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Below is a brief outline of the fire funding and forest management provisions of interest in the FY2018 Omnibus Bill.
From: Mitch Silvers
Director of Natural Resources & Environment
U.S. Senator Mike Crapo
251 E. Front Street, Suite 205
Boise, Idaho 83720
208-334-1776
Subject: Omnibus
For your use.
Below is a brief outline of the fire funding and forest management provisions of interest in the FY2018 Omni released by the House this evening. Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions/concerns.
Fire Funding:
· The bill includes $3.8 billion in funding for wildland fire suppression in FY 2018, and an additional $614 million for hazardous fuels reduction projects.
· The legislation includes a budget cap adjustment for years FY2020-2027 that allows the Secretary of the USDA to tap into disaster relief funds should suppression expenditures for that given year reach an excess of 100 percent of the 10-year average for suppression operations (as calculated for fiscal year 2015). This is essentially the text of WDFA.
Forest Management:
· Expansion of the 2014 Farm BillÂ’s Good Neighbor Program to allow for road reconstruction.
· Establishment of “cancellation ceilings” for stewardship contracts
· Expands stewardship contracts to up to 20 years
· Categorical exclusion of up to 3000 acres for hazardous fuels reduction projects
· Federal Land Transfer Facilitation Reauthorization (to permanently renew FLTFA, allowing federal agencies to conserve sensitive habitats using proceeds from sales of lower-value federal lands.)
· Cottonwood fix (not language as introduced by Senator Daines). Language would allow the USFS a 5-year grace period to complete consultation at the planning level, and an exemption from the ESA if a forest plan has been updated within 15 years.
· Vegetative Management Pilot Program (directs USDA to conduct a pilot program to permit vegetation management projects on NFS lands adjacent to rights-of-way to better protect utility infrastructure from potential wildfires.)
· Fire Hazard Mapping Initiative (requires USDA/DOI to develop and publish a map depicting at-risk communities (including tribal communities))
County Payments:
· Payments In Lieu of Taxes (PILT) is fully funded at an estimated $530 million, which would be $65 million over the FY2017 level.
· Secure Rural Schools (SRS) is reauthorized through FY 2018, retroactively paying counties 95% of their full payment for FY2016 and 17.
Other programs/accounts:
· Brownfields Utilization, Investment, and Local Development (BUILD) Act. This legislation improves the existing Brownfields grant process by increasing the limit for cleanup grants and expanding grant eligibility for certain publicly owned sites and non-profit organizations. You are a cosponsor of this legislation. (Supported by the Idaho Association of Counties)
· $425 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) in FY 2018.
· $2.9 billion for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Loan funds.
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