Washington, D.C. – A House-Senate conference committee last night gave approval for the FY ‘04 Interior Appropriations Bill that includes $2.7 billion for forest fire prevention and millions of additional funding for California restoration, fire prevention and conservation projects. The bill will now go back to the House and Senate for final approval.

"This funding is desperately needed to prevent future catastrophic fires," Senator Feinstein said. "Today, there are 11 fires burning in Southern California, which have thus far consumed more than 500,000 acres of land. If we are to prevent future fires of this size and scope, then we must manage our forests better, removing the dead and dying trees before they become fuel for catastrophic fires."

Most notably, the Interior conference report includes:

• $12.3 million for projects in Lake Tahoe;
• $31 million to fund the Quincy Library Group Project; and
• $10 million to remove trees infested by the Bark Beetle.

"The bark beetle has decimated forests around the Inland Empire and fueled the fire which threatens Lake Arrowhead. When this crisis is over, we must go back and remove the trees killed by the bark beetle in the forests which remain. We must restore the health of our forests, so that we can better protect our communities from these devastating fires."

"The fires burning today also demonstrate the critical importance of programs like the Quincy Library Group project. Quincy is a pilot forest management effort which creates a network of firebreaks where fires can be more effectively controlled. It is my hope that the project will clearly demonstrate that forest policies that promote defensible fire breaks and fuels reduction projects near communities can be an effective way to manage our nation's forests.
- more -

Senator Feinstein, Interior Appropriations, Page 2

"With regard to Lake Tahoe, this bill represents one more step in the effort to restore the lake and surrounding forests. According to the Tahoe Research Group, the average clarity of the lake for 2002 is 78 feet. This is the clearest the lake has been in 10 years, a 9 foot improvement from just 5 years ago, and a 5 foot improvement from last year. This really shows that the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act is working."

Specifically, for Lake Tahoe, the conference committee approved:

• $3 million for sensitive lands acquisition;
• $1.75 million for erosion grants;
• $2.95 million for watershed/vegetation management;
• $2.1 million for hazardous fuels reduction;
• $2 million for road upgrades; and
• $500,000 USGS Biological Research.

In addition to money for Tahoe and Quincy, the bill includes:

• $750,000 for California desert inholdings;
• $2 million for the San Diego National Wildlife Refuge;
• $1 million for the Otay Mountain Wilderness Area;
• $750,000 for the Santa Rosa Mountains;
• $2.21 million for Sequoia and Kings Canyon;
• $2.5 million for the Dofflemeyer Ranch;
• $1.35 million for Six Rivers to the Sea;
• $385,000 for the Pacific Coast Immigration Museum;
• $36 million for the Elk Hills Settlement;
• $20.7 million for the Presidio Trust;
• $1.5 million Ahearn Ranch Acquisition, Los Padres national Fores;
• $1 million for Mojave Desert Plan Resource Protection;
• $500,000 for Imperial Sand Dunes Resource Protection;
• $200,000 for California Desert Rangers;
• $1 million for California Trail Interpretive Center; and
• $725,000 for San Bernardino Nation Forest Sanitation Improvements.
•
Senator Feinstein supported these provisions as part of her role as a member of the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee.
###