"My deepest thanks go out to all of the hardworking fire crews and emergency workers who are fighting to keep these fires from spreading. My staff and I are monitoring the situation and looking for ways to help during this difficult time as Mel and I pray for the hundreds of people who were forced from their homes."

Fire management officials are reporting more than 200 structures threated by the Dahl Fire in the Roundup area, while 240 primary residences in the Helena fire are threatened due to the Corral Fire in the Helena area. Multiple structures have been destroyed by both fires. Baucus recently secured a victory for Montana forests with an amendment to the Farm Bill to better address Montana's bark beetle infestation. The Farm Bill currently authorizes the U.S. Forest Service to use $100 million to address the bark beetle infestation, which Baucus' amendment would double. It would also help the Forest Service address the bark beetle epidemic by authorizing streamlined procedures that promote efficient and responsible action on the ground. This combination makes it clear that both efficient authorities and adequate resources are crucial for this effort. The funding is authorized to the Forest Service to spend in states where the Governor requests it. The goal of the plan is to save money over the long haul through sustainable harvests versus incurring massive costs related to wildlands firefighting.

• Western states are experiencing the largest bark beetle outbreak in recorded history, having lost more than 41.7 million acres of trees.
• Montana's total loss of 6.2 million acres is the second-highest in the country, exceeded only by Colorado's 6.6 million acres.
• On average bark beetles kill as many trees annually as all wildfires across the U.S.
• This widespread forest mortality has many significant impacts, including to municipal water supplies, tourism economies, wildfire risk, and human health and safety.