Arnold Schwarzenegger
California State Governor

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger sent the following letter to President Bush requesting additional federal resources that California urgently needs to fight the ongoing wildfires and prepare for more lightning strikes later this week.

The request includes:
· Federal active duty forces to provide additional Type II firefighting handcrews to meet shortages;
· Additional out-of-state federal firefighters available to provide training for National Guard personnel as Type II handcrews; and
· Increasing the “Maximum Efficiency Level” (MEL) for the U.S. Forest Service to 100 percent.

Text of the letter:
July 9, 2008

The President
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,
As you know, California is in the midst of battling unprecedented wildfires that have stretched our state’s firefighting resources to their limit and placed thousands of Californians in immediate danger. On the heels of lightning storms in June that ignited more than 1,700 fires across the state, we now face extremely high temperatures and increased fuel loads that are exacerbating fire conditions and putting our communities and firefighters and other first responders at risk. With more lightning storms forecast for later this week, we sit at a critical tipping point in California that requires immediate federal help and aggressive pre-positioning of federal resources.

While significant federal support has come to California – including your federal emergency declaration of June 28 and the ongoing efforts by federal firefighters who are working heroically alongside state and local firefighters – we continue to face shortages of federal assets. It is with the greatest urgency that I bring this issue to your attention and urge your immediate action.

As of July 8, 2008 California had placed requests for the following assets with the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise, Idaho: 302 hand crews; 41 helicopters; 616 fire engines; and 773 support personnel. In addition, we are calling on NIFC daily for additional air tankers that are critical to suppressing the flames. These numbers change daily based on the current fire status; I ask that you direct your federal agencies, working through the NIFC, to make all requested assets available to California.

I extend California’s thanks to the National Guard and the U.S. Department of Defense for making key aviation assets available to California. To date, I have ordered hundreds of California National Guardsmen to the firefighting front lines and anticipate calling up more. However, California’s troops can only absorb so much of this responsibility while maintaining their ability to respond to the additional requirements of the existing fire emergency and other potential missions and emergencies. Consequently, I respectfully request federal active duty forces to provide additional Type II firefighting handcrews to meet our shortages. I also request that the federal government make additional out-of-state federal firefighters available to provide training for National Guard personnel as Type II handcrews. We cannot spare the in-state firefighting resources necessary to train this key resource.

I also request that, for the current fire season, the federal government increase the “Maximum Efficiency Level” (MEL) for the U.S. Forest Service to 100 percent, and that you personally ensure that federal incident commanders can make strategic and operational decisions to protect life and property based on operational need without fiscal pressure from your Office of Management and Budget.

Of the 100 million acres in California, one third are protected by local government, one third are protected by the state and one third are protected by the federal government. As you know, this shared stewardship for California’s land brings both significant opportunity and enormous responsibility.

A high level of federal, state and local government cooperation is the key to success in battling California’s wildfires and protecting the people, property and natural resources in the Golden State. On behalf of California, I thank you for your efforts to help us protect our communities and our emergency responders.

Sincerely,

Arnold Schwarzenegger

cc: The Honorable Michael Chertoff
The Honorable Ed Schafer
General Victor E. Renuart, Jr., USAF
Members of the California Congressional Delegation