forest Service to address other mitigation measures for Museum Fire scar area.

O'Halleran and Kelly worked to craft and pass the bipartisan infrastructure law that included $3.3 billion for wildfire risk reduction, encompassing community wildfire defense grants, mechanical thinning, controlled burns, and firefighting resources. These funds will be used to begin implementing the USDA's 10-year strategy.

"There's no question that focusing on the science, data, and facts is the best approach to improving how we manage our forests, especially in Arizona," said Senator Kelly. "I'm glad that the USDA and Forest Service have made this renewed commitment to work with states, tribes, and localities to prioritize projects that reduce extreme wildfire behavior and protect our water resources. With our recently signed Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, communities at high risk can soon expect to see critical forest restoration and flood mitigation projects put into motion."

###