Wyden Discusses Fire Borrowing During Recent Oregon Trip

Oregon Senator Ron Wyden continues to promote a bipartisan bill he says will end the dangerous practice of fire borrowing.  That’s when the federal government borrows from one budget to pay of wildfire fighting efforts during the season.  Wyden said the practice has proven unsuccessful and lawmakers need to allocate specific funds for fuels reduction and preventative measures.

During Thursday’s swing in Oregon Wyden told KBND radio fire borrowing creates a ripple that’s felt beyond the Northwest.

“[New York]Senator Chuck Schumer signed on to the bill. When we asked him about it, he said ‘look, we’ve got some forestry issues…but our people say the fact that there’s so much fire borrowing going on makes it hard for us to get the resources for our projects thousands of miles away’.”

Wyden said this bill is especially important in locations like Northeast Oregon, covered with thick, forest service land.  To learn more about Wyden’s bill, Visit Wyden's Website.

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