NVFC Announces Victory on VFA Funding

Congress Approves $13.28 Million for FY 2001

Washington, DC -- The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC) claimed a long-awaited victory on October 5, when the House and Senate approved the FY 2001 Interior Appropriations Bill conference report which contained $13.28 million for the Volunteer Fire Assistance (VFA) program. That total, which includes $5 million in regular appropriations as well as $8.28 million in emergency spending, is a more than $10 million increase over the FY 2000 funding level.

The substantial increase comes on the heels of a report entitled, "Managing the Impact of Wildfires on Communities and the Environment," which was submitted to President Clinton last month. In the report, Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman and Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt outlined recommendations on how best to respond to this year's severe fires, reduce the impacts of these wildland fires on rural communities, and ensure sufficient firefighting resources in the future. The report included a request for a $10 million increase in VFA funding, a long-time NVFC priority.

"The NVFC has secured a victory that will benefit some of America's neediest fire departments," said NVFC Chairman Fred G. Allinson. "However, this funding increase will only be of value in increasing the nation's firefighting capabilities if it is sustained in future years."

The VFA program is a 50/50 matching grant program administered to communities smaller than 10,000 by the U.S. Forest Service in conjunction with the State Foresters. In recent years it has been woefully under-funded and therefore able to assist only a handful of departments. For FY 2000, the VFA program received only $3.25 million in appropriations, even though it receives annual grant requests of more than $24 million.

"The fact that both the Congress and the administration saw increased funding for this program as a key component to mitigating large wildfires, is a testament to the NVFC's membership," added Allinson. "Through letters, phone calls, e-mails and personal visits, the volunteer fire service has spoken and Congress has listened."

For more information on the Volunteer Fire Assistance Program visit www.fs.fed.us/fire/planning/help or contact your State Forester.