A political firestorm over firefighting helicopters continues to burn brightly this week. Today, August 27 the USDA and Governor Steve Bullock announced that the policy prohibiting Montana “Huey” helicopters from fighting fires on federal lands was being reconsidered. Governor’s office spokesman Mike Wessler explains.

"The governor has had conversations with folks up and down the chain of command at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to find a solution to ensure that all available resources are being used to fight fires here in Montana," said Governor’s office spokesman Mike Wessler. "In the next couple days some federal officials will be coming to Montana to work with state officials to review the protocols in place."

No final decision has been made yet though, officials want to get a first-hand view of Montana’s fleet.

"They will sit down and do a holistic review of the protocols and the firefighting equipment in the coming days," Wessler said. "We hope to have a path forward to make sure these helicopters are able to work in collaboration with federal resources. If they have any concerns, we will work to meet those concerns."

In their joint press release, both Governor Bullock and the USDA listed the safety of firefighting personnel as a priority issue during the review process.

 

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