Forest Service Appropriations: Five-Year
Trends and FY2016 Budget Request

Katie Hoover
Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
February 4, 2015
Congressional Research Service
7-5700
www.crs.gov
R43417


Forest Service Appropriations: Five-Year Trends and FY2016 Budget Request

Summary
The Forest Service (FS) is responsible for managing 193 million acres of the National Forest
System, as well as for conducting forestry research and providing assistance to state, local,
private, and international forest owners. Funding to complete such work is provided through both
discretionary and mandatory appropriations.
In FY2015, the FS received $5.53 billion in both discretionary and mandatory appropriations. The
FY2015 discretionary appropriation was $5.06 billion, slightly above the five-year average of
$5.00 billion. FS discretionary appropriations are primarily divided among six main accounts:
Forest and Rangeland Research (FRR); State and Private Forestry (S&PF); National Forest
System (NFS); Capital Improvement and Maintenance (CI&M); Wildland Fire Management
(WFM); and the FLAME Wildfire Suppression Reserve account established under the Federal
Land Assistance, Management, and Enhancement Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-88). The agency then
allocates the appropriations from these accounts among the nine FS regions, five research
stations, two service stations and laboratories, and national headquarters. Discretionary
appropriations average 88% of the agency’s total appropriations over the last five years.
The FS has more than 20 permanent appropriations accounts and 4 trust funds that constitute
mandatory spending. Together, they account, on average, for about 13% of total agency
appropriations. Budget authority for these accounts is provided for in authorizing statutes, and
several are dependent on the level of revenue generated by specific activities on the national
forests. The FS estimates that FY2015 mandatory spending will be $474.6 million, below the
five-year average of $691.1 million. The decrease is largely due to the expiration of certain
payments made to the counties containing NFS land.
For FY2016, the Administration is requesting $5.80 billion in discretionary appropriations for the
FS. However, this figure includes a proposal to change wildfire suppression funding by providing
access to nearly $1 billion outside of the statutory discretionary limits for emergency purposes.
Funding for wildfire management activities in general and suppression activities specifically
accounts for an increasing percentage of agency appropriations. This fact may raise questions
about the amount of resources necessary to adequately address wildland fire management issues
or about the extent to which wildfire management activities direct agency resources—financial
and otherwise—away from other FS statutory obligations.

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Forest Service Appropriations: Five-Year Trends and FY2016 Budget Request

Contents
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................... 1
Forest Service Discretionary Appropriations ................................................................................... 1
Forest Service Mandatory Appropriations ....................................................................................... 3
Appropriations Data and Analysis ................................................................................................... 4
FY2016 Budget Request ................................................................................................................ 11
Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................... 12

Figures
Figure 1. Forest Service Discretionary and Mandatory Appropriations, FY2011-FY2015 ............. 6
Figure 2. Enacted Discretionary Forest Service Appropriations, FY2011-FY2015 ........................ 7
Figure 3. Forest Service Requested and Enacted Discretionary Appropriations, FY2011-
FY2015 ......................................................................................................................................... 8
Figure 4. Difference Between Forest Service Requested and Enacted Discretionary
Appropriation, by Major Accounts, FY2011-FY2015 .................................................................. 9

Tables
Table 1. Forest Service Total Appropriations, FY2011-FY2015 ..................................................... 5
Table 2. Forest Service Requested Discretionary Appropriations, FY2011-FY2015,
by Account .................................................................................................................................. 10
Table 3. Forest Service Enacted Discretionary Appropriations, by Account,
FY2011-FY2015 ......................................................................................................................... 11
Table 4. FY2016 Budget Request .................................................................................................. 12
Table 5. Forest Service Requested and Enacted Discretionary Appropriations, FY2011-
2015, by Account ........................................................................................................................ 13

Contacts
Author Contact Information........................................................................................................... 14

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Forest Service Appropriations: Five-Year Trends and FY2016 Budget Request

