Copyright 2006 Denver Publishing Company
By Rocky Mountain News (Denver, Colo.)
The U.S. Senate added $30 million to an emergency appropriations bill Tuesday to combat the effects of bark beetle blight in Western states and help reduce wildfire risks.
Colorado Democrat Ken Salazar won approval for the amendment despite some confusing parliamentary maneuvering that put him at odds with Colorado colleague, Sen. Wayne Allard, a Loveland Republican, last week.
After Salazar first offered a similar amendment, Allard tried - unsuccessfully - to strip out the funding and substitute language that called for a study of the beetle infestations, which have left forests in Colorado and elsewhere susceptible to fires.
Allard spokeswoman Angela de Rocha said that he pushed for the substitute amendment because he thought that Salazar’s proposal would be defeated on procedural grounds and was trying to salvage something to help Coloradans.
Allard’s maneuver was ruled out of order and set aside.
Salazar later altered his amendment’s wording, and the Senate finally approved adding the money to forest funds already in the larger bill.
The larger measure, which includes money for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan plus Hurricane Katrina relief, will be considered this week.