Funding for Wildfire Management: FY2024 Appropriations for the Forest Service and Department of the Interior

Funding for Wildfire Management: FY2024 Appropriations for the Forest Service and Department of the Interior

link to page 1 link to page 2 link to page 2 link to page 2

Updated June 10, 2024
Funding for Wildfire Management: FY2024 Appropriations for
the Forest Service and Department of the Interior
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service (FS)
Figure 1. FS and DOI Discretionary Wildfire
and the Department of the Interior (DOI) are responsible for
Appropriations, FY1994-FY2024
wildfire response and management across federal lands
within their respective jurisdictions. Both the FS and DOI
generally receive discretionary appropriations for wildfire
management activities through annual 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 overall
have risen more than fourfold since FY1994 (see Figure 1).
For more information, see CRS Report R46583, Federal
Wildfire Management: Ten-Year Funding Trends and
Issues (FY2011-FY2020).
FY2024 Budget Request
The Biden Administration requested a total of $7.100

billion in FY2024 discretionary appropriations for FS and
Source: CRS analysis of appropriations acts, accompanying
DOI wildfire purposes (see Table 1), a decrease of $108.7
explanatory statements, and departmental reporting.
million relative to the FY2023 regular enacted
Notes: DOI = Department of the Interior; FS = Forest Service.
appropriation of $7.208 billion. The request included
Figures are adjusted to constant dollars using the Office of
$4.927 billion in the agencies’ Wildland Fire Management
Management and Budget’s GDP Chained Price Index.
(WFM) accounts, $2.650 billion pursuant to the wildfire
DOI also receives funding through its WFM account for
adjustment, and $153.0 million to other FS accounts for
fuel reduction and other wildfire activities (e.g., site
other wildfire purposes.
rehabilitation, assistance programs, research, facilities
FY2024 Enacted Appropriations
maintenance). The FS also receives appropriations for fuel
The FS and DOI received a combined total of $7.022
reduction and other wildfire purposes, but most of this
billion in FY2024 discretionary appropriations (see Table
funding has been provided through other appropriations
1). The combined total consists of $5.296 billion for the FS
accounts, including National Forest System (NFS); State,
and $1.726 billion for DOI. This combined total also
Private, and Tribal Forestry; and Forest and Rangeland
consists of $3.725 billion in the agencies’ WFM accounts,
Research. Unlike DOI, the FS has a separate budget line
$2.650 billion pursuant to the wildfire adjustment, and
item in its WFM account for salaries and expenses.
$646.9 million to other FS accounts for other wildfire
Since FY2020, the FS and DOI have received additional
purposes. One component of the combined total is $649.1
funding for suppression through the wildfire adjustment (2
million for hazardous fuels management purposes ($278.3
U.S.C. §901(b)(2)(F)), also known as the wildfire funding
million for the FS in the agency’s NFS account and $370.8
fix, a budgetary mechanism that allows for an upward
million for DOI in the agency’s DOI account).
adjustment of the discretionary spending allocations to
The FY2024 combined total reflects $6.352 billion in
accommodate a specific amount of additional funding for
regular appropriations provided through the Consolidated
suppression. A precondition for using the adjustment is that
Appropriations Act, 2024 (P.L. 118-42, Division E), and
Congress must appropriate a baseline amount of funding for
$670.0 million in emergency supplemental appropriations
suppression purposes. The baseline is equal to the 10-year
provided through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
suppression obligation average as reported in FY2015
Act (P.L. 117-58). Regular FY2024 appropriations were not
($1.011 billion for the FS; $383.7 million for DOI). For
enacted by the start of the fiscal year, but continuing
each of FY2020-FY2024, Congress appropriated the
resolutions provided funding at the FY2023 levels until P.L.
baseline suppression funds to the agencies’ respective
118-42 was signed into law on March 9, 2024.
WFM accounts and appropriated the funds provided
through the wildfire adjustment to a separate account for
Wildfire Accounts and Activities
each agency, the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve
The FS and DOI each have a WFM account. Within their
Fund. The wildfire adjustment is available annually through
respective WFM accounts, both agencies receive funding
FY2027, and the maximum amount available under the
for wildland fire preparedness and suppression activities.
adjustment increases annually.
https://crsreports.congress.gov