Introduction
The Forest Service (FS) is responsible for managing 193 million acres of the National Forest
System,1 as well as for conducting forestry research and providing assistance to state, local,
private, and international forest owners. Funding to complete such work is provided through both
discretionary and mandatory appropriations (see Figure 1).
Although it is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the FS receives its
discretionary appropriations through Title III of the regular Interior, Environment, and Related
Agencies appropriations bill.2 The FS has received additional discretionary monies through
supplemental appropriations bills. In addition, continuing appropriations resolutions have been
used to maintain funding for the agency when regular appropriations bills have not been enacted
before the start of the fiscal year—and in some cases, like the FY2015 appropriations measure, to
provide full-year funding.3
The FS also receives annual mandatory appropriations under existing authorizing statutes. Laws
authorizing mandatory appropriations allow the FS to spend money without further action by
Congress. The budget authority for several of these mandatory spending accounts is dependent on
revenue generated by activities on the national forests. Typically, these laws are permanent—such
as the Timber Salvage Sale Fund—but sometimes the authorizations have a sunset date.
This report presents and analyzes the discretionary and mandatory appropriations for the FS—
including the President’s discretionary budget requests—over the last five years, from FY2011 to
FY2015. It also includes a section on the President’s FY2016 budget request.
Forest Service Discretionary Appropriations
FS discretionary appropriations—which account for 88% of total agency appropriations on
average—are primarily divided among six main accounts, described below and listed in the same
order as they generally appear in appropriations laws. The Wildland Fire Management and
National Forest System accounts together receive nearly 80% of total FS discretionary
appropriations (see Figure 2). FS budget requests and Interior Appropriations Subcommittee
documents typically allocate monies at the account and subaccount levels, and in some cases,
among specific programs and activities. Allocations below the account level generally are not
addressed in this report.
The FS accounts are described briefly below:
Forest and Rangeland Research (FRR). The FRR account funds research and
development efforts to provide scientific information and new technologies to

1 For more information, see CRS Report R43872, National Forest System Management: Overview, Appropriations, and
Issues for Congress

2 For more information, CRS Report R43617, Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2015 Appropriations.
3 Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (P.L. 113-235). Additional information on the three
types of appropriations measures is contained in CRS Report R42388, The Congressional Appropriations Process: An
Introduction.

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Forest Service Appropriations: Five-Year Trends and FY2016 Budget Request

support sustainable forest and rangeland management. Over the last five years,
this account has averaged approximately 6% of FS discretionary appropriations.
State and Private Forestry (S&PF). The S&PF account funds programs to
provide financial and technical assistance to nonfederal forest owners and
managers, and to protect communities and the environment from insects,
diseases, and invasive plants. S&PF averages approximately 5% of FS
discretionary appropriations.4
National Forest System (NFS). NFS appropriations fund management of the 193
million acres of national forests and grasslands. This account includes several
subaccounts, the largest of which is the Forest Products subaccount, which
generally receives about 20% of the NFS appropriation, and funds the Timber
Sale program. The NFS account averaged approximately 30% of the FS
discretionary appropriations over the last five years.5
Capital Improvement and Maintenance (CI&M). CI&M activities help the FS
provide and maintain facilities, roads, trails, and other infrastructure needs. Over
the last five years, the CI&M account received approximately 8% of FS
discretionary appropriations.
Land Acquisition (LA). LA activities allow the FS to acquire lands for
conservation or ownership consolidation purposes. LA activities are funded
primarily through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. In total, LA received
approximately 1% of FS discretionary appropriations on average over the last
five years.
Wildland Fire Management (WFM) and FLAME Wildfire Suppression Reserve
Fund (FLAME). The WFM account funds activities related to the management of
unplanned and unwanted fires, including planning for and suppression of
wildfires. The FLAME account was established under the Federal Land
Assistance, Management, and Enhancement Act of 2009 for emergency wildfire
suppression activities.6 While FLAME is a separate account from WFM, for
purposes of this report, the two accounts are combined. Funding for wildland fire
management activities is sometimes provided outside of the regular Interior
appropriations bills when there is a need (e.g., a severe fire season). In this
report, these emergency or supplemental appropriations will be reflected in the
WFM account. Together, WFM and FLAME appropriations, along with
supplemental appropriations, averaged 50% of the FS discretionary appropriation
over the last five years.7
Other. In addition to the larger accounts listed above, there are several relatively
small accounts. They provide appropriations for the acquisition of land for

4 For more information, see CRS Report RL31065, Forestry Assistance Programs.
5 For more information on the National Forest System, see CRS Report R43872, National Forest System Management:
Overview, Appropriations, and Issues for Congress.

