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November 18, 2021
Funding for Wildfire Management: FY2022 Appropriations for
Forest Service and the Department of the Interior
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service (FS)
Figure 1. FS and DOI Wildfire Appropriations,
and the Department of the Interior (DOI) are responsible for
FY1994-FY2021
wildfire response and management across the federal lands
within their respective jurisdictions. Both FS and DOI
generally receive annual discretionary appropriations for
wildfire management activities through Interior,
Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations laws.
Wildfire management funding for DOI is provided to the
department-level Office of Wildland Fire. Wildfire
management appropriations fluctuate annually but rose
markedly after FY2000 (see Figure 1). For historical
funding, see CRS Report R46583, Federal Wildfire
Management: Ten-Year Funding Trends and Issues
Source: CRS.
(FY2011-FY2020).
Notes: DOI = Department of the Interior; FS = Forest Service.
FY2022 Budget Request
Figures are adjusted to constant dol ars using the Office of
Management and Budget’s GDP Chained Price Index.
The Biden Administration requested a total of $6.072
billion in FY2022 discretionary appropriations for wildfire
Wildfire Accounts and Activities
purposes for FS and DOI (see Table 1), which would be a
FS and DOI each have a WFM account. Prior to FY2021,
$529.2 million (10%) increase from FY2021 enacted
funding for wildfire management generally fell into the
appropriations. The request included $3.208 billion in the
agencies’ Wildland Fire Management (WFM) accounts,
following categories: preparedness, suppression, fuel
reduction, and other wildfire activities (e.g., site
$2.450 billion pursuant to the wildfire adjustment
rehabilitation, assistance programs, research, facilities
(discussed later), and $413.8 million to other FS accounts
for wildfire purposes.
maintenance). Starting in FY2021, however, FS funds the
salaries and expenses related to these activities as a separate
FY2022 Legislative Activity
budget line item in its WFM account. FS also receives
On July 29, 2021, the House passed H.R. 4502, an omnibus
appropriations for fuel reduction and other wildfire
purposes through other agency appropriations accounts.
appropriations measure with funding in Division E for
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. The House-
passed measure would provide $6.080 billion combined for
Starting in FY2020, FS and DOI receive additional funding
for suppression through the wildfire adjustment (2 U.S.C.
FS and DOI wildfire purposes for FY2022. On October 18,
§901(b)(2)(F), also known as the wildfire funding fix), a
2021, the Senate Appropriations Committee released a
majority draft bill containing $6.128 in FY2022
budgetary mechanism that allows for an upward adjustment
of the discretionary spending limits to accommodate a
appropriations for FS and DOI wildfire purposes (later
specific amount of additional funding for suppression.
introduced as S. 3034). See Table 1 for House and Senate
funding levels.
These additional funds essentially are exempt from the
spending limits. A precondition for using the adjustment is
that Congress must appropriate a baseline amount of
Regular FY2022 appropriations were not enacted by the
start of the fiscal year. A continuing resolution (CR)
funding within the limits. The baseline is equal to the 10-
year suppression obligation average as reported in FY2015
provided funding at the FY2021 levels through December
3, 2021 (P.L. 117-43, Division A).
($1.011 billion for FS and $383.7 million for DOI). In
FY2021, Congress appropriated the baseline suppression
funds to the agencies’ respective WFM accounts and
To date, Congress has provided $1.681 billion in FY2022
appropriated the funds provided through the wildfire
supplemental appropriations to DOI and FS for wildfire
purposes through two laws: $450.0 million in Division B of
adjustment to a separate account. The wildfire adjustment is
available annually through FY2027, and the maximum
the CR (P.L. 117-43) and $1.231 billion in the
amount available under the adjustment increases annually.
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58).
It is possible that more of the supplemental funds provided
in both laws have been or will be allocated to fire purposes.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Funding for Wildfire Management: FY2022 Appropriations for Forest Service and the Department of the Interior
Table 1. FS and DOI Discretionary Wildfire Appropriations ($ in millions)
FY2022
Account
FY2021
Requested
H.R. 4502
S. Comm. Maj. Draft
Enacted Suppl.
