Forest Service: FY2016 Discretionary Appropriations

Forest Service: FY2016 Discretionary Appropriations

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March 2, 2016
Forest Service: FY2016 Discretionary Appropriations
The Forest Service (FS) is responsible for managing 193
substantially more funding in FY2016, an increase of nearly
million acres of land in the National Forest System (NFS),
$400.0 million from the average appropriation since
conducting forestry research, and providing assistance to
FY2010. Most of the increase in the WFM account in
state, local, private, and international forest owners. FS is
FY2016 can be attributed to the $700.0 million provided as
an agency within the Department of Agriculture, yet it
emergency funding.
receives discretionary appropriations through the Interior,
Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill.
The next-largest amount—24% of the total—went to the
NFS account, which funds activities related to the
For FY2016, total FS discretionary appropriations were
management of the national forests and grasslands. The
$6.364 billion. This total includes $5.664 billion provided
largest program within the NFS account, Forest Products,
in P.L. 114-113 (FY2016 omnibus law) and $0.700 billion
funds timber sale planning and implementation and
provided in P.L. 114-53 (FY2016 continuing resolution)
received $359.8 million in FY2016.
and designated as emergency funding. In total, the FY2016
discretionary appropriations were 25.9% higher than the
Figure 1. Share of Total FS FY2016 Appropriations
FY2015 appropriations of $5.056 billion. For FY2017, FS
has requested $5.757 billion, 10% less than the FY2016
enacted appropriations. Much of the fluctuation in FS
appropriations can be attributed to costs associated with
wildland fire management.
FS Discretionary Appropriations
FS discretionary appropriations were in seven main
accounts for FY2016 (see Table 1 and Figure 1). The
largest share—a combined 61%—went to two accounts: the
Wildland Fire Management (WFM) and FLAME Wildfire
Suppression Reserve Fund accounts. The WFM account
funds activities related to the management of unplanned and
unwanted fires, including planning for and suppression of

