72nd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2003 Regular Session
Enrolled
Senate Joint Memorial 2
Sponsored by Senator ATKINSON; Representatives ANDERSON,
RICHARDSON
To the President of the United States and the Senate and the
House of Representatives of the United States of America, in
Congress assembled, and the Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of Agriculture:
We, your memorialists, the Seventy-second Legislative Assembly
of the State of Oregon, in legislative session assembled,
respectfully represent as follows:
Whereas wildfires consumed at least 6,330,440 acres in the
United States during the 2002 fire season, nearly doubling the
10-year average and marking one of the severest fire seasons in
50 years; and
Whereas in the State of Oregon nearly 1,000,000 acres burned
during the 2002 fire season; and
Whereas Oregon taxpayers paid $65 million during the 2002 fire
season just to fight fires on state-protected lands; and
Whereas President George W. Bush's Healthy Forests Initiative
will reduce fire risk on federal forestland by improving forest
health and reducing forest fuel loads; and
Whereas the Biscuit fire was one of the largest wildfires in
the United States during the 2002 fire season and the largest
fire in Oregon in the past century, burning 471,130 acres in
Oregon and 499,965 acres in total; and
Whereas the United States Government's priorities for fighting
forest fires are different from the priorities of the State of
Oregon and have effectively impaired Oregon firefighters'
traditionally successful suppression standards; and
Whereas these United States Government firefighting priorities
impacted adjacent communities, private forestland and wildlife
habitat and led to larger fires that exposed Oregon firefighters
to increased personal risk; and
Whereas the Biscuit fire started on federal lands and its
spread to adjacent state-protected lands was minimized due to the
effective fire suppression efforts of the State of Oregon; and
Whereas 23 regional and national fire management teams were
deployed to fight the Biscuit fire, using over 7,000 firefighters
on the fire line during the fire's greatest intensity; and
Whereas fighting the Biscuit fire cost over $150 million; and
Whereas the economies of communities in the Biscuit fire region
have been severely impacted by the destruction caused by the
fire, further burdening communities already suffering under
stringent environmental rules and regulations; and
Whereas the delayed salvaging of the burned timber in the
Biscuit fire region due to federal bureaucratic requirements, the
continuing drought and the grounding of 25 percent of the
nation's air tanker fleet for the year 2003, and the resulting
continuous fuel buildup on federal forestland, all increase the
risk of fire spreading from federal forestland to adjacent
communities and private forestland; and
Enrolled Senate Joint Memorial 2 (SJM 2-A) Page 1
Whereas the potential for a fire of equal or greater magnitude
than the Biscuit fire remains a clear and present danger; now,
therefore,
Be It Resolved by the Legislative Assembly of the State of
Oregon:
That we, the members of the Seventy-second Legislative
Assembly, urge the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs, United
States Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, United
States Fish and Wildlife Service and United States Department of
Agriculture Forest Service to revise their priorities for
fighting forest fires so as to provide for taking action first
when human life is threatened, second when forest resources are
threatened and third when structures are threatened; and be it
further
Resolved, That we commend the spirit of the Memorandum of
Understanding by Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton,
expressing that the United States Department of Agriculture
Forest Service should seek to cooperate with state agencies and
private landowners in preventing and fighting forest fires; and
be it further
Resolved, That we urge the United States Department of
Agriculture Forest Service to cooperate with state and local
entities to quickly salvage timber in the Biscuit fire region and
to restore and replant the landscape; and be it further
Resolved, That we urge the United States Government to provide
funding for the reforestation and economic renewal in the Biscuit
fire region; and be it further
Resolved, That we recommend that the United States Department
of Agriculture Forest Service permanently station a rappelling or
smokejumping team in the Illinois Valley of Oregon where the
facilities for such a group are already in existence; and be it
further
Resolved, That a copy of this memorial shall be sent to the
President of the United States, to the Secretary of the Interior,
to the Secretary of Agriculture and to each member of the Oregon
Congressional Delegation.
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Adopted by Senate March 14, 2003
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Secretary of Senate
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President of Senate
Adopted by House April 2, 2003
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Speaker of House
Enrolled Senate Joint Memorial 2 (SJM 2-A) Page 2