6 P.L. 111-88. The Federal Land Assistance, Management, and Enhancement Act (FLAME) also established a separate
account for the Department of the Interior (DOI) to fund wildfire management activities on DOI-managed federal
lands.
7 For information on Wildland Fire Management (WFM) and FLAME funding for the Forest Service (FS) and the DOI,
see CRS Report R43077, Wildfire Management: Federal Funding and Related Statistics.
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Forest Service Appropriations: Five-Year Trends and FY2016 Budget Request

national forest special acts; the acquisition of lands to complete land exchanges;
the range betterment fund; the agency to give or receive gifts, donations, and
bequests for research; and management of national forest lands for subsistence
uses. Together, these “other” accounts received less than 1% of FS discretionary
appropriations over the last five years.
The FS allocates the appropriations from these accounts among the nine FS regions, five research
stations, two service centers and laboratories, and the national headquarters office in Washington,
DC. For most accounts, once the funds have been allocated to the regions, the money is then
further allocated to each national forest. Some accounts, however, are managed at a national
level. For example, the wildfire suppression account is allocated based on need throughout the
wildfire season. This can make analyzing appropriations by region or by forest challenging.
Further, FS regions do not follow state boundaries, and many national forests cross state
boundaries, which can make analyzing FS appropriations by state challenging. This level of detail
is beyond the scope of this report.
Forest Service Mandatory Appropriations
The FS has over 20 permanent appropriations accounts and four trust funds that constitute
mandatory spending. Together, they account on average for about 13% of total agency
appropriations. Budget authority for these accounts is provided in authorizing laws.8 For several
of these accounts, the budget authority is dependent on the level of receipts received for specific
National Forest System activities, and some may even have geographic or programmatic
expenditure restrictions. For example, the Timber Sales Pipeline Restoration Fund9 authorizes the
FS to collect a portion of the revenue from a specific set of national forest timber sales. The
revenue is available in the FS region where it was generated for preparing future timber sales or
conducting recreation projects.
Another example of a permanent appropriation is the Payments to States fund, which consists of
several programs that are partially dependent on receipts. More specifically, the Payments to
States Act of 1908 authorizes the FS to make payments to states—to be distributed to counties—
based on a percentage of the revenue generated by activities in the national forests within those
counties. The Payments to States fund also consisted of payments authorized under the Secure
Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000,10 which were based on a formula
dependent in part on historical receipts. The authorization for the Secure Rural Schools Act
expired at the end of FY2013, and the last payments were issued in 2014.

8 Forest Service, FY2014 Budget Justification, April 2013, p. 15-1, http://www.fs.fed.us/aboutus/budget/2014/
FY2014ForestServiceBudgetJustificationFinal041613.pdf.
9 The Timber Sales Pipeline Restoration Fund was established by the Department of Interior and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-134 Title III §327, 110 Stat. 1321-206 and 207).
10 P.L. 106-393, as amended; 16 U.S.C. 7101 et seq. For more information, see CRS Report R41303, Reauthorizing the
Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000.

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Forest Service Appropriations: Five-Year Trends and FY2016 Budget Request

Appropriations Data and Analysis
Forest Service requested and enacted discretionary appropriations and mandatory appropriations
for the previous five years (FY2011-FY2015) are provided in several figures and tables.
Specifically,
Figure 1 and Table 1 provide Forest Service total discretionary and mandatory
appropriations in current and constant dollars;
Figure 2 shows enacted discretionary appropriations by WFM, NFS, and all
other FS accounts in current and constant dollars;
Figure 3 and Table 5 (at the end of the report) provide side-by-side comparisons
of Forest Service discretionary budget requests and discretionary appropriations;
Figure 4 shows the difference between requested and enacted discretionary
appropriations by WFM, NFS, and all other FS accounts;
Table 2 contains Forest Service discretionary budget requests, listed by account,
with five-year change in current and constant dollars; and
Table 3 contains enacted Forest Service discretionary appropriations, listed by
account, with five-year change in current and constant dollars.
In FY2015, total FS enacted appropriations (discretionary and mandatory) were $5.53 billion, 1%
higher than the FY2011 total appropriation of $5.45 billion (see Table 1 and Figure 1). This level
was, however, below the five-year average total appropriation of $5.69 billion. Over the five-year
period, total appropriations ranged from a low of $5.45 billion in FY2011 to a high of $6.23
billion in FY2014. After FY2011, total FS appropriations increased annually for three years until
decreasing in FY2015.11 When adjusted for inflation, total FS appropriations have decreased by
3% since FY2011. On average over the five-year period, FS mandatory spending constituted
about 13% of total FS appropriations, or about $691.1 million (see Table 1). In FY2015, FS
estimates its mandatory spending will be approximately $474.6 million, well below the average.12
The decrease is largely due to the expiration of the Secure Rural Schools payments.13
From FY2011 to FY2015, FS discretionary appropriations increased 7%, from $4.69 billion in
FY2011 to $5.06 billion in FY2015 (in current dollars; see Table 1, Table 3, and Figure 2).
Within the five-year period, however, appropriations have been variable. Appropriations
increased after FY2011 for three consecutive years until decreasing in FY2015. Over the five
years, FS discretionary appropriations have averaged $5.00 billion in current dollars, ranging
from a low of $4.69 billion in FY2011 to a peak of $5.48 billion in FY2014. All but two of the
accounts decreased over this period, although not equally. For example, CI&M appropriations
had the largest decline—25% since FY2011—whereas NFS appropriations decreased at a slower