Funding for Wildfire Management: FY2024 Appropriations for the Forest Service and Department of the Interior
Table 1. FS and DOI Discretionary Wildfire Appropriations ($ in millions)
FY2023
FY2024
House-
Senate-
Enacted
Total
Passed Introduced
Account
Enacted
Request
H.R. 8294
S. 4686
Regular
Supplemental
Total
FS, Total
$5,437.9
$4,985.1
$4,992.2
$4,964.7
$4,888.1
$407.4
$5,295.5
WFM, Total
2,528.0
2,970.6
2,678.7
2,604.7
2,312.7
36.0
2,348.7
Salaries and Expenses
914.0
1,422.6
1,154.3
1,154.3
1,109.7
—
1,109.7
Preparedness
32.0
208.0
192.0
192.0
192.0
—
192.0
Suppression
1,546.0
1,011.0
1,011.0
1,011.0
1,011.0
—
1,011.0
Other/Unallocated
36.9
6.0
—
—
—
36.0
36.0
Hazardous Fuels
—
323.0
321.4
247.4
—
—
—
Wildfire Adjustment
2,120.0
2,300.0
2,210.0
2,210.0
2,300.0
—
2,300.0
NFS Hazardous Fuels
309.8
—
—
—
175.5
102.8
278.3
Other
390.1
153.0
103.5
150.0
100.0
268.6
368.6
DOI, Total
1,770.4
1,539.6
1,543.1
1,503.3
1,003.8
262.6
1,726.1
WFM, Total
1,430.4
1,325.9
1,203.1
1,163.3
663.8
262.6
1,376.1
Preparedness
469.4
592.5
477.2
477.2
381.8
42.3
534.6
Suppression
458.7
383.7
383.7
383.7
—
—
—
Fuels Management
403.4
293.3
304.3
267.0
247.0
156.4
370.8
Other/Unallocated
98.4
56.5
38.0
35.5
35.0
64.0
87.0
Wildfire Adjustment
340.0
350.0
340.0
340.0
340.0
—
350.0
Total, FS and DOI
7,208.2
7,099.5
6,535.3
6,467.9
6,351.6
670.0
7,021.6
Sources: CRS, with information from the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations and other budget documents.
Notes: FY2023 Total Enacted reflects regular and supplemental appropriations provided in P.L. 117-58 and P.L. 117-328. FY2024 Regular
Enacted reflects appropriations provided in P.L. 118-42; FY2024 Supplemental Enacted reflects appropriations provided in P.L. 117-58. WFM =
Wildland Fire Management; NFS = National Forest System. Values may not sum to totals due to rounding.
Preparedness
may be used for projects (or treatments) on federal lands, to
Preparedness includes tasks necessary to ensure readiness
provide assistance for projects on nonfederal lands, or to
for wildfire response. Prior to FY2021, both the FS and
otherwise incentivize fuel removal from federal lands. Fuel
DOI used preparedness funds to maintain and train baseline
reduction activities are funded within DOI’s Fuels
personnel; manage infrastructure, equipment, and resources
Management activity (WFM account) and FS’s Hazardous
(e.g., aviation assets, engines, communication equipment);
Fuels activity (NFS account). The FS requested to move the
develop and maintain technological capacity and tools; and
Hazardous Fuels activity to its WFM account for FY2024;
prepare and execute fire management plans, cooperative
P.L. 118-42 did not adopt this proposed change. The FS and
agreements, and interagency coordination. Starting in
DOI also receive funding through other accounts and
FY2021, many of these activities for the FS are covered in
programs that may be used for fuel reduction; thus, funding
the salaries and expenses WFM budget line item.
provided to each agency’s respective Fuels program does
Suppression
not reflect the total funding available for these activities.
Suppression is the work associated with extinguishing or
Other Wildfire Activities
confining a fire. Suppression appropriations are used
The FS and DOI receive appropriations for several other
primarily for wildfire response, including funding aviation
wildfire-related activities. For DOI, funding is provided
asset operations, conducting other functions in direct
within the WFM account for postfire rehabilitation, wildfire
support of wildfire incidents, and funding postfire
science and research, and facilities maintenance. For the
emergency stabilization activities. In FY2024, some
FS, funding for other wildfire activities is provided as
suppression funding was allocated for presuppression
budget line items to other accounts for wildfire assistance
activities. Baseline suppression funding is provided to the
programs, wildfire science and research, burned area
FS’s and DOI’s respective WFM accounts. Funds provided
recovery, and postfire restoration activities. In previous
pursuant to the wildfire adjustment are transferred to the
years, some of these activities did not receive line item
WFM account as needed.
appropriations and were funded through allocations and
Fuel Reduction
other indirect sources.
Fuel reduction is manipulating or removing fuels (e.g.,
Anne A. Riddle, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
vegetation) to reduce potential wildfire risk, such as
through thinning or prescribed fire. Fuel reduction funding
IF12398
https://crsreports.congress.gov

Funding for Wildfire Management: FY2024 Appropriations for the Forest Service and Department of the Interior

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 | IF12398 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED