USDA: Federal Partners Continue to Support Response to Western Fires

USDA: Federal Partners Continue to Support Response to Western Fires

USDA, DOI, FEMA Provide Firefighters, Aircraft, and Federal Grants to Support Local Partners Combating Fires

WASHINGTON, June 12, 2012 –Federal partners are working closely with first responders and firefighters from local, state, and tribal agencies to combat and monitor wildfires in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming as well as other states. Through the National Interagency Fire Center, which coordinates resources from the US Forest Service, Department of the Interior and other federal agencies, firefighters, incident management teams, airtankers, helicopters, fire engines and other resources are being provided to supplement state and local resources as teams continue to respond to fires across the West. Today, 19 active large fires are burning in nine states, including one of the largest wildfire in New Mexico history and one of the largest wildfires in Colorado history. To help fight these damaging fires, federal agencies have made approximately 4,500 firefighters available to aid in efforts to suppress and contain the fires. Yesterday, the Forest Service announced the agency has mobilized eight additional aircraft to its firefighting fleet to ensure that an adequate number of airtankers are available for wildland firefighting efforts. With these additional airtankers, the Forest Service has 16 large airtankers and one very large airtanker available immediately for wildfire suppression. The Forest Service has the capability to mobilize an additional 11 large airtankers, should circumstances require it. Additionally, the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior fire agencies can mobilize hundreds of helicopters and dozens of smaller aircraft, called “single-engine airtankers.” To ensure states have the financial support they need, FEMA has provided Fire Management Assistance Grants to states with active large fires. These grants help cover eligible costs, on a 75 percent cost share basis, and can reimburse state and local costs associated with personnel and equipment used to combat fires. On Saturday June 9th, FEMA authorized the use of federal funds, through the Fire Management Assistance Grant Program (FMAG), to help with eligible firefighting costs for the High Park Fire located in Larimer County, Colorado and the Little Bear Fire located in Lincoln County, New Mexico. On May 26, an FMAG was approved for the Whitewater-Baldy Complex fire located in New Mexico. While extremely serious fires are burning in several states, to date the season has been below average, meaning that additional resources remain available should they be necessary. “We continue to support our state, local, and tribal partners as they work to contain and suppress the wildfires burning in the West,” said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. “Our fire managers are bringing extensive resources to bear to respond vigorously to those wildfires threatening lives, communities, and cultural and natural resources, and we stand ready to provide additional eligible resources as necessary.” “We’re bringing the full range of our federal, tribal, state, local and non-governmental resources together to manage these wildland fires and reduce risk to communities,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “We remain vigilant and continue to do all we can to ensure the safety of all firefighters in this challenging wildlife season.” “FEMA continues to closely monitor the fires in several southwestern states, and is providing financial support through our Fire Management Assistance Grant program to assist efforts, led by firefighters, public safety officers, and emergency personnel, to fight and mitigate the volatile wildfire conditions,” said Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. On average the USDA Forest Service and the Department of the Interior bureaus respond to more than 20,000 wildfires per year. Federal firefighters, aircraft, and ground equipment are strategically assigned to parts of the country as the fire season shifts across the nation. Firefighting experts will continuously monitor conditions and move these assets as necessary to be best positioned and increase initial attack capabilities. In addition, federal agencies are conducting accelerated restoration activities nationwide that will result in healthier forests and will lessen fire risks in years to come. Federal land managers are also helping communities prepare for wildfire. Federal partnerships with tribal, state, and local agencies strengthen preparedness programs, such as Firewise http://www.firewise.org/ and Ready Set Go! http://www.iafc.org/readySetGo that help families and communities prepare for and survive wildfire. You can also visit FEMA’s Ready.gov http://www.ready.gov, to learn more about steps you and your family can take now to be prepared for an emergency. #

PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE

NOMINATIONS SENT TO THE SENATE:

Caitlin Joan Halligan, of New York, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit, vice John G. Roberts, Jr., elevated.

Kimberley Sherri Knowles, of the District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years, vice Zinora M. Mitchell, retired.

William H. Orrick, III, of the District of Columbia, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of California, vice Charles R. Breyer, retired.

Srikanth Srinivasan, of Virginia, to be United States Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit, vice A. Raymond Randolph, retired.

Jon S. Tigar, of California, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of California, vice Saundra Brown Armstrong, retired.

 

President Obama Nominates Judge Kimberley S. Knowles to Serve on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia

President Obama Nominates Judge Kimberley S. Knowles to Serve on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama nominated Judge Kimberley S. Knowles to serve on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. 

 

“I am pleased to nominate Judge Kimberley S. Knowles to serve on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia,” said President Obama.  “I am confident she will serve the American people with integrity and a steadfast commitment to justice.”