11 Total agency spending increased in FY2013 over FY2012, despite the sequestration of budget authority as specified
by Section 302 of the Budget Control Act (P.L. 112-25, as amended by P.L. 112-240). See CRS Report R42972,
Sequestration as a Budget Enforcement Process: Frequently Asked Questions. FS sequestered budget authority was
offset by emergency supplemental funds for wildland fire management, although individual accounts were reduced as
specified.
12 Forest Service, FY2016 Budget Overview, http://www.fs.fed.us/aboutus/budget/.
13 For more information, see CRS Report R41303, Reauthorizing the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-
Determination Act of 2000.

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rate of 3% over that same time period. In contrast, WFM appropriations have increased by 28%.14
When adjusted for inflation to 2011 dollars, FS total discretionary appropriations have increased
by 3% since FY2011 (see Table 1, Table 3, and Figure 2).
In FY2015, the FS requested $5.71 billion in discretionary appropriations (see Table 2), 6% more
than the FY2011 request in current dollars. When adjusted to constant dollars, however, the
overall FS budget request was 1% more than the FY2011 request. Although total budget requests
appear to have kept pace with inflation, there are some variances at the account level.15 (See
“FY2016 Budget Request.”)
The distribution of FS discretionary appropriations among the WFM account, the NFS account,
and the total of the remaining accounts is provided in Figure 2. The WFM appropriation has a
five-year average of $2.52 billion in current dollars, ranging from a low of $2.06 billion in
FY2011 to a peak of $3.08 billion in FY2014. On average, the WFM account received 50% of the
total FS discretionary appropriation and accounted for 52% of FS discretionary appropriations in
FY2015. The next-largest account, NFS, received on average $1.51 billion, or 30% of the total FS
discretionary appropriation. The FY2013 NFS appropriation of $1.45 billion included post-
sequester reductions. The FY2015 appropriation of $1.49 billion (30% of FS discretionary
appropriations) is a slight decrease from the FY2014 appropriation of $1.50 billion.
Table 1. Forest Service Total Appropriations, FY2011-FY2015
(dollars in millions)
5-year
5-year
5-year
Average
Change
Change
Current
Current
Constant
Dollars
Dollars
2011 Dollars

FY2011 FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015
(% Change)
(% Change)
Discretionary 4,685.0 4,834.3 4,924.7 5,479.6 5,056.2 4,996.0 371.2
(7%) 124.8
(3%)
Mandatorya 761.9 820.7 762.5 635.7 474.6 691.1
-287.3
(-38%)
-310.4
(-41%)
TOTAL
5,446.9 5,654.9 5,687.2 6,115.4 5,530.8
5,687.0
83.9
(1%) -185.6
(-3%)
Source: Discretionary figures in this table were derived from detailed funding tables prepared by the House
Committee on Appropriations. Mandatory figures were derived from the annual Forest Service Budget
Justifications. Current dollars were adjusted to constant 2011 dollars using the gross domestic product (GDP)
price deflator published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis in National Income and Product Accounts Table
1.1.9. An index for 2013 also was used for the FY2014 and FY2015 constant dol ar computations, as neither a
2014 or 2015 index was available.
a. FY2015 mandatory appropriations are estimates and will be updated when final figures become available.
Forest Service, FY2016 Budget Overview, at http://www.fs.fed.us/aboutus/budget/.

