PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 20/ 17 (link source)
WASHINGTON, D.C. – In the wake of historic wildfires in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, and across the West, Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Senators Ron Wyden, D-Ore., Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., Jim Risch, R-Idaho, Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., Cory Gardner, R-Colo., and Michael Bennet, D-Colo., introduced an updated version of their bipartisan wildfire funding solution that would protect desperately needed funding for fire prevention and treat wildfires as the natural disasters they are.
The Wildfire Disaster Funding Act of 2017 would end the destructive cycle of borrowing from fire prevention accounts to put out fires and stop the erosion of the Forest Service’s budget by reforming the way the federal government funds wildfires.
“Fifty percent more acres have already burned this year than normal and the trends of the last few years suggest this will likely be our new normal,” Cantwell said. “The bill we are introducing today will stop the fire-borrowing that is currently crippling the Forest Service.”
“Oregonians and westerners are battling another record-breaking fire year. The threat of catastrophic wildfires is growing, yet the federal government continues to conduct ‘business as usual’ when it comes to fighting fires in Oregon and the West,” Wyden said. “More communities are put in danger and fire prevention work gets left undone because of a backwards fire budgeting system. It’s past time for Congress to make it a top priority to end fire borrowing, stop the erosion of the Forest Service becoming the ‘Fire Service’ and start treating wildfires like the natural disasters they are.”
"If you live in a community in the western United States, you do not need to be told that wildfires are major natural disasters," Crapo said. "With over eight million acres burned, ten states choked with smoke, and lives and structures lost, this year's fire season is a brutal reminder that we must start treating mega fires as the disasters that they are. Now is the time to both recognize that fires are major disasters and end the destructive cycle of fire borrowing that only makes the fire situation in this country worse."
“Wildfires have already burned millions of acres this year across the West, and the fire season is far from over. It’s long past time we treat wildfires like other natural disasters and allow federal agencies to pay for them like other natural disasters,” Feinstein said. “Our bipartisan bill would end the need for so-called ‘fire borrowing,’ where funding for fire prevention efforts is diverted to fighting wildfires, delaying or canceling critical prevention work. We must empower federal agencies with the tools they need to protect public safety and get ahead of what could be yet another catastrophic fire year.”
“The West is on fire, and it’s burning faster than years prior,” Risch said. “We need every resource available to prevent and combat the devastation caused by wildfires. This legislation would ensure those of us in the West can count on much-needed disaster funding.”
"Wildfires continue to decimate Western communities, ruining sources of drinking water, destroying property, and even claiming lives. Wildfires have all the qualities of a natural disaster, and it's time that the federal government treat them as such,” Hatch said. “This critical legislation gives much-needed relief to the Forest Service by putting an end to funding requirements that make it all but impossible for the agency to bear the increased costs of wildfire suppression. Ultimately, our bipartisan proposal will leave the Forest Service better prepared to fight forest fires and better equipped to prevent them from happening in the first place. It is imperative that we to return to a more balanced approach to forest management, not just fire management. I am confident that this bill will help foster safer, healthier forests in Utah and across the West for years to come.”
“The way we fund wildfire suppression today is counterproductive and crazy,” Merkley said. “As this fire season has proven all too vividly, robbing from forest health and fire prevention programs to pay for suppression only creates a vicious cycle of bigger and bigger fires. It’s time to fix this problem once and for all by funding fighting the biggest wildfires the way we do other natural disasters.”
“It may not be getting headlines in the national news, but wildfires have burned millions of acres in the West this year and the communities impacted in Colorado need assistance,” Gardner said. “I’ve been working to advance this legislation to stop fire borrowing for several years, and I appreciate the strong bipartisan support to ensure the Forest Service has the funds it needs for clean-up and prevention efforts while also finally requiring the government to treat wildfires like it does other natural disasters.”
