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June 22, 2022
Forest Service: FY2023 Appropriations
The Forest Service (FS) is responsible for managing 193
various sources and purposes, including land acquisition
million acres of land in the National Forest System (NFS);
funding under the Land and Water Conservation Fund
conducting forestry research; and providing assistance to
(LWCF; 54 U.S.C. §200301). The LWCF funding was
state, local, private, and international forest owners. FS is
discretionary through FY2020 but was made mandatory
an agency within the Department of Agriculture, but it
beginning in FY2021 in the Great American Outdoors Act
receives discretionary appropriations through the Interior,
(GAOA; P.L. 116-152). FS estimates $218.2 million in
Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill.
mandatory funding from LWCF for FY2023. GAOA also
authorized a transfer of mandatory appropriations from the
Congress appropriated $10.847 billion in total FY2022
National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund
discretionary appropriations for FS (see Table 1 and Figure
(LRF) to FS. FS estimates $285.0 million in mandatory
1), reflecting regular-enacted funding of $5.700 billion,
funding from the LRF for FY2023. For more information,
$2.120 billion provided pursuant to the wildfire adjustment,
see CRS In Focus IF11636, The Great American Outdoors
and $3.026 billion in emergency supplemental
Act (P.L. 116-152).
appropriations. For more information, see CRS In Focus
IF11974, Forest Service: FY2022 Appropriations.
Supplemental Appropriations
P.L. 117-43 contained $1.360 billion in emergency-
FY2023 Appropriations
designated supplemental funding for FY2022 for FS for
disaster relief. In addition, the Infrastructure Investment and
Budget Request
Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58, Division J, Title VI) provided
The Biden Administration requested $8.951 billion in total
FS with $5.447 billion in emergency-designated
FY2023 discretionary appropriations for FS (see Table 1).
supplemental appropriations in total from FY2022 through
Not including supplemental appropriations, this amount
FY2026. For FY2022, IIJA provided $1.666 billion to
would be an increase of $1.131 billion (14%) from FY2022
several FS accounts for ecosystem restoration and wildfire
enacted appropriations.
risk reduction purposes. For FY2023 and each fiscal year
thereafter, IIJA provides for $945.2 million in supplemental
FS also estimated $1.249 billion in mandatory
appropriations (see Table 1). The FY2023 spending plan
appropriations and transfers for FS for FY2023, the same
for these funds is available as an appendix to FS’s FY2023
amount as estimated for FY2022. These mandatory
Budget Justification.
appropriations and transfers are derived from and used for
Table 1. Forest Service (FS) Discretionary Appropriations, by Account ($ in millions)
FY2022
FY2023
Account
Reg.
Suppl.
Total Enacted
Request
Suppl. Enacted
Wildland Fire Management (WFM)
$2,005.1
$552.2
$2,557.3
$2,678.7
$36.0
Wildfire Adjustment
2,120.0
—
2,120.0
2,210.0
—
Total WFM and Wildfire Adjustment
4,125.1
552.2
4,677.3
4,888.7
36.0
National Forest System (NFS)
1,866.5
1,444.8
3,311.3
2,180.9
529.8
Forest Service Operations (FSO)
1,069.1
105.0
1,174.1
1,112.7
—
Forest and Rangeland Research (FRR)
296.6
27.0
323.6
317.8
2.0
State and Private Forestry (SPF)
315.2
355.4
670.6
307.0
305.4
Capital Improvement & Maintenance (CIM)
144.0
542.0
686.0
140.4
72.0
Other
3.7
—
3.7
3.7
—
Total, Without Wildfire Adjustment
5,700.3
3,026.4
8,726.6
6,741.0
945.2
Total, with Wildfire Adjustment
7,820.3
—
10,846.6
8,951.0
—
Source: CRS, with information from the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations, P.L. 117-103, P.L. 117-43, and P.L. 117-58.
Notes: Reg. reflects appropriations provided in P.L. 117-103. Suppl. reflects supplemental appropriations provided in P.L. 117-43 (FY2022 only)
and P.L. 117-58 (FY2022 and FY2023). Figures reflect rescissions, cancellations, and deferrals. Column totals may not add due to rounding.