14 Appropriations for land acquisition also increased from FY2011 to FY2015 by 44%. However, this trend appears
because the FY2011 appropriation for land acquisition ($32.9 million) was a significant decrease from the FY2010
appropriation ($63.5 million). The appropriation increased in subsequent years.
15 Current dollars were adjusted to constant 2013 dollars using the gross domestic product price deflator published by
the Bureau of Economic Analysis in National Income and Product Accounts Table 1.1.9, at http://www.bea.gov/iTable/
iTable.cfm?ReqID=9&step=1#reqid=9&step=3&isuri=1&903=13.
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Forest Service Appropriations: Five-Year Trends and FY2016 Budget Request

Figure 1. Forest Service Discretionary and Mandatory Appropriations,
FY2011-FY2015
(current and 2011 constant dollars, in billions)

Source: CRS. Data compiled from detailed funding tables prepared by the House Committee on
Appropriations.
Notes: Data shown in columns are presented in current dollars, whereas the line reflects total Forest Service
appropriations adjusted to 2011 constant dol ars. Current dol ars were adjusted to constant 2011 dollars using
the GDP price deflator published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis in National Income and Product Accounts
Table 1.1.9, available at http://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?ReqID=9&step=1#reqid=9&step=3&isuri=1&903=
13. An index for 2013 also was used for FY2014 and FY2015 constant dol ar computations, as neither a 2014 or
2015 index was available.
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Forest Service Appropriations: Five-Year Trends and FY2016 Budget Request

Figure 2. Enacted Discretionary Forest Service Appropriations, FY2011-FY2015
(current and constant dollars, in billions)

Source: CRS. Data compiled from detailed funding tables prepared by the House Committee on
Appropriations.
Notes: Data shown in columns are presented in current dollars, while the line reflects total Forest Service
discretionary appropriations adjusted to 2013 constant dol ars. Current dol ars were adjusted to constant 2011
dollars using the GDP price deflator published by the Bureau of Economic Analysis in National Income and
Product Accounts Table 1.1.9. An index for 2013 also was used for the FY2014 and FY2015 constant dol ar
computations, as neither a 2014 nor 2015 index was available. WFM data include regular and supplemental
appropriations to the WFM account as wel as appropriations to the FLAME reserve account.
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Forest Service Appropriations: Five-Year Trends and FY2016 Budget Request

Figure 3. Forest Service Requested and Enacted Discretionary Appropriations,
FY2011-FY2015
(current dollars in billions)

Source: CRS. Data compiled from detailed funding tables prepared by the House Committee on Appropriations
and annual Forest Service budget justifications.
Requested and Enacted Appropriations Comparisons
The difference between the Administration’s requested appropriations and the enacted
appropriations for a fiscal year likely reflects many factors, including differing Administration
and congressional priorities and budgetary directives. Differences also may be due to
supplemental appropriations enacted to address emergency wildfire suppression needs or to
account restructuring. Total enacted appropriations for the FS exceeded the amount requested in
FY2012, FY2013, and FY2014. However, in FY2011 and FY2015, enacted appropriations were
less than the amount the FS requested (see Table 5 and Figure 3). At the account level, however,
the trend was more variable (Figure 4). For example, the enacted appropriation was less than the
amount requested for the NFS account for all five years, and for all other FS accounts for four out
of the five years, but that trend was not observed for WFM. The varied differences between the
enacted and requested appropriations for WFM may be attributable to the enactment of
supplemental appropriations (e.g., $600 million in FY2014) or to account restructuring proposals
(e.g., in FY2015).
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Forest Service Appropriations: Five-Year Trends and FY2016 Budget Request

Figure 4. Difference Between Forest Service Requested and Enacted Discretionary
Appropriation, by Major Accounts, FY2011-FY2015
(dollars in millions)

Source: CRS.
Notes: When the column extends above the $0 horizontal axis, the enacted appropriation was greater than the
requested amount. When the column extends below the $0 horizontal axis, the enacted appropriation was less
than the requested amount. WFM data include regular and any type of supplemental appropriation to the WFM
account as wel as appropriations to the FLAME reserve account.
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Forest Service Appropriations: Five-Year Trends and FY2016 Budget Request

