Texas Forest Service warned about dangers of underfunding

Like most parts of state government, the Texas Forest Service is bracing for budget cuts. What distinguishes the Forest Service is that the agency is also helping battle one of the worst spate of wildfires Texas has seen in decades.

As we reported this morning, the Texas House and Senate have proposed budgets that would slash funding for the agency's Wildfire and Emergency Program by more than 30 percent. Most of the cuts would translate into fewer grants for volunteer fire departments to buy new equipment, according to Robby DeWitt, the agency's associate finance director. 

Texas is one of the few states that relies primarily on volunteer fire departments to protect rural areas from wildfires.

DeWitt stressed that the agency would make sure the cuts don't impact training of firefighters.

The Forest Service finds itself in a very different situation compared to 2008, when it was warning lawmakers that it was underfunded and that wildfires around the state were getting bigger and more destructive as a result. The Legislature responded by boosting the agency's funding in 2009 by more than $15 million.

Now lawmakers are planning to cut the agency's budget to close to its 2008 level.

That warning from three years ago came in a routine Legislative Appropriations Request that agencies file prior to each legislative session. The entire request is 102 pages but we've embedded the key pages below and highlighted some interesting passages regarding the agency's request.

Yesterday, Gov. Rick Perry called on Texans to spend the next three days praying for rain to address the wildfires. We asked Perry's office for the governor's thoughts on the future of the Forest Service's funding.

"We’re still working through the budget process, but the governor is committed to continuing to work with lawmakers in the House and Senate to craft a budget that prioritizes essential services, including public safety, without raising taxes," spokeswoman Lucy Nashed said.

Texas Forest Service warns about wildfire threat caused by underfunding

(Photo credit: Rodger Mallison/Star-Telegram)

-Aman Batheja

Comments

[Laughing Bob]

All the funding in the world won't stop an idiot with a book of matches.

[Dave]

Bob,

Perhaps, but funding is the difference between that fire being stopped quickly at 3 acres or going on to burn 3000 acres and costing lives, property and millions of dollars.

[alex]

all you need is prayer.

[AC]

It's not just an idiot with a book of matches, while that has been a problem. Several of the fires that have taken place in Texas that are over 100,000 acres have been right around where I live. While some are suspected arson others are just plain stupidity. A hired hand cutting pipe with a torch without wetting down the grassy area he was working in cost over 140,000 acres of land and millions of dollars to the forestry service. If people would think before they act we would have a greatly reduced number of wildfires. My plea is not that you jump on a truck and help us, just that everybody use a little common sense.

[BW]

This is sheer stupidity on the part of Governor Rick Perry. He claims to be a fiscal "responsible" conservative, but refuses to budget for fire protection services, and then wants Washington DC(Federal Money). Why it is nothing more than a low down Texas Pimp Daddy trying to freeload off the Federal government while purposely underfunding the state government. What he is doing is criminal! Those ranchers and farmers who have losses that can be linked to his purposely underfunding should sue him and the state legislature for negligence.

[Dominic Caraccilo]

The quality of life and security for the citizens has been largely restored and we are a large part of why that has happened.

[Dominic Caraccilo]

There is very little trash in the streets, many more people in the markets and shops, and children have returned to school.