USDA and the Forest Service ramp up staffing and forest management amid national forest emergency
The National Multi-Agency Coordination Group (NMAC) has raised the national wildfire preparedness level to Level 4, indicating increased wildfire activity and demand for firefighting resources across the country. The decision, made from the National Interagency Fire Center in Idaho, comes in the middle of an already intense summer fire season.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins emphasized that the U.S. Forest Service is nearly fully staffed with wildland firefighters, nearing 100 percent of its hiring target of 11,300 personnel. The Department of Agriculture has declared a national forest emergency to address hazardous fuels and improve access to fire zones.
Preparedness levels are based on factors such as fuel conditions, weather patterns, and the availability of firefighting personnel and equipment. As levels rise from one to five, more interagency coordination and national resources are deployed.
“For too long, environmental activists have tied the hands of our public servants from actively managing our forests – and even blocking simple road construction so fire vehicles, apparatus, and staff can get to wildfires and put them out before they destroy homes and communities. We have… declared a national forest emergency so we can clear out dangerous fuel and protect our forests for the future,” said Secretary Rollins.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For wisdom for Secretary Rollins as she oversees the Department of Agriculture.
- For wildland fire fighters and forest emergency management officials as they seek to decrease the chance of wildfires.
Sources: Department of Agriculture
