Do you take comfort in the fact that D.C. is protected from forest fires like the ones that have ravaged parts of California?
Here's a better question: Why is D.C. being protected from forest fires?
Nearly $2.8 million of funds earmarked for fighting forest fires has been spent in Washington -- which has no national forests and hasn't had a major fire since 1814, according to the Washington Times. The money is part of the U.S. Forest Service's "wildlife fire mitigation" stimulus fund, the paper reported.
Most of the money is going to an organization called Washington Parks & People, which, according to the Times, sponsors park festivals and refurbishes urban parks in the Washington area.
Some don't see that as a smart use of funds, especially as wildfires burn out West.
"... funds that should be used to thin our overgrown forests and protect the public are being frivolously spent on park restoration," Rep. Wally Herger, a California Republican whose district has seen some of the worst fires, told the Times. "While the administration is spending millions of taxpayer dollars on improving picnic grounds, communities and citizens' lives tragically remain at risk."
But perhaps we can just never be too prepared. The 1814 fire was a result of a British invasion. The White House burned, people! Bring on those funds, because you never know when those pesky Brits could strike again.
