Little responds to snub from Biden

Idaho Gov. Brad Little was one of three western governors — all Republicans — who weren’t invited to a virtual meeting with President Joe Biden on Wednesday to discuss wildfire issues.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey also didn’t participate in the event.

In a joint statement released after the meeting, Little and Gianforte said they were “encouraged” by the president’s interest in the topic. However, they were disappointed that not all western governors took part.

“Our states possess extensive experience and expertise in fighting wildfires, preventing them and managing our forest,” they noted in a letter to Biden, the text of which was included in their joint statement.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee did take part in Wednesday’s meeting, along with the governors from Oregon, California, Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and Colorado. Six of the eight are Democrats.

White House officials did not respond to an inquiry about why the other three western governors weren’t invited.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss specific actions to improve the region’s response to what could be another severe wildfire season.

For example, Biden announced that the federal government plans to hire more firefighters and immediately raise their starting pay to $15 per hour.

The administration also will offer retention bonuses of up to 10 percent for experienced frontline firefighters, and the Department of Interior convert hundreds of seasonal firefighter positions to full-time.

“The truth is we’re playing catch-up” on preparing for extreme heat and wildfires, Biden said.

He described federal efforts as “under-resourced” compared to the threat posed by climate change and extreme drought.

“That’s going to change,” Biden told the governors. “We can’t cut corners when it comes to managing wildfires and supporting our firefighters. Right now we have to act and act fast.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Spence may be contacted at bspence@lmtribune.com or (208) 791-9168.