Forest Service: FY2018 Appropriations and FY2019 Request

Forest Service: FY2018 Appropriations and FY2019 Request

link to page 1 link to page 1 link to page 1 link to page 1 link to page 1

May 31, 2018
Forest Service: FY2018 Appropriations and FY2019 Request
The Forest Service (FS) is responsible for managing 193
specified circumstances. The FY2018 WFM and FLAME
million acres of land in the National Forest System (NFS);
appropriations are $231.4 million above the FY2017 levels
conducting forestry research; and providing assistance to
($3.175 billion combined). This includes a combined
state, local, private, and international forest owners. FS is
$526.5 million ($184.5 million for WFM and $342.0
an agency within the Department of Agriculture, yet it
million for FLAME) provided as emergency-designated
generally receives discretionary appropriations through the
supplemental funding to repay funds transferred from other
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations
FS accounts in FY2017. No other funds were appropriated
bill.
to the FLAME account in FY2018. One program was not
For FY2018, total FS discretionary appropriations were
funded in FY2018 (National Fire Plan).Three programs
$6.581 billion. This figure includes $5.934 billion in regular
were moved from WFM to other accounts: Hazardous Fuels
appropriations provided in the FY2018 Consolidated
was funded in the National Forest System (NFS) account,
Appropriations Act (P.L. 115-141) and $646.3 million in
and State Fire Assistance (SFA) and Volunteer Fire
supplemental appropriations provided for disaster response
Assistance (VFA) were funded in the State and Private
and recovery (P.L. 115-72 and P.L. 115-123) and
Forestry (SPF) account.
designated as emergency funding, outside of discretionary
Figure 1. Share of Total FS FY2018 Appropriations
spending limits. In total, FY2018 discretionary
appropriations were 18% ($1.0 billion) above the FY2017
appropriations of $5.596 billion. For FY2019, the
Administration requested $4.658 billion, 29% less than the
FY2018-enacted level.
FY2018 Discretionary Appropriations
FS discretionary appropriations for FY2018 were mostly in
seven main accounts (see Table 1 and Figure 1). The
largest share—a combined 52% ($3.407 billion)—went to
two accounts: the Wildland Fire Management (WFM) and

FLAME Wildfire Suppression Reserve Fund accounts. The
Source: CRS. Data from P.L. 115-141 Division G; P.L. 115-72; P.L.
WFM account funds activities related to the preparation for
115-123.
and suppression of wildfires. The FLAME account funds
Note: See Table 1 for account abbreviations.
emergency wildfire suppression activities under certain
Table 1. Forest Service (FS) Discretionary Appropriations, by Account
%
%
Change
FY2019
Change
FY2017 Enacted
FY2018 Enacted
from
Requested
from
Account
($ in millions)
($ in millions)
FY2017a
($ in millions)
FY2018
Forest and Rangeland Research (FRR)
$288.5
$297.0
3%
258.8
-13%
State and Private Forestry (SPF)
216.9
337.1 [7.5]
55%
172.3
-49%
National Forest System (NFS)
1,513.3
1,944.4 [20.7]
28%
1,720.0
-12%
Capital Improvement & Maintenance (CIM)
348.0
525.6 [91.6]
51%
79.7
-85%
Land Acquisition (LA)
54.4
64.3
18%
-17.0
-126%
Wildland Fire Management (WFM)
2,833.4
3,064.8 [184.5]
8%
2,440.0
-20%
FLAME
342.0 [342.0]
342.0 [342.0]
—
0.0
—
Otherb
6.0
5.7
-6%
4.4
-21%
Total
5,596.3 [342.0]
6,580.9 [646.3]
18%
4,658.2
-29%
Sources: P.L. 115-31 Division G; P.L. 115-141 Division G; P.L. 115-72; P.L. 115-123; FS FY2019 budget justification.
Notes: Figures reflect rescissions of $18.3 million in FY2017, $5.9 million in FY2018, and $109.0 million requested in FY2019. Figures in
brackets reflect any supplemental and emergency-designated appropriations provided outside of discretionary spending limits ($342.0 million in
FY2017 and $646.3 million in FY2018). Column totals may not add due to rounding.
a. Some of these figures reflect the shifting of programs between accounts in the FY2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 115-141).
b. In addition, FS receives appropriations to other relatively small accounts, including for specified land acquisition activities; the Range
Betterment Fund; gifts, donations, and bequests for research; and management of national forest lands for subsistence uses.
https://crsreports.congress.gov