 

Judge Kimberley S. Knowles:  Nominee for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia

Kimberley S. Knowles is a Magistrate Judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  Since her appointment in 2010, she has served in the Domestic Violence Branch and in the Criminal Division, presiding over misdemeanor trials and preliminary hearings.  Before taking the bench, Knowles spent thirteen years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia, where she earned numerous special achievement awards.  Beginning in 2004, she served as the Deputy Chief of the office’s Sex Offense/Domestic Violence Section, where she supervised a team of attorneys who prosecuted cases involving domestic violence, sexual abuse of adults and children, and child physical abuse.  Knowles received her B.A. from Cornell University and earned her law degree from the Howard University School of Law.  Following law school, she served as a law clerk for the Honorable Eric T. Washington, then-Associate Judge on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.  

 

President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama will nominate Caitlin Halligan and Srikanth Srinivasan to serve on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

 

“Caitlin Halligan and Sri Srinivasan are dedicated public servants who will bring their tremendous experience, intellect, and integrity to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit,” President Obama said.  “This important court is often called the Nation’s second-highest court, and it stands more than a quarter vacant.  I remain deeply disappointed that a minority of the United States Senate blocked Ms. Halligan’s nomination last year and urge her reconsideration, especially given her broad bipartisan support from the legal and law enforcement communities.  Mr. Srinivasan will be a trailblazer and, like Ms. Halligan, will serve the court with distinction and excellence.”

 

Caitlin Halligan: Nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

 

Caitlin Halligan is General Counsel for the New York County District Attorney’s Office.  She is a nationally recognized appellate litigator who has practiced extensively before the Supreme Court of the United States, the U.S. Courts of Appeals, and the appellate courts of the State of New York.

 

After graduating from law school, Ms. Halligan served as a law clerk to Judge Patricia M. Wald on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit from 1995 to 1996, and subsequently to Justice Stephen G. Breyer during the Supreme Court’s 1997-98 term.  She was an associate at the law firm of Wiley, Rein, & Fielding in Washington, D.C., from 1996 to 1997, and at the law firm of Howard, Smith & Levin LLP in New York in 1998.  In 1999, Ms. Halligan joined the Office of the New York State Attorney General, where she initially served as the Office’s first Chief of the Internet Bureau, overseeing legal matters regarding privacy, online consumer fraud and securities trading, and other Internet-related issues.  In 2001, she became First Deputy Solicitor General of New York, and later that year was appointed Solicitor General of New York State.  As Solicitor General through 2006, Ms. Halligan managed a staff of nearly 50 appellate attorneys representing New York in federal and state appellate courts.  Her national peers selected her in each year from 2001 to 2005 to receive the “Best Brief” award from the National Association of Attorneys General.  In 2007, Ms. Halligan became a partner at the firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, LLP, in New York, where she led the firm’s Appellate Practice until she returned to public service in her current role in January 2010.

 

Ms. Halligan has served as adjunct faculty at Columbia Law School since 2005, where she has taught an advanced seminar on federalism and constitutional law.  From 2007 to 2009, she served as pro bono counsel to the Board of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the entity that is overseeing the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

 

Ms. Halligan was born in Xenia, Ohio, and grew up in several different states, including Arkansas, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Florida.  She received her A.B. with honors from Princeton University in 1988 and her J.D. with high honors in 1995 from Georgetown University Law Center, where she served as managing editor of the Georgetown Law Journal.

 

Srikanth Srinivasan: Nominee for the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

 

Srikanth “Sri” Srinivasan is the Principal Deputy Solicitor General of the United States.  He is a highly-respected appellate advocate who has spent a distinguished career litigating before the U.S. Supreme Court and the U.S. Courts of Appeals, both on behalf of the United States and in private practice.

 

Mr. Srinivasan began his legal career by serving as a law clerk for Judge J. Harvie Wilkinson on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit from 1995 to 1996.  He then spent a year as a Bristow Fellow in the Office of the Solicitor General before clerking for Justice Sandra Day O’Connor during the Supreme Court’s 1997-98 term.  He was an associate at the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers LLP in Washington, D.C., from 1998 until 2002.  In 2002, he returned to the Solicitor General’s Office as an Assistant to the Solicitor General, representing the United States in litigation before the Supreme Court.  For his work, he received the Attorney General’s Award for Excellence in Furthering U.S. National Security in 2003 and the Office of the Secretary of Defense Award for Excellence in 2005.  In 2007, Mr. Srinivasan became a partner with O’Melveny & Myers LLP.  In 2011, he was named the Chair of the firm’s Appellate Practice Group.  He was named as the Principal Deputy Solicitor General in August 2011. 

