Reseeding Wildfire Areas to Cost Utah Millions

None by KCPW

(KCPW News) It will cost many millions of dollars to purchase and plant new seed on the more than 450-hundred thousand acres burned so far by Utah wildfires this summer. Governor's spokesman Mike Mower says the state will find the money:

"Fortunately this has been a good year for Utah - and the Governor has spoken with top legislative leadership - and we believe the funds to help reseed these areas will be there," says Mower.

State and private lands account for only 30 percent of the total land charred this year. The rest are federal lands and Utah is not responsible for reseeding that land. However, Mower says state officials want to be sure all of the land is replanted this fall to prevent more flammable grasses from taking root and perpetuating wildfires. Mower says Utah can't afford to wait for the federal government to take care of its share of the land:

"The question is who can get the cash first to buy the seed," says Mower. "And remember we're only half way through the fire season. So the Governor's thought is to buy the seed now and work out reimbursement and redistribution of costs later."

State Agriculture Officials have created an emergency response team led by local representatives of the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to establish a plan for reseeding burn areas.

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