Just like Alaska’s, the U.S. budget is facing cuts, some of which could have major impacts on the state’s ability to fight fires.
Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Mike Navarre said the recent proposed $160 million cuts to the U.S. Department of Interior could translate to less funding available for fire prevention.
KPB Mayor Navarre: “One of the things that we found during the Funny River Fire was how critical some of the work that had been done early on, over a ten year period on fuel breaks, or fire breaks, how important that was in the ability to attack the fire and be able to employ a strategy that was as successful as it was.”
The Alaska Interagency Coordination Center says on their website, “As of today[June 2] a total of 216 fires have burned 10,957 acres in Alaska this season.”
According Mayor Navarre’s office “Sixteen seasonal positions have already been lost from the Wildland Firefighting Base in McGrath, which covers an area larger than New Mexico,” and demonstrates his second concern.
KPB Mayor Navarre: “When there is a fire, if enough funds aren’t appropriated to those departments within the budget then what happens is they end up cannibalizing other budgets in order to respond to the fire.”
He said that was experienced during the Funny River Fire.
Mayor Navarre said he has reached out to U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski in hopes that she will use her influence in the Appropriations Committee to protect some of the funding.