 

Mr. Srinivasan is widely recognized as one of the country’s leading appellate and Supreme Court advocates.  He has argued before the Supreme Court twenty times, drafted briefs in several dozen additional cases, and has also served as lead counsel in numerous cases before the federal and state appellate courts.  He has also served as a lecturer at Harvard Law School, where he taught a class on appellate advocacy.

 

Mr. Srinivasan was born in Chandigarh, India, and grew up in Lawrence, Kansas.  He received his B.A. with honors and distinction in 1989 from Stanford University and his J.D. with distinction in 1995 from Stanford Law School, where he was elected to Order of the Coif and served as an editor of the Stanford Law Review.  He also holds an M.B.A. from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, which he received along with his J.D. in 1995.

 

Obama Administration Releases Report on America’s Agricultural Economy and Announces Commitment to Invest over $2 Billion in Rural Small Businesses

Obama Administration Releases Report on America’s Agricultural Economy and

Announces Commitment to Invest over $2 Billion in Rural Small Businesses

 

WASHINGTON—Today, President Obama will announce investments to help rural small businesses expand and hire.  Home to some of the most diligent and self-reliant Americans, rural communities and our nation’s agriculture industry are vital contributors to employment and exports from the United States.  Strong and secure rural communities are essential to creating an economy built to last that rewards hard work and responsibility—not outsourcing, loopholes, and risky financial deals. While the security of the middle class has been threatened by the irresponsible financial collapse and the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, rural Americans continue to come together to buckle down and make ends meet. The values that have helped hard-working, responsible families weather the storm continue to move our economy forward.  As a result, while there is still work to do, a new report released today details the progress that has been made in the agricultural economy.

 

“As we continue to fight our way back from the deepest economic crisis in generations and build an economy that lasts, rural America is helping to lead the charge,” said President Obama.  “On farms and ranches; in towns and communities across this country, rural Americans know that we are stronger as a people when everybody gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share, and everyone plays by the same rules.  Those are the values we need to return to, and as long as I’m President, my Administration will continue to give our rural communities the support and investment they need to show us the way.”

 

Last August at the White House Rural Economic Forum, President Obama announced a new commitment to invest in rural businesses through the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program, at no cost to tax payers.  Today, President Obama is announcing that more than $400 million has already been invested this fiscal year in these businesses through the Small Business Administration’s SBIC program, and that nearly $2 billion in additional funding will be invested by the end of fiscal year 2016. These investments will continue to help finance, grow, expand, and modernize rural small business operations across the country.  The details of the locations, amounts and industries in which these dollars have been invested to date can be found HERE.

 

Additionally, the Council of Economic Advisers, the White House Rural Council and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are releasing a joint report today, which notes progress that has been made in the agricultural economy and details steps the Obama Administration has taken to help strengthen the farm economy and support jobs and growth in rural America. To read the full report, click HERE.

 

Highlights from the report include:

 

• ·         Innovation: Innovation in U.S. agriculture has kept America’s farms among the most productive in the world.  U.S. farm sector income reached a nominal record of $98.1 billion in 2011. Adjusting for general inflation, real farm income in 2011 recorded its 3rd highest level in the last 50 years.

 

• ·         Exports: While many sectors of our economy are running trade deficits, American agriculture has enjoyed a trade surplus, with record levels of farm exports at $137.4 billion for fiscal year 2011. Yet, it is clear that still more can and should be done to boost agriculture exports. The President’s National Export Initiative has opened new markets for U.S. agricultural products and services and contributed to a historic level of agricultural exports.  Once fully implemented, free trade agreements passed under this Administration with Korea, Panama, and Colombia are projected to boost U.S. agricultural exports by $2.3 billion per year. 

 

• ·         Clean Energy: The Administration has pursued polices that promote domestic energy alternatives like biofuels, bioenergy, and wind power to provide new opportunities for farmers, ranchers, and forest managers.  Pursuit of an all-of-the-above clean energy and energy efficiency strategy saved Americans a projected 6.5 billion kWh – enough energy to power over 590,000 homes for a year – and nearly doubled the amount of installed wind energy generation in the U.S. over the past three years from about 25,000 MW in 2008 to 47,000 MW in 2011.

 

• ·         New Industries: The Administration has supported new industry diversification within the agricultural economy.  The retail value of the organic industry grew to $31.4 billion in 2011, up from $21.1 billion in 2008. The number of operations certified organic grew by 1,109 – or more than 6% – between 2009 and 2011.

 

• ·         Community Investment: The rural economy has been strengthened by investments in over 6,250 new community facilities.  Additionally, over the last three years, 12,000 USDA grants and loans have been issued to assist over 50,000 rural small businesses.