FS, Total
$4,240.1
$4,631.4
$4,637.0
$4,672.6
$1,173.6
WFM, Total
1,927.2
2,097.6
2,098.6
2,097.6
552.2
WFM Salaries and Expenses
764.2
894.6
894.6
894.6
—
WFM Preparedness
152.0
192.0
192.0
192.0
—
WFM Suppression
1,011.0
1,011.0
1,011.0
1,011.0
—
WFM Unallocated
—
—
1.0
—
552.2
Wildfire Adjustment
2,040.0
2,120.0
2,120.0
2,120.0
—
NFS Hazardous Fuels
180.4
321.4
323.4
360.0
277.8
SPF Cooperative Fire Assistance
92.4
92.4
95.0
95.0
121.6
Other
—
—
—
—
222.0
DOI, Total
$1,302.6
$1,440.4
$1,443.1
$1,455.4
$507.6
WFM, Total
992.6
1,110.4
1,113.1
1,125.4
507.6
WFM Preparedness
347.1
355.5
355.5
370.5
—
WFM Suppression
383.7
383.7
383.7
383.7
—
WFM Fuels Management
220.0
304.3
304.0
304.3
90.6
WFM Other
41.9
66.9
66.9
66.9
90.0
WFM Unallocated
—
—
3.0
—
327.0
Wildfire Adjustment
310.0
330.0
330.0
330.0
—
Total, FS and DOI
$5,542.7
$6,071.9
$6,080.1
$6,128.0
$1,681.2
Sources: CRS, with information from the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, P.L. 116-260, P.L. 117-43, and P.L. 117-58.
Notes: FS = Forest Service; DOI = Department of the Interior; WFM = Wildland Fire Management; NFS = National Forest System; SPF =
State and Private Forestry. S. Comm. Maj. Draft refers to the Senate Committee majority draft bil (dated October 15, 2021) and explanatory
statement posted on the website of the Senate Committee on Appropriations. Enacted Suppl. reflects supplemental appropriations provided in
P.L. 117-43 and P.L. 117-58; figures are not final and may change. Column totals may not add due to rounding.
Preparedness
Federal fuel reduction funding may be used for projects (or
Preparedness includes the range of tasks necessary to
treatments) on federal lands, to provide assistance for
ensure readiness for wildfire response. Prior to FY2021, FS
projects on nonfederal lands, or to otherwise accelerate and
and DOI both used preparedness funds to maintain baseline
incentivize fuel removal from federal lands. Fuel reduction
personnel and provide training and education; manage
activities are funded within DOI’s Fuels Management
infrastructure, equipment, and resources (e.g., aviation
activity (WFM account) and FS’s Hazardous Fuels activity
assets, engines, communication equipment); develop,
(National Forest System account). FS and DOI also receive
maintain, and advance technological tools to enhance
funding through other accounts and programs that may be
decisionmaking capacity; and prepare and execute fire
used for activities related to fuel reduction; thus, funding
management plans, cooperative agreements, and
provided to each agency’s respective Fuels program does
interagency coordination. Starting in FY2021, however,
not comprehensively reflect the funding available for these
many of these activities for FS are covered in the salaries
activities.
and expenses WFM budget line item.
Other Wildfire Activities
Suppression
FS and DOI receive appropriations for several other
Suppression is the work associated with extinguishing or
wildfire-related activities. For DOI, funding is provided
confining a fire. Suppression appropriations are used
within the WFM account for postfire rehabilitation, wildfire
primarily for wildfire response, including funding aviation
science and research, and facilities maintenance. For FS,
asset operations, conducting other support functions in
appropriations are provided for wildfire assistance
direct support of wildfire incidents, and funding postfire
programs through its State and Private Forestry account.
emergency stabilization activities. Baseline suppression
Wildfire assistance programs support state wildfire
funding is provided to FS’s and DOI’s respective WFM
management programs and volunteer fire departments in
accounts, and funds provided pursuant to the wildfire
rural communities. FS funding for wildfire science and
adjustment are appropriated to separate accounts for FS and
long-term postfire rehabilitation activities may be derived
DOI (and then transferred to the WFM account as needed).
from several FS accounts and programs.
Fuel Reduction
Katie Hoover, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
Fuel reduction is the manipulation or removal of wildland
IF11978
fuels (e.g., vegetation) to reduce potential wildfire risk.
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Funding for Wildfire Management: FY2022 Appropriations for Forest Service and the Department of the Interior
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