About this time every year Nate Cochran and his family head for a campground at the base of Mount Hood.

“Oh, I love it. It’s peaceful. It’s a great way to relax, read,” said Cochran. But now the U.S. Forest Service is forced to weigh the importance of that experience.

Rick Acosta, from Mount Hood National Forest, tells Newschannel 8 the countless wildfires burning nationwide, and right here in the Pacific Northwest, are costing the federal agency more than anyone expected.

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“Congress appropriated X-amount of money, which was $1.2 billion, and we have a projected shortfall, nationwide, of $400 million,” said Acosta.

That figure is shared by the 19 national forests in both Washington and Oregon.

“We’ve been given direction to look at any savings we might have in capital improvements and capital improvement maintenance type work,” added Acosta.

As a result, the forest service will put the brakes on projects involving roads, trails, administrative offices, even campgrounds.

“We are allocated funds for firefighting and sometimes we have a fire season that exceeds what’s allocated in that pot of money to fight fires,” said Acosta.

Visitors, like Nate Cochran, understand the dilemma.

“Our forests are important to us. It’s part of our ecosystem and we need to save them. Put the money there.”

Afterall, if wildfires, like the one near Mount Adams earlier this summer, are allowed to torch our national forests, Cochran will not have a place to escape to.

“We need to take care of those fires,” added Cochran.