Table 2. Forest Service Requested Discretionary Appropriations, FY2011-FY2015,
by Account
(dollars in millions)
5-year
5-year
5-year
Average
Change
Change
Current
Current
Constant
Dollars
Dollars
2011 Dollarsa
Accounts
FY2011 FY2012 FY2013 FY2014 FY2015
(% Change)
(% Change)
FRR
304.4 295.8 292.8 310.2 275.3
295.7 -29.0
(-10%) -41.4
(-13%)
S&PF
321.6 341.6 250.7 240.0 229.5
576.7 -92.1
(-29%) -88.0
(-27%)
NFS
1,585.7 1,704.5 1,623.6 1,556.7 1,640.5
1,662.2
54.8
(3%)
52.3
(3%)
CI&M
438.4 337.9 334.4 310.8 288.3
342.0
-150.1
(-34%)
-143.4
(-24%)
LA
73.7 90.0 57.9 58.0 51.0
66.1
-22.7
(-31%)
-21.6
(-72%)
WFMb
2,645.4 1,830.9 2,286.4 2,361.7 3,219.1
2,468.7 1,146.8
(55%) 548.0
(20%)
Other
7.6 4.5 3.6 4.2 3.5
4,7
-4.0
(-53%)
-4.3
(-55%)
Total 5,376.6
4,605.2c
4,849.4
4,841.5
5,707.2
5,076.0
-385.2 (-7%)
52.5 (1%)
%
Wildfire
49.2% 37.1% 47.1% 48.8% 56.4%
48.6%
na
na
%
Non-Wildfire 50.8% 56.2% 52.9% 51.2% 43.6%
51.4%
na
na
Source: Information in this table is derived from detailed funding tables prepared by the House Committee on
Appropriations.
Notes: Figures in columns may not result in totals indicated due to rounding. Figures generally reflect the
Administration’s initial budget submissions to Congress and do not include any subsequent adjustments to the
request. The account abbreviations are: FRR=Forest and Rangeland Research; S&PF=State and Private Forestry;
NFS=National Forest System; CI&M=Capital Improvement and Maintenance; LA=Land Acquisition,
WFM=Wildland Fire Management and FLAME; Other = appropriations for the acquisition of land for national
forest special acts, appropriations for the acquisition of lands to complete land exchanges, appropriations to the
range betterment fund, appropriations for gifts, donations and bequests for research, and appropriations for the
management of national forest lands for subsistence uses.
a. Current dol ars were adjusted to constant 2011 dol ars using the GDP price deflator published by the
Bureau of Economic Analysis in National Income and Product Accounts Table 1.1.9, available at
http://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?ReqID=9&step=1#reqid=9&step=3&isuri=1&903=13. An index for
2013 was also used for FY2014 and FY2015 constant dol ar computations, as an index for either year was
not yet available.
b. For FY2011-FY2014, this figure includes the requested appropriations for the FS WFM account and FS
FLAME wildfire suppression reserve account. In FY2015, FS proposed a new funding mechanism for wildfire
suppression activities, which included eliminating the FLAME reserve account. Therefore, FS did not request
an appropriation to the FLAME reserve account in FY2015. However, FS requested up to $954.0 mil ion to
be available in FY2015 upon request for emergency suppression operations, which is included here in
addition to the $2.27 billion requested for the WFM account. This is discussed in more detail in the
“FY2016 Budget Request” section. For total WFM and FLAME appropriations, including DOI appropriations,
see CRS Report R43077, Wildfire Management: Federal Funding and Related Statisticshttp://www.crs.gov/pages/
Reports.aspx?PRODCODE=R43077.
c. This total does not include $328.0 million requested for the Payments to Communities program as a new
proposed discretionary account, which was reauthorized as mandatory spending. Including the $328.0
