WASHINGTON - The Forest Service is spending more on fire prevention, an approach that should help reduce the number and severity of future forest fires, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Thursday.
Vilsack said the agency is making up for past practices in which money that was meant for forest maintenance was instead used for more immediate needs, such as fighting active fires.
"We're trying to make up for lost efforts," he said.
Vilsack's comments come as firefighters continue to battle blazes across the West, fueled by an epic drought and a beetle infestation that has ravaged millions of trees.
