U.S. Forest Service officials told Sen. Conrad Burns and Rep. Denny Rehberg on Thursday that their evaluation of inspection information for Missoula-based Neptune Aviation would be completed between July 9 and 16.

Although it is unclear if contracts that Neptune had to provide the Forest Service with air tankers to fight wildfires will be reinstated, the Republican lawmakers say they are pleased with Forest Service efforts.

"I think what they are trying to do is get the safest aircraft possible," Burns said. "With fires in the wildland urban interface, airworthiness becomes a very important subject."

Rehberg also offered praised for the Forest Service officials.

"I got the feeling they are acting as quickly as they can," Rehberg said. "Certainly we want them to be safe."

Once DynCorp completes the evaluations there are three options: they could ask for more information; they could recommend that the contract be restored; or they could recommend that the contracts not be restored.

The contracts to provide tanker planes for this wildfire season were canceled on May 11 after a National Transportation Safety Board report determined there was no way to evaluate their airworthiness for fighting wildfires.

The NTSB initiated a study after the wings fell off of two C130 planes owned by Greybull, Wyo.,-based Hawkins & Powers Aviation, Inc. during the summer of 2002.

After the contracts were canceled, the Forest Service called on Neptune and the other companies that provide airtankers to provide data proving that the planes are airworthy. That information is being evaluated by Fort Worth, Texas-based DynCorp Technical Services.

Agriculture Department Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment Mark Rey said DynCorp officials told him they were working as quickly as possible.

"They've said 'don't stop by with boxes of pizza' because working later will not solve it," Rey said.

Burns is cautiously optimistic that the Neptune contracts will be restored.

"It sounds like their records are pretty good," Burns said. "There are some areas where they may need more information."

According to Rey the main problem is that the P2-Vs Neptune flies are former Navy planes, and there is not data on metal fatigue for the years they were used by the Navy.

Rehberg said he was frustrated that the contracts were canceled with no warning immediately before the fire season began, but is happy with the Forest Service's response following the canceling of the contracts.

"I think they are being fair," Rehberg said. "They have done this in a timely fashion They have been receptive. They have given us every answer we have asked for."

Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., last met with Forest Service officials on June 17 and does not share Rehberg's feelings.

"I'm not at all happy," Baucus said. "There is something unsettling about how the Forest Service is handling this. I'm getting words but no deeds. They would not give me any sense of timing. The treatment Montana has received from the Forest Service has been very shoddy."

Baucus did not specify what he was doing to get the contracts restored, but said he was intimately engaged in the situation.

"I am working this every day," Baucus said. "There are lots of ways to skin this cat."

Rey is worried that other lawmakers will react like Baucus when the fire season is in full swing. He noted that often lawmakers press Forest Service Officials to use the tankers on wildfires that are out of control. The tankers are most effective for containing wildfires that are in their early stages.

"If that happens it would be the worst of all worlds because we would be putting unsafe aircraft that are not effective in the air," Rey said.