Daniel Akaka: “Benjamin Franklin once described how ``for want of nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and…”

“Benjamin Franklin once described how ``for want of nail the shoe was lost; for want of a shoe the horse was lost; and for want of a horse the rider was lost.'' I wish to call the Senate's attention today to a similar situation. For $13 million, we could help prevent hundreds of millions of dollars in losses from forest fires. This case involves a Federal program which can help detect wild fires and volcanic activity from space. It is a small program that has been in a pilot phase for a couple of years but which is now operational. Except it is not operating. It stopped when funding for it ended on September 30, 2000. Unfortunately, funds to keep it going have not been authorized or appropriated for the next fiscal year. The program, which only recently came to my attention, is called the Hazard Support System. It is operated by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and is a forceful example of how today's modern technologies can be employed to the benefit of us all.”