Forestry Service Revitalizing the Public Parks of DC

Found some interesting information on Firehouse. Here’s the story.

The Forest Service will be spending nearly $3 million to revitalize public parks in the Washington D.C. Area. This stimulus money given the Forest Service was earmarked for Wildland Fire Management. The Forest Service will be spending this $2.8 million to revitalize a public park approximately two miles north of the White House in the District of Columbia among others. The Forest Service also notes this park and the other parks are, “riddled with crime.” The Forest Service also proclaims that this effort will produce “green jobs”.

Needless to say, lawmakers are up in arms over the decision to spend wildland firefighting money to fix up Washington D.C. Parks. Specifically the western lawmakers, who’s communities regularly fall victim to large uncontrollable wildland fires. On September 24^th more than 1,800 firefighters battled a wildland fire that swept across Ventura County and threatened homes in multiple communities. The fire destroyed over 1,600 acres of forest and overtook two outbuildings. Firefighters battled the fire for approximately 48 hours and the estimated cost for the second day alone is more than $2.9 million. More here on that story.

These kinds of decisions really bug me. This money was given to the Forestry Service to battle wildland fires, to save lives and property. The Conservation Department, who has the responsibility of protecting our public lands from fire, is as strapped for cash as any other public safety agency in this economic depression. The Conservation Department has dissolved multiple jobs due to inadequate funding leaving them with inadequate staff and equipment to effectively do their job. Now rather than using this money where it was supposed to be, some congressman has decided the landscape outside his window is a little grim so we should take someone else’s money to fix it up. Oh but it will create “green jobs” as demanded with the stimulus money. What about the jobs that the Conservation Department has had to dissolve because of inadequate funding. Inadequate funding that this stimulus money could correct. And what is the definition of a green job? A job that will be beneficial to the environment? I would argue that extinguishing a fire that is producing tons of carbon monoxide is beneficial to the environment.

Now the only justification that is given is that renovation of public parks cuts down on crime. I must admit I’ve never met a major criminal who cared about the condition of the trees or the flowers at the park. I would believe that to renovate and maybe add adequate lighting would deter crime from that area. However, when we deter crime in one area we usually move that crime to a different area. And what does any of this have to do with wildland fire fighting?

As much as anything, it is ridiculous that this administration cannot follow the very laws that they themselves make. They have taken money that was to be used for one thing and for no good cause, taken it from its rightful beneficiary and used it for some purpose to benefit themselves. That is very close to the statutory definition of stealing.