million, the total requested amount was $4,933.2 million. For more information on the program, see CRS
Report R41303, Reauthorizing the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000.
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Table 3. Forest Service Enacted Discretionary Appropriations, by Account,
FY2011-FY2015
(dollars in millions)
5-year
5-year
5-year
Average
Change
Change
Current
Current
Constant
Dollars
Dollars
2011 Dollarsb
Accounts FY2011
FY2012
FY2013a FY2014 FY2015
(% Change)
(% Change)
FRR
306.6
295.3
279.9
292.8
296.0
294.1
-10.6 (-3%)
-25.1 (-8%)
S&PF
277.6
252.9
239.7
230.0
232.7
246.6
-44.9(-16%)
-56.3 (-20%)
NFS
1,542.2
1,554.1
1,455.3
1,496.3
1,494.3
1,508.5
-47.9 (-3%)
-120.7 (-8%)
CI&M 459.6
382.1
346.5c
333.0
343.4
372.9
-116.3 (-25%)
-133.0 (-29%)
LA
32.9
52.5
49.8
43.5
47.5
45.3
14.6 (44%)
12.3 (37%)
WFMd
2,058.5
2,290.2
2,547.8
3,077.3
2,636.4
2,522.0
577.9 (28%)
449.4 (22%)
Other
7.5
7.1
5.8
6.7
6.0
6.6
-1.5 (-20%)
-1.8 (-24%)
Total
4,685.0
4,834.3
4,924.7
5,479.6
5,056.2
4,996.0
371.2 (7%)
124.8 (3%)
% Wildfire
44%
45%
52%
56%
52%
50%
na
na
% Non-Wildfire
56%
55%
48%
44%
48%
50%
na
na
Source: Information in this table is derived from detailed funding tables prepared by the House Committee on
Appropriations.
Notes: Figures in columns may not result in totals indicated due to rounding. Figures generally reflect
supplemental appropriations and rescissions, but do not reflect scorekeeping adjustments. The account
abbreviations are: FRR=Forest and Rangeland Research; S&PF=State and Private Forestry; NFS=National Forest
System; CI&M=Capital Improvement and Maintenance; LA=Land Acquisition, WFM=Wildland Fire Management;
Other = appropriations for the acquisition of land for national forest special acts, appropriations for the
acquisition of lands to complete land exchanges, appropriations to the range betterment fund, appropriations for
gifts, donations and bequests for research, and appropriations for the management of national forest lands for
subsistence uses.
a. FY2013 enacted figures reflect post-sequester appropriations.
b. Current dol ars were adjusted to constant 2011 dol ars using the GDP price deflator published by the
Bureau of Economic Analysis in National Income and Product Accounts Table 1.1.9, available at
http://www.bea.gov/iTable/iTable.cfm?ReqID=9&step=1#reqid=9&step=3&isuri=1&903=13. An index for
2013 was also used for FY2014 and FY2015 constant dol ar computations, as an index for either year was
not yet available.
c. This figure includes $4.2 million for CI&M enacted by P.L. 113-2, Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013,
which was not reflected in the detailed funding tables.
d. This includes FS WFM appropriations and FS FLAME wildfire suppression reserve fund account. For total
WFM appropriations, including DOI, see CRS Report R43077, Wildfire Management: Federal Funding and
Related Statistics
.
FY2016 Budget Request
For FY2016, the Administration is requesting $5.80 billion in discretionary appropriations for the
FS (see Table 4). The FY2016 request is $90.2 million above the FY2015 request and $741.1
million above the FY2015 enacted discretionary appropriation.
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Forest Service Appropriations: Five-Year Trends and FY2016 Budget Request