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Forest Service: FY2023 Appropriations
Forest Service Appropriation Accounts
trails, and other infrastructure needs across the NFS. It
FS has several discretionary appropriations accounts,
includes funding to address a backlog of deferred
discussed below in order of decreasing requested funding.
maintenance (DM). Starting in FY2021, FS receives
additional funding to address DM through mandatory
Wildland Fire Management
transfers from the LRF.
The largest share of FS appropriations generally goes to the
Wildland Fire Management (WFM) account. In addition to
Other
salaries and expenses, the WFM appropriation funds two
“Other” includes several smaller appropriations accounts
programs: preparedness and suppression. Appropriations
for the Range Betterment Fund; gifts, donations, and
for preparedness are used to support efforts that assist with
bequests for research; management of national forest lands
fire prevention and detection, equipment, and training.
for subsistence uses; and administration of communication
Appropriations for suppression are used primarily for
site authorizations. This category also includes funding to
wildfire response, which includes aviation asset operations,
complete land acquisitions and exchanges as authorized by
incident support functions, and resources for postfire
specified laws, referred to as special acts.
analysis and recovery.
Issues for Congress
Wildfire Adjustment/Wildfire Funding Fix
For FY2023, issues for Congress included determining the
Starting in FY2020, additional funds for suppression
amount of funding to provide FS accounts and activities
operations are available to FS (and the Department of the
and the terms and conditions of such funding, as well as
Interior) pursuant to the wildfire adjustment, a budgetary
whether to enact related Biden Administration proposals.
mechanism established in P.L. 115-141 (Division O,
§102(a)), commonly referred to as the wildfire funding fix.
Total Funding
This mechanism allows Congress to provide additional
FS’s discretionary funding fluctuates annually but increased
funding above a specified baseline for wildfire suppression
substantially in FY2022 to its highest level to date. (See
through an adjustment to the limit on total discretionary
Figure 1 for FS discretionary appropriations over the
spending. The baseline is the 10-year suppression
previous 25 years.) This increased funding level may enable
obligation average, as reported in FY2015 ($1.011 billion
FS to pursue many agency objectives, such as increasing
for FS). The maximum amount available pursuant to the
the pace and scale of forest restoration activities. However,
adjustment is $2.210 billion for FS in FY2023 and will
it may take several years for FS to demonstrate whether the
increase annually as specified in statute. The wildfire
funding is resulting in any measurable outcomes. This is in
adjustment is available annually through FY2027.
part due to the slow pace of forest management activities
generally but also may be attributable to other factors.
National Forest System
The NFS account funds activities related to the
Figure 1. FS Discretionary Appropriations,
management of national forests and grasslands. These
FY1998-FY2022
activities include planning, recreation, grazing, timber
production, watershed protection, wildlife management, and
law enforcement, among others.
Forest Service Operations
The Forest Service Operations (FSO) account funds certain
fixed costs and administrative expenses related to facilities
maintenance and leasing, information technology, and other
agency-wide organizational services. This account was
established in FY2021.
Forest and Rangeland Research
The Forest and Rangeland Research (FRR) account funds
Source: CRS.
research and development efforts to provide scientific
Notes: Figures are adjusted to constant FY2022 dol ars using the
information and new technologies to support sustainable
Office of Management and Budget’s GDP Chained Price Index.
forest and rangeland management. FRR funds the Forest
Inventory and Analysis program, which is a continuous
Budgetary Changes
census of U.S. forest resources.
FS’s budgetary structure has changed significantly since
FY2020, and these budgetary changes have altered how FS
State and Private Forestry
funding is provided and reported. These changes may
The State and Private Forestry (SPF) account funds
improve congressional oversight moving forward but may
programs that provide assistance to nonfederal forest
make examining funding trends over time at the account or
owners. Several of these programs are implemented through
program level more challenging. For FY2023, FS is
state forestry agencies.
requesting additional changes, including moving funding
for the Hazardous Fuels program from the NFS account
Capital Improvement and Maintenance
back to the WFM account.
The Capital Improvement and Maintenance (CIM) account
Katie Hoover, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
funds FS efforts to provide and maintain facilities, roads,
IF12141
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Forest Service: FY2023 Appropriations
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12141 · VERSION 1 · NEW