“Catastrophic wildfires continue to plague the West, not only threatening communities and livelihoods but also draining the Forest Service budget,” Bennet said. “We need to restructure the way we pay for fighting catastrophic fires to mitigate and prevent future wildfires. This bill would end the practice of fire borrowing—a necessary step that will enable the Forest Service to make responsible investments on the front end to restore our forests and safeguard our watersheds.”
Unlike for other natural disasters, where agencies can draw from an emergency fund to pay for disaster response, the U.S. Forest Service and Interior Department do not have access to disaster funds and are forced to “fire borrow” – or steal money from fire prevention and other important programs already funded in their agencies to pay to put out fires.
Currently, federal agencies calculate wildfire suppression budgets based on the average costs of wildfire suppression over the past 10 years. But as fire seasons grow longer and wildfires have become more expensive to fight, Congress is forced to appropriate more funding to an outdated budgeting system that almost always underestimates the actual cost of fighting fires.
The updated bipartisan Wildfire Disaster Funding Act would fund wildfires as natural disasters and protect the agencies’ fire prevention budgets by putting a freeze on the rising budget costs of the 10-year average. It would end “fire borrowing” by allowing the agencies to fund any fire suppression spending needed above the frozen average through disaster funding just like other agencies can access disaster funding for tornadoes, hurricanes and floods.
Making disaster funding available after the appropriated fire suppression funds are spent would allow the Forest Service to use its fire prevention funding for its intended purpose – completing hazardous fuels reduction projects that have been shown to help break the cycle of increasingly dangerous and costly fires.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week that this year has been the single most expensive fire year on record, with fire suppression activities totaling more than $2 billion. Addressing the current, problematic system of wildfire funding is part of a larger need to stabilize and update emergency spending for all natural disasters.
OUR PARKS AND FORESTS...
FROM THE US DEPT. OF INTERIOR:
Secretary Zinke Declares October National Hunting and Fishing Month
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 21/ 17 (link source)
WASHINGTON – Just days before National Hunting and Fishing Day – which is held on September 23rd every year - U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke declared October will officially be recognized as National Hunting and Fishing Month at the Department. Zinke championed the order to recognize the lasting and positive impact of hunters and anglers on wildlife and habitat conservation in America. This order comes on the heels of several major sportsmen actions from Interior including Wednesday's announcement of the addition of 600 acres of land in Arizona's Santa Teresa Mountains to make Wilderness Areas accessible for hunting and fishing.
“I grew up in northwest Montana surrounded by public lands and waters. Some of my best memories are hunting and fishing with my dad and granddad, and then later teaching my own kids to hunt and fish. That's something I want more families to experience, which is exactly why increasing access to public lands is so important," said Secretary Ryan Zinke. “Hunters and anglers are the backbone of wildlife and habitat conservation in America, and they contribute billions of dollars to conservation. From my perspective, the more sportsmen we have in the woods and waters, the better our wildlife and land will be. Formally recognizing the contributions of hunters and anglers to wildlife and habitat conservation is long overdue."
“Hunters, anglers, and target shooters are the best conservationists who contribute so much through the Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson Acts,” said Richard Childress, second Vice President of the National Rifle Association, NASCAR driver, and honorary chair of Hunting and Fishing Day. “Last year, they contributed $1.2 billion toward conservation and protecting our natural resources. We need more mentors taking young people out and teaching them to hunt and fish, so I’m glad Secretary Zinke is promoting hunting and fishing at the federal level.”
US DEPT. OF INTERIOR: Secretary Zinke Announces Greater Access for Sportsmen and Hikers in Arizona's Santa Teresa Mountains
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 20/ 17 (link source)
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke announced that the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will acquire the 600-acre ET Ranch to increase access for hunters, hikers, and backpackers to the Santa Teresa Wilderness Area in Arizona. The acquisition was hailed by Anglers United, AZ Antelope Foundation, AZ Bass Federatoin, AZ Bowhunters Association, AZ Wild Turkey Federation, AZ Safari Club International, AZ Trout Unlimited, AZ Elk Society, and several other sportsman’s organizations.
