| Forest Fires: A Look at the
Numbers
June 19, 2003 News From the Committee on Resources - Issue #2 Resources.Committee@mail.house.gov Washington, DC - House Resources Committee Chairman Richard W. Pombo (R-CA) urged the Senate again today to pass the bipartisan Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003. The House overwhelmingly approved the legislation by a vote of 256-170. 5 Number of wildfires in Arizona burning today. 70,000 Number of acres burned by the nation's two largest current wildfires in New Mexico. 16 Number of large (100+ acres) fires today in the United States. $4,793,475,000 Amount spent on Fire Suppression for federal agencies over the last five years. 495,812 Number of acres of public lands that have burned this year to date. 64,626 Number of acres of public land that have burned since Issue #1. 5094 Number of acres of public land that burned yesterday. 1 Number of miles between the community of Summerhaven, AZ and the closest fireline. 20 Number of fire trucks in Summerhaven yesterday morning ready to defend property. 30,000 Number of acres burned by a wildfire that came within several hundred feet of Summerhaven last year. 10 Number of states having land with U.S. Forest Service fire danger class ratings of Very High to Extreme. 50 Number of days since House Resources Committee passed the Healthy Forests Restoration Act. 30 Number of days since the House passed the Healthy Forests Restoration Act. 29 Number of days the House-passed bill has collected dust in the Senate. 20 Number of U.S. Senators with Very High to Extreme U.S. Forest Service fire danger class-rated lands in their home states. TWELVE Number of National Forests highlighted on Chairman Pombo's Most Threatened Forests report available at: |