Governor Announces Partial Financial Solution For Forestry Funding
by February 8, 2012 4:35 pm 93 views
Governor Mike Beebe announced this afternoon:
After conferring with House and Senate leadership and Department of Finance and Administration officials, Governor Mike Beebe will direct the Arkansas Agriculture Department to reallocate $550,000 annually in ongoing funds from its budget to the Arkansas Forestry Commission. The move allows the restoration of 15 firefighter positions throughout the state beginning February 21. Based on need recommendations previously established by the Forestry Commission and the Legislature, firefighting positions will be restored in Bradley, Columbia, Conway, Drew, Fulton, Grant, Hempstead, Ouachita, Saline, Sevier and Union Counties.
Speaker Robert Moore and Representative Bobby Pierce first brought the idea to Governor Beebe after examining the Agriculture Department’s turn-back funds in recent years. The $550,000 reallocation will restore the firefighter positions while ensuring that the Agriculture Department will maintain sufficient funds for other obligations.
The Forestry Commission has been the subject of legislative scrutiny for several months as a combination of declining severance tax revenue and fiscal mismanagement has wreaked havoc on the agency’s finances. In previous reports, the commission has seen a shortfall of as much as $4 million. Legislative auditors are expected to release a report Friday that will offer a detailed analysis of the agency’s budget woes.
In addition to the $550,000 revenue shift, Beebe has also advocated steering $2.7 million in one-time surplus funds to shore up the Arkansas Forestry Commission books.