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Fire occurrence increased 74 percent over the 5-year average for these areas and was 46 percent over 1962, which was also a drought year. Burned area was 208 percent greater than the 5-year average and 133 percent greater than 1962.

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As a result of the severity of the spring fire season in these areas, forest fire fighting costs for fiscal year 1963 exceeded the available funds by $1.4 million, which must now be provided for in this 1964 supplemental appropriation request. Western fire season. The beginning of the fire season in the western regions and Alaska was from 2 weeks to a month later than normal due to favorable weather conditions. Fire danger for the balance of the fire season was generally about normal. However, Montana, Idaho, and Utah had very dry conditions with heavy lightning activity. Fall rains, particularly in southern California, reduced the fire hazard and prevented serious late season fire hazard conditions. The number of fires in the western regions and Alaska in 1963 was 12 percent less than the 5-year average and 3 percent less than 1962. Burned area was 75 percent below the 5-year average and about the same as 1962.

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Summary. There were over 12,500 fires during the 1963 season. The total area burned for all national forests increased to 127,965 acres this year from an all-time record low of 85,457 acres burned in 1962. This is still well under the 1958-62 average burned area of 227,841 acres.

Due to rapidly increasing use of the national forests, over 6,000 man-caused fires occurred this year. This is a matter of great concern as man-caused fires have steadily increased since the 1957 post-World War II low of 3,305 such fires. Since the burned area from man-caused fires usually exceeds that caused from lightning-caused fires, this heavy rate of occurrence imposes a serious threat to national forest resources.

Major fires

There were 70 fires that exceeded 300 acres in 1963 compared to 52 such fires in 1962, 95 in 1961, and 135 in 1960. None of the 1963 fires reached the sizable proportions as did several large fires in 1960 and 1961.

Emergency preparation

The regular fire protection appropriation for the Forest Service provides for fire prevention, detection, and suppression manning during the normal fire season period under conditions of average fire risks and hazards. Crew strength and prevention effort must be increased when above normal fire danger conditions exist. When the fire season begins earlier or extends longer than normal, protection forces must be provided. The costs of emergency buildup or extended periods of fire protection are financed from the fund for fighting forest fires. This fund also finances emergency fire overtime and pay differential costs of the regular fire organization.

Firefighting fatalities

Two men were killed fighting forest fires on national forests in 1963. A contract air tanker pilot lost his life when his plane crashed in California. A firefighter was killed when accidentally hit by retardant dropped on him from an air tanker in Idaho. This is a significant improvement over 1962 when 14 men were killed in firefighting activities.

Summary of actual and estimated obligations

The following tabulation summarizes forest-fire fighting obligations and estimates for fiscal year 1964:

Obligations from July 1 to Dec. 31, 1963.

Estimated requirements, Jan. 1 to June 30, 1964-
Repayment of prior year's advance..

$14, 014, 111 2,585, 889 1, 400, 000

Total...

Less amount available from fiscal year 1964 appropriation_.

Supplemental appropriation estimate....

Estimate for the January 1 to June 30, 1964, fire season

18, 000, 000

5, 000, 000

13, 000, 000

On the average, approximately 3,000 fires will occur during this period, with a burned area of approximately 50,000 acres. However, if present weather trends continue, high fire occurrence can be expected in the eastern regions. Critical fire areas also can be expected in Arizona, New Mexico, and California.

Emergency fire protection costs during this 6-month period for the past 5 years have been as follows:

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This deficiency estimate provides $2,585,889 for the last 6 months of fiscal year 1964, which is lower than the above-indicated 5-year average of $3,930,539 but approximately the same as the low year of 1962.

History of appropriations for fighting forest fires

From 1916 through 1950, the Congress appropriated each year in the regular appropriation act a token amount for fighting forest fires which was supplemented to the extend required to reimburse actual expenditures by a supplemental appropriation made after the summer and fall firefighting costs were known. During most of this period current year appropriations were made available to meet prior year obligations when necessary.

Beginning in fiscal year 1951 and continuing through 1963, Congress appropriated amounts varying from $6 million to $5 million in the regular annual appropriation act for fighting forest fires. Effective with fiscal year 1958 the entire amount available was reserved for emergencies to be apportioned for use only to the extent necessary to meet emergency conditions. This provision making the current year appropriation available to meet prior year obligations when necessary was continued.

The following table shows the status of "Fighting forest fires" appropriations during the period 1958-64:

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SUMMARY OF 1963 FIRE SEASON

Mr. KIRWAN. In addition to the $5 million carried in the regular bill, you are now estimating an additional $13 million will be required for fighting forest fires during the current fiscal year.

