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IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL FIRE PLAN OVERSIGHT HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON FORESTS AND FOREST HEALTH OF THE COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION July 31, 2001 Serial No. 107-56 Printed for the use of the Committee on Resources ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/house or Committee address: http://resourcescommittee.house.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 74-282 PS WASHINGTON : 2002 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2250 Mail: Stop SSOP, Washington, DC 20402–0001 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 14:14 Apr 15, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 5011 Sfmt 5011 74282.TXT HRESOUR1 PsN: HRESOUR1 COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES JAMES V. HANSEN, Utah, Chairman NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia, Ranking Democrat Member Don Young, Alaska, George Miller, California Vice Chairman Edward J. Markey, Massachusetts W.J. ‘‘Billy’’ Tauzin, Louisiana Dale E. Kildee, Michigan Jim Saxton, New Jersey Peter A. DeFazio, Oregon Elton Gallegly, California Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American Samoa John J. Duncan, Jr., Tennessee Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii Joel Hefley, Colorado Solomon P. Ortiz, Texas Wayne T. Gilchrest, Maryland Frank Pallone, Jr., New Jersey Ken Calvert, California Calvin M. Dooley, California Scott McInnis, Colorado Robert A. Underwood, Guam Richard W. Pombo, California Adam Smith, Washington Barbara Cubin, Wyoming Donna M. Christensen, Virgin Islands George Radanovich, California Ron Kind, Wisconsin Walter B. Jones, Jr., North Carolina Jay Inslee, Washington Mac Thornberry, Texas Grace F. Napolitano, California Chris Cannon, Utah Tom Udall, New Mexico John E. Peterson, Pennsylvania Mark Udall, Colorado Bob Schaffer, Colorado Rush D. Holt, New Jersey Jim Gibbons, Nevada James P. McGovern, Massachusetts Mark E. Souder, Indiana Anibal Acevedo-Vila, Puerto Rico Greg Walden, Oregon Hilda L. Solis, California Michael K. Simpson, Idaho Brad Carson, Oklahoma Thomas G. Tancredo, Colorado Betty McCollum, Minnesota J.D. Hayworth, Arizona C.L. ‘‘Butch’’ Otter, Idaho Tom Osborne, Nebraska Jeff Flake, Arizona Dennis R. Rehberg, Montana Allen D. Freemyer, Chief of Staff Lisa Pittman, Chief Counsel Michael S. Twinchek, Chief Clerk James H. Zoia, Democrat Staff Director Jeff Petrich, Democrat Chief Counsel SUBCOMMITTEE ON FORESTS AND FOREST HEALTH SCOTT McINNIS, Colorado, Chairman JAY INSLEE, Washington, Ranking Democrat Member John J. Duncan, Jr., Tennessee Dale E. Kildee, Michigan John E. Peterson, Pennsylvania, Tom Udall, New Mexico Vice Chairman Mark Udall, Colorado Mark E. Souder, Indiana Rush D. Holt, New Jersey Michael K. Simpson, Idaho Anibal Acevedo-Vila, Puerto Rico Thomas G. Tancredo, Colorado Betty McCollum, Minnesota J.D. Hayworth, Arizona C.L. ‘‘Butch’’ Otter, Idaho (II) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 14:14 Apr 15, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 74282.TXT HRESOUR1 PsN: HRESOUR1 CONTENTS Page Hearing held on July 31, 2001 ............................................................................... 1 Statement of Members: Duncan, Hon. John J. Jr., a Representative in Congress from the State of Tennessee .................................................................................................. 6 Hayworth, Hon. J.D., a Representative in Congress from the State of Arizona ........................................................................................................... 7 Inslee, Hon. Jay, a Representative in Congress from the State of Washington .................................................................................................... 4 McInnis, Hon. Scott, a Representative in Congress from the State of Colorado ......................................................................................................... 1 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 2 McCollum, Hon. Betty, a Representative in Congress from the State of Minnesota .................................................................................................. 7 Walden, Hon. Greg, a Representative in Congress from the State of Oregon ............................................................................................................ 8 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 10 Statement of Witnesses: Bosworth, Dale, Chief, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture ..... 12 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 15 Hartzell, Tim, Director, Office of Wildland Fire Coordination, U.S. Department of the Interior ........................................................................... 