Summary: This testimony discusses the status of efforts to reduce the future risk of catastrophic wildfires to human lives and property. GAO examines the reason why conditions on federal forests and range lands have reached the point that they pose a significant risk to nearby communities and to the ecological sustainability of lands and natural resources. They concentrate on the history and status of efforts by the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior to reduce the risk budget-related issues that should be addressed to better ensure that the agencies spend effectively and account accurately for funds appropriated to reduce hazardous fuels. The media and others have attributed much of the blame for this year's destructive wildfire season to the prolonged drought that has gripped the interior West. The federal government's approach to reducing hazardous fuels has evolved over time in response to new information and events. Both Congress and the administration are now prepared to fund an aggressive campaign to reduce hazardous fuels. Rather than allocating funds to the highest-risk areas, the Forest Service allocates funds for hazardous fuels reduction on the basis of the number of acres treated.