The acquisition of the ranch is the culmination of the shared conservation partnership between the BLM, the Trust for Public Lands (TPL), the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AGFD) and the South Eastern Arizona Sportsman Club. The BLM purchased the land from TPL using $480,000 from the Sportsman’s and Recreational Access component of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which is generated from offshore oil and gas revenue.
DEPT. OF INTERIOR: Post-Irma, Trump Administration Assists Seminole Tribe with First Presidential Emergency Declaration Ever for a Tribal Nation
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 19/ 17 (link source)
WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today thanked President Trump for signing a Presidential Emergency Declaration for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which was hard hit by Hurricane Irma last week. The tribe made its request to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as soon as it was able to do so. This is the first such declaration ever approved for a tribal nation according to FEMA.
“I want to thank President Trump for quickly responding to the Seminole Tribe’s request for a Presidential Emergency Declaration to help it address the severe damage it suffered from Hurricane Irma,” Secretary Zinke said. “The Interior Department and, specifically, the Bureau of Indian Affairs are actively working to provide the tribe with law enforcement and emergency services that will help fill in gaps in its own resources and supplement the assistance it receives from FEMA.”
The declaration came with a surge of 75 volunteer officers from the Department of the Interior, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, various other Interior bureaus, and other Tribal Nations. Two dozen BIA and tribal officers remain this week to provide law enforcement and emergency services.
The Seminole Tribe is headquartered in the city of Hollywood, and is one of two federally recognized tribes in the state of Florida. The Tribe has tribal members on the Hollywood, Big Cypress, Brighton, Immokalee, Fort Pierce, Lakeland and Tampa Reservations as well as communities in Naples, Tamiami Trail, and around the central Florida area.
ON THE STATE LEVEL...
WDFW proposes simplified freshwater fishing regulations, seeks public comment
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 19/ 17 (link source)
OLYMPIA – State fishery managers are seeking public comment on a proposed package of simplified recreational fishing regulations for freshwater species, such as steelhead, trout and warmwater fish.
As part of that effort, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has scheduled six workshops to discuss the proposed changes with the public.
To review and comment on the proposed rules, visit WDFW's webpage at http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/regulations/rule_proposals/. Comments will be accepted through Nov. 30. For a hard copy of the proposed rules, please call 360-902-2700.
Since last summer, state fishery managers have been working to simplify Washington's fishing regulations for freshwater species, including steelhead, trout, warmwater fish, sturgeon, shad and carp, said WDFW Director Jim Unsworth.
"For years, we've heard from people about how our regulations are complex – even for some of the most seasoned anglers – and act as a barrier to people trying to take up the sport," Unsworth said. "So we've been developing a set of regulations that will be easier for all anglers to understand."
This is the first year of a three-year effort to simplify sportfishing regulations throughout the state. Next year, fishery managers are scheduled to work on salmon fisheries in marine and freshwater, while fisheries for shellfish and other marine fish will be addressed in 2019.
"We're excited about this effort and look forward to discussing our first year of proposals at upcoming meetings with the public," Burley said. "This is a great opportunity for anglers and others to help us make our recreational fishing regulations more user-friendly."
MILKING THE SYSTEM...
From the DOJ: Miami Physician Sentenced to 97 Months for Role in Pain Pill Diversion and $4.8 Million Medicare Fraud Scheme
PRESS RELEASE ISSUED 9/ 20/ 17 ( link source)
A Miami physician was sentenced today to 97 months in prison and three years of supervised release, for his role in a $4.8 million health care fraud scheme that involved the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and the illegal prescribing of controlled substances, including oxycodone and hydrocodone.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Blanco of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg of the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge George L. Piro of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Shimon R. Richmond of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Miami Regional Office and Special Agent in Charge Brian Swain of the U.S. Secret Service’s (USSS) Miami Field Office made the announcement.
