NEWS CONFERENCE: Senator Ron Wyden on Whether the Forest Service has the Right Number and Type of Aircraft to Fight Large Wildfires

Portland, Or – As forest fires in The West are getting bigger and more destructive, the fleet of aircraft the U.S. Forest Service uses to fight those fires is getting smaller and older. In 2006, the Forest Service had 44 large air tankers in their fleet.  Today, as we enter another fire season, they have just 12 large air tankers under contract and 11 of those average 50 years of age. 

Senator Ron Wyden, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands, will discuss the status of the Forest Service’s air tanker fleet at a news conference on Tuesday at the Medford Air Tanker Base. He will be joined by Dan Thorpe of the Oregon Department of Forestry, who will discuss the upcoming fire season and the importance of aircraft in fighting fires. 

WHO: Senator Ron Wyden
         Dan Thorpe, Oregon Department of Forestry

WHAT: Press conference on the upcoming forest fire season and whether the U.S. Forest Service has the adequate number and types of aircraft necessary to fight large wildfires. 

WHEN: 10:30 a.m., Tuesday, May 29, 2012   

WHERE: Medford Air Tanker Base

            600 Nebula Way

            Medford

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