Give Senator Dianne Feinstein credit for seeing an Inland need and
acting on it. The California Democrat has amended a federal spending bill to include $34.3 million for repairs to forest roads that heavy rains pounded this winter.    

San Bernardino National Forest officials estimate that the storms damaged 70 percent to 90 percent of the forest's 1,300 miles of back roads, and repairing the routes will cost about $10 million.

The tab for fixing the Cleveland National Forest's roads will be
$2 million, while the Angeles National Forest needs $10 million.

Leaving the roads impassible would block 2.3 million acres from
reach on the ground, raising fire danger for forest communities
such as Lake Arrowhead and Idyllwild.

The spending bill is scheduled to go before the full Senate next
week. If senators approve it as expected, the measure will head
to a conference committee to reconcile differences between the
House and Senate versions of the bill. Because the legislation
also would help finance U.S. military operations in Iraq and
Afghanistan, the measure probably will move quickly.   

That is encouraging, not just for our troops in the field but for an Inland region badly burned by fire in 2003. The forest road money can be a lifesaver . . . if it arrives in time for the fire season.