Democrats eye massive shift in war on wildfires: Prevention
WASHINGTON — Democrats are proposing a potentially seismic shift in how the nation battles wildfires by dramatically increasing funding for efforts that aim to prevent blazes, rather than focusing on the tools to put them out.
Under the social safety-net and climate bill passed by the House and now being negotiated in the Senate, Democrats would funnel $27 billion into the nation's forests, including a sizable $14 billion over a decade for clearing vegetation and other dry debris that can fuel a fire.
Known as "hazardous fuels reduction," such proactive measures have been "underfunded for so long," said Ann M. Bartuska, a senior adviser at environmental nonprofit Resources for the Future