20 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 23 Hill, Barry T., Director, Natural Resources and Environment, U.S. General Accounting Office ............................................................................ 44 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 47 Lewis, Robert, Ph.D., Deputy Chief, Research and Development, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture .................................................... 56 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 57 Wakimoto, Ronald H., Ph.D., Professor of Forestry, School of Forestry, University of Montana .................................................................................. 61 Prepared statement of ............................................................................... 62 Additional materials supplied: Sexton, John, President, Ecoenergy Systems, Inc., Statement submitted for the record ................................................................................................. 74 (III) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 14:14 Apr 15, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 74282.TXT HRESOUR1 PsN: HRESOUR1 VerDate 11-MAY-2000 14:14 Apr 15, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 5904 Sfmt 5904 74282.TXT HRESOUR1 PsN: HRESOUR1 OVERSIGHT HEARING ON THE IMPLEMENTA- TION OF THE NATIONAL FIRE PLAN Tuesday, July 31, 2001 U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health Committee on Resources Washington, DC The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 3:02 p.m., in Room 1334, Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Scott McInnis [Chair- man of the Subcommittee] presiding. STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE SCOTT McINNIS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF COLORADO Mr. MCINNIS. The Forest and Forest Health Committee will come to order. First of all, as Chairman, and speaking for the ranking member, we welcome all of our guests. We appreciate, Chief, that you were able to come over here today. I know your time is valuable, but we think that your input is also very significant. Also, I would like to kind of lay the ground rules for those that are new to the Committee. I intend to make opening remarks. I then will yield to the ranking member for opening remarks. Nei- ther of those remarks are limited by time. However, we then kick into a time limit in order that we can allow all of our panels to have a fair opportunity to have their viewpoint or their input heard. So, in that regard, because, Chief, I understand that Mr. Laverty—and by the way, welcome, Mr. Laverty. I have a long-run- ning, excellent relationship with you—Chief, I am going to allow you 10 minutes for testimony and, Mr. Hartzell, I am going to allow you 10 minutes for testimony. I am going to allow the Gen- eral Accounting Office 10 minutes for testimony. All other wit- nesses will be limited to 5 minutes. And again, also, the members will each be given 5 minutes for their respective opening statements, although traditionally the members submit their opening statements. So, with that, before I turn it over to Mr. Inslee, who is the rank- ing member, for opening remarks, I would like to make a few of my own. The purpose of this hearing today has a couple of significant points. First of all, I think it is very important to listen and to (1) VerDate 11-MAY-2000 14:14 Apr 15, 2002 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 74282.TXT HRESOUR1 PsN: HRESOUR1 2 understand exactly what the General Accounting Office is telling us. We know, those of us who have lived out in the West, and those of you who live elsewhere, but have experienced a forest fire, how quickly they can become a devastating catastrophe. We also know that the potential for these kind of things are only a lightning strike away. As a result of that, it is incumbent, it is incumbent upon us, as servants of the people, to be prepared to move immediately in an emergency situation to quell the threat or to minimize the threat. It is also incumbent upon us, in my opinion, not to wait for the 911 call, but to do the necessary things, such as coordination of emer- gency teams, communications between agencies, discussions and implementation of forest fuel cleanup, et cetera, et cetera, prior to the lightning strike occurring. I am not confident that any of this has taken place to the kind of degree that we need. That said, I do want to compliment the Chief, I want to compliment Lyle, Tim. This is something you have inherited, and you have got to, unfortunately, you are not going to be able to take this at a normal pace. You have got