Roberto A. Fernandez, M.D., 51, of Miami, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Cecelia M. Altonaga of the Southern District of Florida. Judge Altonaga also ordered Fernandez to pay $4.8 million in restitution, jointly and severally with his co-conspirators. Fernandez pleaded guilty on July 11, to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud in connection with a scheme, that ran from April 2011 to February 2017, involving the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and the illegal prescribing of controlled substances, including oxycodone, hydrocodone and alprazolam.
As part of his guilty plea, Fernandez admitted that he referred Medicare beneficiaries to pharmacy owners in exchange for illegal health care kickbacks. Fernandez admitted knowing that the pharmacy owners were billing and receiving reimbursements from Medicare for prescription drugs based upon the prescriptions he sold, and that many of his prescriptions were medically unnecessary. For example, he admitted providing prescriptions for expensive, name brand drugs, including HIV/AIDS medications that conflicted with other HIV drugs already prescribed to the beneficiaries.
Fernandez also solicited referrals of Medicare beneficiaries to his own practices from his co-conspirators, he admitted, including submitting claims to Medicare under his Part B provider number for services he did not, in fact, render. Additionally, Fernandez admitted to receiving kickbacks in return for signing plans of care and prescriptions for medically unnecessary home health services.
Fernandez further admitted that he prescribed controlled substances, including addictive opioids, to patients and patient recruiters in return for $100 to $200 cash per prescription. Fernandez admitted that he knew these patients did not need the controlled substances he prescribed, and that he would sometimes write prescriptions for controlled substances for patients whom he did not even examine.
The FBI, HHS-OIG and USSS investigated the case, which was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa H. Miller of the Southern District of Florida and a former Fraud Section trial attorney, and Fraud Section Trial Attorney Adam G. Yoffie are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, which is part of a joint initiative between the Department of Justice and HHS to focus their efforts to prevent and deter fraud and enforce current anti-fraud laws around the country. The Medicare Fraud Strike Force operates in nine locations nationwide. Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force has charged over 3,500 defendants who collectively have falsely billed the Medicare program for over $12.5 billion.
WORLD AND NATIONAL NEWS BRIEFS...
From the UN NEWS CENTER:
Torture during interrogations not just wrong but also counterproductive – UN rights chief
22 September 2017 – The torture and ill-treatment of persons suspected of crimes is not only “deeply wrong” but, from an interrogator's perspective, also counterproductive, the United Nations human rights chief said today at an event held in New York.
Darfur: AU-UN mission urges restraint after clashes at camp for displaced persons
22 September 2017 – The joint African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur today urged “the utmost restraint” by all parties after clashes between government forces and internally displaced persons at the Kalma camp led to the death of at least three IDPs and injuries to some 26 others.
UN hails landmark pricing deal for faster rollout of ‘game-changing’ HIV treatment
21 September 2017 – Senior United Nations officials today welcomed a breakthrough pricing agreement by global partners to accelerate the availability in low- and middle-income countries of the first affordable, generic, single-pill HIV treatment regimen.
NATIONAL
Trump administration drops Obama-era guidance on college sex crimes
(Reuters) - U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said on Friday her department was issuing new interim guidelines to colleges on how to handle sexual assault allegations, rescinding Obama administration rules that it said treated the accused unfairly.
Bill Clinton's upcoming suspense novel to become Showtime series
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Bill Clinton’s debut novel will not hit shelves for almost a year, but it is already getting the TV treatment as Showtime said Friday that it would adapt the anticipated book into a series.
Protesters chant, boo through Comey university address
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Protesters at Howard University chanted and booed on Friday through James Comey’s first public address since he testified to Congress on the Russia probe and his firing by U.S. President Donald Trump, challenging the former FBI director with a taste of the “real world” he was trying to describe to them.
Daily Bible Verse: [ Glorify God Together ] Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.
Romans 15:7 NKJV
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