The U.S. Forest Service (FS) in Wyoming will receive just $6.5 million in stimulus money, according to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

That revelation came Friday during a budget meeting after Wyoming’s U.S. Rep. Cynthia Lummis grilled Vilsack about the disparity in distribution of FS American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) stimulus dollars.

“The U.S. Forest Service has distributed nearly $940 million – or over 80 percent – of its total stimulus dollars,” the Republican Congresswoman told Vilsack. “Of the portion of that spending … an almost unnoticeable amount has reached our national forests in Wyoming.”

She added that the Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) apparent snub has prompted Wyoming media to speculate the negligible ARRA funds were retaliation for the state Congressional delegation’s vote against President Obama’s stimulus bill.

“I’m willing to assume that your department is more above-board than that,” she said.

It was not the first time a Wyoming politician confronted Vilsack about the FS’s $1.15 billion in ARRA funds.

After Wyoming was left out of a $635-million FS allocation this spring, Gov. Dave Freudenthal wrote a scathing letter to Vilsack that requested $26.5 million for fuel, fire and pine beetle mitigation.

With 5 percent of the nation’s forestland in Wyoming, Freudenthal asserted, the state’s actual share should be nearly $57 million.

Then last week, Vilsack announced more than $275 million in ARRA funds would go to 191 FS projects in 32 states.

Connecticut received $2.3 million for one project, Pennsylvania received $5.44 million for three projects and California received $76 million for 11 projects.

Wyoming’s total was again zero.

“The more things change, the more they stay the same,” Freudenthal responded. “We're disappointed, but this is a federal decision, and I'm not elected to federal office. … These decisions are made in Washington, and hopefully our Congressional delegation can help.”

Two days later Rep. Lummis confronted Sec. Vilsack at a Budget Committee hearing.

“The bark beetle infestation is ravaging Wyoming’s forests,” Lummis told Vilsack. “In fact, forest managers estimate that by 2012, every single adult lodgepole pine is southern Wyoming will be destroyed by beetle kill.”

With that in mind, Lummis asked for an explanation over the disparity between FS dollars to Wyoming and to neighboring states.

Vilsack acknowledged Wyoming’s need for funds but he said Wyoming’s moderate unemployment numbers were factored into the previous ARRA fund allocations.

Lummis responded by saying Utah has a lower unemployment rate and less FS land than Wyoming, yet it received $12 million in FS ARRA funds.

“The money is coming,” Vilsack said, indicating the total for Wyoming was about $6.5 million.

Lummis asked when the funds would be allocated.

Vilsack said the funds were either in the process of being reviewed by his staff or by the Office of Management and Budget but they would arrive “relatively shortly.”

After the meeting Lummis said she was extremely pleased.

“The money will go a long way in helping our state face the numerous issues currently threatening the health of our forests,” she said.

The $787-billion ARRA of 2009 was signed into law in February as a way to provide economic stimulus during the current economic downturn.

According to the government Web site www.recovery.gov, Wyoming will receive about $618 million total in ARRA money.



For the complete article see the 07-28-2009 issue.

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