Venture capital: States suffer as suppression expenses climb

Abstract

The high cost of suppressing wildfires is taking a toll on federal and state agencies alike. Large wildland fires are complex, costly events influenced by a vast array of physical, climatic, and social factors. During five of the last eight years, the Forest Services' wildfire suppression expenditures have topped $1 billion, and total federal wildland suppression expenditures have been more than $1.4 billion. Wildfire suppression has become an increasingly larger part of an already constrained Forest Service budget, accounting for more than 40% of the budget in recent years compared to 10% to 15% in the 1990s. This means less money for other Forest Service land management programs such as fuels reduction, construction, land acquisition and resource management.

Citation

Gebert, Krista. 2008. Venture capital: States suffer as suppression expenses climb. Wildfire. 17(2): 24-29.