[House Document 107-259]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



                                     

107th Congress, 2d Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 107-259


 
      REQUESTS FOR EMERGENCY FY 2002 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS

                               __________

                             COMMUNICATION

                                  from

                   THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

                              transmitting

HIS REQUESTS FOR EMERGENCY FY 2002 SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE 
 FOREST SERVICE WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND THE BUREAU OF 
         LAND MANAGEMENT WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR




  September 4, 2002.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and 
                         ordered to be printed
                                           The White House,
                                       Washington, August 28, 2002.
Hon. J. Dennis Hastert,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Speaker: I ask the Congress to expeditiously 
consider the enclosed requests for emergency FY 2002 
supplemental appropriations for the Forest Service within the 
Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Land Management 
(BLM) within the Department of the Interior.
    These supplemental requests would provide both the Forest 
Service and the BLM with the necessary resources for wildland 
fire suppression and emergency rehabilitation activities.
    I hereby designate these amounts totaling $825 million as 
emergency requirements pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the 
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as 
amended.
    The details of these actions are set forth in the enclosed 
letter from the Deputy Director of the Office of Management and 
Budget. I concur with her comments and recommendations.
            Sincerely,
                                                    George W. Bush.
    Enclosure.
                [Estimate No. 22, 107th Cong., 2d Sess.]

                 Executive Office of the President,
                           Office of Management and Budget,
                                   Washington, DC, August 27, 2002.
The President,
The White House.
    Submitted for your consideration are requests for emergency 
FY 2002 supplemental appropriations for the Forest Service 
within the Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Land 
Management (BLM) within the Department of the Interior.
    This emergency funding is needed due to the extraordinary 
and unanticipated expense directly related to responding to 
fires on Federal public lands this year. The 2002 fire season 
has been one of the worst in modern history. Specifically, 
these supplemental requests would provide the Forest Service 
with an additional $636 million and BLM with an additional $189 
million for wildland fire suppression and emergency 
rehabilitation activities. The proposals also contain language 
that would allow the Forest Service and BLM to reimburse 
accounts from which funds have been transferred this year for 
use in firefighting.
    I recommend that you designate these amounts as emergency 
requirements pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced 
Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.
    I have carefully reviewed these proposals and am satisfied 
that they are necessary at this time. Therefore, I join the 
Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior in 
recommending that you transmit the proposals to the Congress.
            Sincerely,
                                                     Nancy P. Dorn.
                       DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE


                             Forest Service


                        WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT

    For an additional amount to cover necessary expenses for 
wildfire suppression and emergency rehabilitation activities of 
the Forest Service, $636,000,000, to remain available until 
expended: Provided, That such funds shall also be available to 
reimburse accounts from which funds were transferred for such 
purposes in fiscal year 2002: Provided further, That the entire 
amount is designated by Congress as an emergency requirement 
pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and 
Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.
    This proposal would provide an emergency supplemental 
appropriation for the Forest Service for wildland fire 
suppression and emergency rehabilitation of burned areas. This 
proposal would also provide the Forest Service with the 
authority to reimburse accounts from which funds have been 
transferred this year for use in firefighting.
    The entire amount has been designated by the President as 
an emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of 
the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, 
as amended.
                       DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR


                       Bureau of Land Management


                        WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT

    For an additional amount to cover necessary expenses for 
wildfire suppression and emergency rehabilitation activities of 
the Bureau of Land Management, $189,000,000, to remain 
available until expended: Provided. That such funds shall also 
be available to reimburse accounts from which funds were 
transferred for such purposes in fiscal year 2002: Provided 
further, That the entire amount is designated by Congress as an 
emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the 
Balanced and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.
    This proposal would provide an emergency supplemental 
appropriation for the Bureau of Land Management for wildland 
fire suppression and emergency rehabilitation of burned areas. 
This proposal would also provide BLM with the authority to 
reimburse accounts from which funds have been transferred this 
year for use in firefighting.
    The entire amount has been designated by the President as 
an emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of 
the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, 
as amended.