link to page 1 Forest Service: FY2018 Appropriations and FY2019 Request
The next-largest amount of FY2018 appropriations—30%
FY2019 Budget Request
of the total ($1.944 billion)—went to the NFS account,
The Trump Administration requested $4.658 billion in
including $20.7 million in emergency-designated
discretionary appropriations for FS in FY2019. This request
supplemental funding. The NFS account funds activities
is slightly below the FY2018 request ($4.732 billion) and
related to the management of the national forests and
$1.923 billion below FY2018-enacted discretionary
grasslands, including planning, recreation, grazing, timber
appropriations. The FY2019 request proposed cuts to all FS
production, watershed, wildlife, and law enforcement,
accounts compared to FY2018 enacted levels (see Table 1).
among other activities. The FY2018 funding was $431.1
million above FY2017 levels, mostly due to the transfer of
Wildland Fire Management and FLAME
the Hazardous Fuels program to the NFS account in
The Administration’s request includes $2,440.0 million for
FY2018. The Hazardous Fuels program received $430.0
WFM for FY2019, a decrease of $624.9 million from
million and was the largest program within the NFS
FY2018-enacted levels for WFM and FLAME. The budget
account. Funding for the other NFS programs remained
would fund the Suppression Operations Program at 100%
relatively constant, with some minor fluctuations.
of the rolling 10-year suppression-obligation average but
does not include any funding for the FLAME reserve
The remaining accounts each received 8% or less of the
account.
total appropriations for FY2018:
National Forest System
 The Capital Improvement and Maintenance (CIM)
The request proposed $1,720.0 million for the NFS account
account funds FS efforts to provide and maintain
in FY2019, a $224.4 million decrease from FY2018-
facilities, roads, trails, and other infrastructure needs
enacted levels. Within the NFS account, the Administration
across the national forest system. CIM received $525.6
requested level funding for the Law Enforcement
million in FY2018, including $91.6 million in
Operations Program but decreased funding for most other
emergency-designated supplemental funding. This
programs, including the Hazardous Fuels program ($390.0
amount was $177.6 million above FY2017 funding
million requested). The request proposed to eliminate
levels, which included increased funding for most
funding for the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration
programs, although funding was not provided for legacy
Program.
road and trail remediation.
Capital Improvement and Maintenance
 The State and Private Forestry (SPF) account funds
The Administration’s request included $79.7 million for
programs to provide assistance to nonfederal forest
CIM, a decrease of $445.9 million from FY2018-enacted
owners to protect forests from wildfires, insects,
levels. The request would fund the Facilities, Roads, and
diseases, and invasive plants. SPF received $337.1
Trails Programs at reduced levels, including a nearly $100
million in FY2018, including $7.5 million in
million reduction for the Roads Program.
emergency-designated supplemental funding. This
amount was $120.2 million above FY2017 levels. Most
State and Private Forestry
of the difference in funding is from the addition of the
The Trump Administration requested $172.3 million for
SFA ($80.0 million) and VFA programs ($16.0 million),
SPF for FY2019, a decrease of $164.8 million from
which previously were funded in the WFM account.
FY2018-enacted levels. The request would fund, at reduced
SPF also includes the Forest Legacy Program ($61.1
levels, the Forest Stewardship Program, the Forest Health
million), a cost-share grant program that has received
Management Programs for both federal and cooperative
appropriations from the Land and Water Conservation
lands, and the SFA and VFA programs. The proposal would
Fund (LWCF; 54 U.S.C. §§200301 et seq.).
eliminate funding for the Landscape Scale Restoration,
Forest Legacy, Community Forest and Open Space
 The Forest and Rangeland Research (FRR) account
Conservation, International Forestry, and Urban and
funds research and development efforts to provide
Community Forestry programs.
scientific information and new technologies to support
sustainable forest and rangeland management. FRR
Forest and Rangeland Research
received $297.0 million in FY2018, $8.5 million more
The request included $258.8 million for FRR, a decrease of
than it received in FY2017.
$38.2 million from FY2018-enacted levels. The request
proposed to fund the National Fire Plan in FRR. The
 The Land Acquisition (LA) account includes funds
National Fire Plan was not funded in FY2018; prior to
derived from the LWCF for FS to acquire lands for
FY2018, it was funded in the WFM account.
conservation or ownership consolidation, among other
purposes. LA received $64.3 million in FY2018, $9.9
Land Acquisition
million above FY2017 levels.
The request included a $17.0 million net reduction for LA
and would eliminate funding for most land acquisition
P.L. 115-141 specified that appropriations to most FS
programs.
accounts are to remain available through FY2021.
Katie Hoover, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy

IF10898
https://crsreports.congress.gov

Forest Service: FY2018 Appropriations and FY2019 Request

Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.

https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10898 · VERSION 2 · NEW