But whether it's 2 percent or whether it's 3 percent, I think we understand what we're dealing with.

I would agree. So it sounds like you are withholding judgment or perhaps not certain, actually how this provision coming over from the House might be implemented in the FLAME Act.

If I could urge any expediency I would certainly do that.

Do you get concerned at all with the fact that, you can't always rely on the National Guard when you need them?

I see no reason that the Forest Service or BLM should be dealing with pandemics or other civil defense crisis as a core mission.

Today I think we have seen fire preparedness and suppression become the tail that literally wags the dog.

Would you agree that we might ultimately need less in that FLAME fund or perhaps use less if in fact we were to do the prevention work?

So how then do we make sure that we have done all that we should be doing again, to reduce the hazardous fuels if we're not insuring that the dollars are available to do just that.

I think he said that 2 percent of the fires consume 85 percent of the suppression funding.

The fire programs now cost the Forest Service more than 50 percent of its overall budget.

If the mechanical treatment of hazardous fuels is less expensive ultimately both monetarily and really environmentally, then paying for the suppression of these large catastrophic fires, why would we not want to use a portion of the FLAME…

How do we reconcile what I perceive to be a mismatch between what the administration has recommended for fire suppression funding and the reality of where we know those dollars are spent?

That's why this reserve fund is important.

I think we recognize that when you have strong timber harvest programs that reduce the fuels, decrease the intensity of the fire and ultimately decrease the costs.

It's also tough. I know that when we have had prescribed burns up North you're really subject to a window of weather conditions.

As I mentioned Alaska is on fire, we're having actually a really nice summer up North.

I have looked at the 2009 quadrennial fire review report.

In looking at that visual there in at least, 6, or 7 of the past 10 years, we have not guessed right.

I'm from Missouri and you've got to show it to me. I've seen it and I'm ready to do something about it.

In the 2005 Interior appropriations report the Forest Service was directed to provide a strategic plan.

Ms. Ritt, let's continue with you, if we may. Both in your oral statement and in your written testimony, you have suggested that the audit has confirmed--so this is not a suggestion.

Is it reasonable to suggest that we would basically pull up the ladder at this point and either deny entry to futures or to cut off those that are relatively new entrants into the programs and exclude them from future opportunity?

I believe that the Indian 8(a) preferences are achieving important economic development objectives and are well worth preserving as a matter of Federal Indian policy.

How much does it cost to get from your village to Anchorage?

I think we all recognize that there is nothing in the Federal Government requirements when we are talking about government contracting here, that in order to get a contract here in Virginia, you have to be a Virginia-based company.