Your actual obligations from July to December 31, 1963, were about $14 million. You have estimated your requirements for the balance of the fiscal year at $2,586,000. Please summarize for us the 1963 fire season and tell us if this appears to be a good estimate based on the latest information available.

Mr. NELSON. The 1963 fire season was very extreme in the eastern part of the United States, both in the spring season and in the fall season in two States. Numbers of fires went up considerably. The burned area was way up in the eastern half of the United States. We are very concerned about the number of fires going up that much. The western part of the United States was a different story. The season was about 2 weeks later than usual, although we had some bad fire weather in Montana, Idaho, and Utah, and through some of those States.

However, we had a fine season in California. In fact, California came off with less burned area than they have ever had in their records there. It leaves us with a need for $13 million in the supplemental of which we speak today. That will leave us in a rather tight position. It would leave us as of December 31 with about $2,600,000 to carry the rest of this season. It depends upon what the season is, but there has been only one time in the last 5 years that our expenditure has been less than that amount, and that was in 1962.

Really what we are doing is asking for $13 million, which cuts it just about as fine as we can possibly cut it.

The average expenditure for the 6 months of the last 5 years ran about $3,900,000. That summarizes where we stand at the present time.

PERMANENT POSITIONS REQUIRED

Mr. KIRWAN. Your object breakdown shows an increase of $719,000 for permanent positions. What does this consist of?

Mr. NELSON. In connection with fire control work we pay from FF, or from this particular fund, in those situations where the season starts earlier or runs later than the regular fire season. We set our regular fire money to cover a normal season. Then if we get an early season, as we did in the East here, we have to put on the fire organization in advance of that and that takes manpower. If it goes later it takes manpower, also.

Mr. KIRWAN. Thank you.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1964.

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND WELFARE

PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE

INDIAN HEALTH ACTIVITIES

WITNESSES

DR. CARRUTH J. WAGNER, CHIEF, DIVISION OF HEALTH
HENRY V. CHADWICK, CHIEF, OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATION,
DIVISION OF INDIAN HEALTH

LOYAL C. FISHER, DEPUTY DEPARTMENT BUDGET OFFICER

WAGE BOARD INCREASES

Mr. DENTON. A deficiency appropriation of $737,000 is requested for the current year for increased pay costs. This amount is to be derived by transfer from the appropriation for the National Heart Institute.

Please explain what this estimate covers.

Dr. WAGNER. With your permission, Mr. Chairman, I will refer this to Mr. Chadwick.

Mr. CHADWICK. Mr. Chairman, $556,000 of that amount results from the Commissioned Officer Pay Act which was effective in October. In addition, wage-board increases that have occurred since the inclusion in the 1964 budget amount to $334,000. Of this amount we believe that we can absorb $162,750. The $171,250 requested for later transmission is the remaining portion of that amount.

Mr. DENTON. We shall insert this statement in the record. (The statement referred to follows:)

INDIAN HEALTH ACTIVITIES

Costs in 1964 of wage-board increases authorized in 1963 and 1964

Cost in 1964 of increases authorized in 1963 which were not included in 1964 appropriation..

1964 increases authorized through Dec. 31, 1963.

Anticipated for balance of fiscal year (January-June 1964).

Total costs, 1964.

Less:

Transfer from contract medical care.

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171, 250

Reduction in hospital health to date.

Further anticipated reduction in hospital health...

Total absorption. - -

Transfer requested from National Heart Institute, 1964.

Mr. DENTON. You propose to take care of these increased costs by transfer from funds appropriated for the Heart Institute? Mr. CHADWICK. Yes, sir.

Mr. DENTON. You know what the unobligated balance is under the Heart Institute Fund?

Mr. CHADWICK. I would defer to Mr. Fisher from the department to answer that.

Mr. FISHER. I don't know that figure offhand, Mr. Chairman, but I will provide it to the committee.

(The following information was furnished:)

It is currently estimated that the unobligated balance which will exist in the appropriation "National Heart Institute" on June 30, 1964, will be $11,361,000 of which $3,516,000 is proposed to be transferred to other accounts of the Public Health Service to fund costs of the Uniformed Services Pay Act, 1963, and wageboard increases.

Mr. DENTON. This is only a transfer of funds.?
Mr. CHADWICK. Yes, sir."

Mr. DENTON. No new moneys are recommended?
Mr. CHADWICK. No, sir.

Mr. DENTON. Thank you.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 1964.

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

MANAGEMENT OF LANDS AND RESOURCES

WITNESSES

CHARLES H. STODDARD, DIRECTOR

JAMES P. BEIRNE, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, ADMINISTRATION

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