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near Denver as an example. The largest fire in that state's recorded history, the blaze sent significant amounts of sediment into one of the city's main storage reservoirs, and tens of millions of dollars were spent dredging it.
• "The cost of dealing with the aftermath of this fire far exceeded what proactive steps might have been taken at the outset to prevent those types of things from happening," he said.
• Federal officials said the wildland fire management strategy is aimed at giving local agencies and community leaders a voice in setting priorities and developing solutions in light of the different challenges in the three regions.
• Randy Dye, president of the National Association of State Foresters, said in a statement that having a broad discussion with the states about the nation's fire prob

lems is a step in the right direction.
• In the Northeast, a lack of fire was among the concerns identified in the report, while land ownership changes and the capacity of rural fire departments were listed as some of the challenges in the Southeast.
• In the West, the report states land managers and communities have been dealing with more uncharacteristically large fires, protections for endangered plants and animals, the spread of invasive species and the decline of logging

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