DOI Activities Initiatives   Healthy Forests Improving National Parks Water 2025 Cooperative Conservation Take Pride in America National Energy Plan Management Excellence Issues of Interest How do I?   Get a National Parks Pass? Trace Indian Ancestry? DOI Quick Facts DOI manages 507 million acres of surface land, or about one-fifth of the land in the U.S. DOI en Espaņol For DOI Employees DOI DC Operating Status Select one DOI Federal Credit Union DOI University Employee Express Greening Interior National Business Center Support Our Troops Thrift Savings Plan DOI Jobs Teacher Resources Children's Pages Bureaus and Offices DOI Key Officials DOI History Webcams Old Faithful Mammoth Hot Springs Glacier National Park Grand Canyon Big Bend National Park Old Faithful webcam is one of several webcams available in National Parks.	Issues of Interest Preventing Catastrophic Fires Our nation's forests and rangelands are at risk. An estimated 190 million acres of federal forests and rangelands in the U.S., an area twice the size of California, face high risk of catastrophic fire. Years of natural fuels buildup, coupled with drought, insect and disease damage make our forests vulnerable to environmentally destructive fires. Many ponderosa pine forests are 15 times denser than they were a century ago. Where 25 to 35 trees once grew per acre, now more than 500 trees are crowded together in unhealthy conditions. In 2000, the United States suffered its worst wildland fires in 50 years. Last year's fire season - among the worst in the last 40 years - saw 88,458 fires burn 7.2 million acres, an area larger than Maryland and Rhode Island combined. Three states - Oregon, Colorado and Arizona - had their worst fires in history in 2002. The Bush Administration - through the Department of the Interior agencies and the Forest Service, is responding to this challenge by proposing record levels of funding for firefighting (up 55 percent from 2000), hiring additional fire fighters, purchasing additional equipment, accomplishing record levels of fuels treatment (this year's estimated 2.8 million acres being treated is up 1.6 million acres since 2000) and by advancing its Healthy Forests initiative (including administrative reforms and proposed legislation) is a long-term solution. For more information visit: DOI Healthy Forests Initiative Site News Releases on Catastrophic Fire 08/11/2003 President Bush Promotes Healthy Forests 06/23/2003 A Record of Success: Meeting On-the-Ground Challenges With On-the-Ground Solutions
Sitemap |  Feedback  |  Accessibility |  Printing Instructions
Disclaimer  |  Privacy Statement |  FOIA |  E-Gov | FirstGov  | White House  | DOI Home
U.S. Department of the Interior 1849 C Street, NW Washington, DC 20240 webteam@ios.doi.gov Last Updated on 10/09/03