Napolitano Slams Bush Forest Funding

[hatrack]

PHOENIX - "Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano on Saturday accused the Bush administration of mismanaging the federal forests, which she said could lead to "megafires" this summer.

"Once again, the Bush administration and the Republican Congress are shirking their responsibility to manage federal forests," she said. "So we must prepare to battle more megafires." Napolitano, in the weekly Democrat radio address, said $760 million intended to pay for brush clearing and forest thinning on federal land won't be given to states before Oct. 1.

But the Western forests are in danger now, with historic drought, unprecedented bark beetle infestations and "the administration's refusal to restore forests on federal land," Napolitano said.

Arizona endured two major fires in the past two years. A blaze near Tucson burned nearly 85,000 acres of the Catalina National Forest last year and the Rodeo-Chediski fire burned 469,000 acres in 2002. More than 800 homes were destroyed."

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[MoonAndSun]

1. Janet is my governor and she kicks repub ass!!

I do not agree with her on all topics, but she is a very strong leader and does not back down when the repubs in our legislature try and slam her down.

I hear she may be on the short list for VP's, but Arizona can not afford to lose her.