Source: P.L. 114-53.
wildfires. The FLAME account funds emergency wildfire
suppression activities. The FLAME account received
Notes: See Table 1 for account abbreviations.
Table 1. Forest Service (FS) Discretionary Appropriations by Account
Account
FY2015 Enacted
FY2016 Enacted
% Change
FY2017 Request
($ in millions)
($ in millions)
from FY2015
($ in millions)
Forest and Rangeland Research (FRR)
$296.0
$291.0
-1.7%
$292.0
State and Private Forestry (SPF)
232.7
237.0
1.9%
234.0
National Forest Management (NFS)
1,494.3
1,509.4
1.0%
1,501.0
Capital Improvement & Maintenance (CIM)
343.4
348.2
1.4%
343.3
Land Acquisition (LA)a
48.7
64.6
32.7%
66.8
Wildland Fire Management (WFM)b
2,333.3
3,086.3
32.3%
3,315.5
FLAME
303.1
823.0
171.6%
0
Otherc
4.9
4.9
0.0%
4.8
Total
5,056.2
6,364.3
25.9%
5,757.4
Source: House Appropriations Committee detailed funding tables for FS; P.L. 114-133 Division G, Explanatory Statement, Congressional Record,
December 17, 2015, p. H10221; FS FY2017 Budget Justification.
a. This figure includes appropriations to the LA account and appropriations to two smaller accounts for related land acquisition activities:
appropriations for special act land acquisitions and to complete land exchanges.
b. This figure includes supplemental or emergency funds provided outside of discretionary spending limits, such as the $700 million
designated as emergency funding for wildfire suppression in P.L. 114-53 and the $864.1 million FS is requesting in FY2017.
c. In addition to the larger accounts listed, FS receives appropriations to several relatively small accounts, such as appropriations for the
range betterment fund; gifts, donations, and bequests for research; and management of national forest lands for subsistence uses.
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Forest Service: FY2016 Discretionary Appropriations
The remaining accounts all received 5% or less of the total
Wildland Fire Management Funding
appropriations:
The cost of wildland fire management—for both FS and the
Department of the Interior—continues to be a concern for
 The Forest and Rangeland Research (FRR) account
Congress. Wildfire spending has tripled since the 1990s,
received 5% of the total appropriations. It funds research
increasing from $1.6 billion combined in FY1994 to $4.9
and development efforts to provide scientific
billion in FY2016 ($3.9 billion for FS alone). A significant
information and new technologies to support sustainable
portion of that increase is related to rising suppression
forest and rangeland management.
costs, even during years of relatively mild wildfire activity,
although the costs vary annually and are difficult to predict
 The Capital Improvement and Maintenance (CI&M)
in advance.
account also received 5% of the total. It funds FS efforts
to provide and maintain facilities, roads, trails, and other
If the suppression funding in both the WFM and FLAME
infrastructure needs.
accounts is exhausted during any given fiscal year, FS is
authorized to transfer funds from other accounts to pay for
 The State and Private Forestry (S&PF) account received
suppression activities, called fire transfers. Since FY2010,
4% of the total appropriations. It funds programs to
there have been three years in which FS has required more
provide assistance to nonfederal forest owners and to
suppression funds than were appropriated for that purpose,
protect forests from insects, diseases, and invasive
leading FS to transfer funds from other accounts and
plants. Included in this account is the Forest Legacy
prompting concerns that the increasing suppression
Program, a cost-share grant program that receives
spending may be coming at the expense of other agency
appropriations from the Land and Water Conservation
programs.
Fund (LWCF; 54 U.S.C. §§200301 et seq.).
Congress has enacted supplemental appropriations to repay
 The Land Acquisition (LA) account received 1% of the
the transferred funds or to replenish the agency’s
total, which includes funds derived from the LWCF as
suppression accounts, most recently in P.L. 114-53, to
well as two smaller appropriations accounts, and allows
repay $700.0 million borrowed during the 2015 wildfire
FS to acquire lands for conservation or ownership
season. The $700.0 million was designated as emergency
consolidation purposes.
funds, not subject to the statutory and procedural limits on
discretionary spending, although Congress has not always
FY2017 Budget Request
waived those controls for supplemental wildfire spending.
The Administration requests $5.757 billion in discretionary
This has prompted some to explore options to provide
appropriations for FS in FY2017. This request is $40.0
certain wildfire funding outside of those constraints.
million below the FY2016 request and $606.9 million
below the FY2016 enacted discretionary appropriations.
The 114th Congress is considering options to address
wildfire suppression spending issues, which include
The FY2017 request continues a proposal to establish a new

funding mechanism for wildfire suppression activities,
what level to appropriate for suppression activities;
which includes eliminating the FLAME reserve account.
 how to provide for unpredictable costs quickly;
Therefore, FS did not request appropriations to the FLAME
 where the funding should come from; and
reserve account. For FY2017, FS is requesting $2.451
 whether suppression funding should be subject to or
billion for WFM and up to $864.1 million to be available
outside of discretionary spending limits.
upon request for emergency suppression operations (for a
total of $3.315 billion). As part of the proposal, the $864.1
Four bills—S. 235, H.R. 167, S. 508, and H.R. 2647—have
million for emergency suppression operations would be
been introduced to address these issues.
provided outside of statutory and procedural constraints on
discretionary spending. Similar legislative proposals have
For More Information/CRS Reports
been introduced in the 114th Congress (H.R. 167 and S.
CRS Report R43417, Forest Service Appropriations: Five-
235).
Year Data and Trends and FY2017 Budget Request
Issues in FS Appropriations
CRS Report R44082, Wildfire Spending: Background,
FS discretionary appropriations increased in FY2016,
Issues, and Legislation in the 114th Congress
although funds provided for wildfire management
(supplemental and regular appropriations) are responsible
CRS Report R43872, National Forest System Management:
for much of the observed differences. Funding for wildfire
Overview, Appropriations, and Issues for Congress
management activities accounts for an increasing
percentage of agency appropriations, which may raise
CRS Report R44061, Interior, Environment, and Related
questions about the amount of funding necessary to
Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations
adequately address wildland fire management issues or
about the extent to which wildfire management activities
Katie Hoover, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
direct agency resources—financial and otherwise—away
from other FS statutory obligations.
IF10370

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Forest Service: FY2016 Discretionary Appropriations

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