In FY2015 and again in FY2016, FS proposed a new funding mechanism for wildfire suppression
activities, which included eliminating the FLAME reserve account. Therefore, FS did not request
an appropriation to the FLAME reserve account either year. For FY2016, FS is requesting $2.35
billion for WFM. In addition, it is requesting up to $854.6 million to be available in FY2016 upon
request for emergency suppression operations (for a total of $3.21 billion). As part of the
proposal, any funds for emergency suppression operations up to the maximum $854.6 million
would be provided as an adjustment to the statutory discretionary limits established in the
Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.16 Similar legislative proposals
have been introduced in the 114th Congress (H.R. 167 and S. 235).
Table 4. FY2016 Budget Request
(dollars in millions)
Accounts FY2016

FRR 292.0
S&PF 236.6
NFS 1,648.3
CI&M 341.9
LA 65.2
WFMa 3,208.6
Other 4.8
Total
5,797.4
% Wildfire
55%
% Non-Wildfire
44%
Source: Forest Service, FY2016 Budget Justification, http://www.fs.fed.us/aboutus/budget/.
a. The figure in the table reflects the WFM request plus the requested adjustment. For information on the
proposal, see Forest Service, FY2016 Budget Justification, p. 251, http://www.fs.fed.us/about-agency/budget-
performance.
Conclusion
In terms of overall agency funding, FS appropriations decreased in FY2015 after increasing three
years in a row. However, emergency or supplemental funds provided for wildfire management
(e.g., suppression) are responsible for much of the observed differences, particularly in FY2014,
when the FS received an additional $600 million appropriation for wildland fire management.17
Funding for many of the other FS accounts has decreased. Further, funding for wildfire
management activities is accounting for an increasing percentage of agency appropriations. This
may raise questions about the amount of resources necessary to adequately address wildland fire
management issues or about the extent to which wildfire management activities direct agency
resources—financial and otherwise—away from other FS statutory obligations.

16 P.L. 99-177, Title II, 2 U.S.C. 900-922, as amended by the Budget Control Act of 2011. More information on the
proposal is available as a CRS congressional distribution memorandum upon request.
17 Continuing Appropriations Act, 2014 (P.L. 113-46).
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Table 5. Forest Service Requested and Enacted Discretionary Appropriations, FY2011-2015, by Account
(dollars in millions)
Accounts FY2011
FY2012
FY2013a
FY2014
FY2015

Requested
Enacted
Requested
Enacted
Requested
Enacted
Requested
Enacted
Requested
Enacted
FRR 304.4 306.6 295.8 295.3 292.8 279.9 310.2 292.8 275.3 296.0
S&PF 321.6 277.6 341.6 252.9 250.7 239.7 240.0 230.0 229.5 232.7
NFS 1,585.7 1,542.2 1,704.5 1,554.1 1,623.6 1,455.3 1,556.7 1,496.3 1,640.5 1,494.3
CI&M 438.4 459.6 337.9 382.1 334.4 346.5b 310.8 333.0 288.3 343.4
LA 73.7 32.9 90.0 52.5 57.9 49.8 58.0 43.5 51.0 47.5
WFMc 2,645.4 2,058.5 1,830.9 2,050.2 2,286.4 2,547.7 2,361.7 3,077.3 3,219.1 2,636.4
Other 7.6 7.5 4.5 7.1 3.6 5.8 4.2 6.7 3.5 6.0
Total
5,376.6 4,685.0 4,605.2d 4,594.3 4,849.4 4,924.7 4,841.5 5,479.6 5,707.2 5,056.2
Difference
-691.6
-11.0

75.3
-651.0
Source: Information in this table is derived from detailed funding tables prepared by the House Committee on Appropriations.
Notes: The difference was calculated by subtracting the requested from the enacted appropriation. Figures in columns may not result in totals indicated due to rounding.
Figures generally reflect supplemental appropriations and rescissions, but do not reflect scorekeeping adjustments. The account abbreviations are: FRR=Forest and
Rangeland Research; S&PF=State and Private Forestry; NFS=National Forest System; CI&M=Capital Improvement and Maintenance; LA=Land Acquisition,
WFM=Wildland Fire Management; Other = appropriations for the acquisition of land for National Forest Special Acts, appropriations for the acquisition of lands to
complete land exchanges, appropriations to the range betterment fund, appropriations for gifts, donations and bequests for research, and appropriations for the
management of national forest lands for subsistence uses.
a. FY2013 enacted figures reflect post-sequester appropriations.
b. This figure includes $4.2 million for CI&M enacted by P.L. 113-2, Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2013, which was not reflected in the detailed funding tables.
c. This includes FS WFM appropriations; emergency, supplemental, or additional appropriations enacted for wildland fire management purposes; and appropriations for
the FS FLAME wildfire suppression reserve fund account. For total WFM appropriations, including DOI, see CRS Report R43077, Wildfire Management: Federal
Funding and Related Statistics
.
d. This total does not include $328.0 million requested for the Payments to Communities program as a new proposed discretionary account, which was reauthorized
as mandatory spending. Including the $328.0 million, the total requested amount was $4,933.2 million, and the difference between the enacted and requested
appropriation was $339.0 million.
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Forest Service Appropriations: Five-Year Trends and FY2016 Budget Request


Author Contact Information

Katie Hoover

Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
khoover@crs.loc.gov, 7-9008


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