By now, most of you know that the president submitted the fiscal year 2025 proposed $7.3 trillion federal budget to Congress. The Forest Service’s request addresses climate resilience in communities and ecosystems, invests in the wildland firefighting workforce, increases natural resource stewardship, and supports biodiversity, ecosystem health, and visitor experiences. The investments highlighted in the request reflect the services we provide through work on national forests and grasslands, partnerships with state, private and tribal landowners, and our research programs.

Because I know the budget is at the top of many of our minds, I scheduled the next Chief’s Call for March 27 at 1-2:30 p.m., Eastern to discuss it. To help facilitate that discussion, submit your questions or comments about the budget before 1 p.m., Eastern on March 26. You also can read the Forest Service Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Justification.

The 2025 budget request for the Forest Service discretionary appropriations totals $6.5 billion for base programs and $2.39 billion for the wildfire suppression cap adjustment in the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund, or as we say, the “Fire Funding Fix,” which is up from FY 2024 by more than $500 million. The request includes:

• $58 million for recreation, heritage and wilderness (+$18M from 2024)

• $33 million for vegetation and watershed management (+$3M from 2024)

• $207 million for hazardous fuels reduction (+$31.55M from 2024)

• $315.6 million for forest and rangeland research (+$15.6M from 2024)

• $25 million to address the urgent need for maintenance of employee housing.

A centerpiece of the budget request is a continued investment in firefighter compensation reform, which mirrors the historic investment proposal made in 2024 and includes a permanent base pay increase for all firefighters. The 2025 proposed budget includes a request for $216 million in support of a special base rate salary table for all firefighters, including incident standby pay, and an additional $10 million for critical mental health and well-being services.

This funding request is just one piece of a long process. Congressional action is still required to authorize a new pay table. We will continue to work with Congress on a path forward and share relevant information as soon as possible.

While we normally have a final appropriated budget far earlier than March, I am pleased that Congress passed the 2024 budget and the president signed it late last week. While more modest than expected, the budget came in very similar to the agency’s initial operational planning levels with a few adjustments. Except for fire, the agency went down 4% from the previous year’s budget, or essentially back to fiscal year 2022 funding levels. I am encouraged that funding was included to continue the firefighter Bipartisan Infrastructure Law pay supplement through the end of the fiscal year.

Our budget staff is working with the Deputy Chief Areas on allocations, with the goal of releasing them by early April.

I look forward to seeing you and hearing your questions (ask here). Please pre-register for the event at https://usfs.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_n1BYj_WYR92MoW7KNs3z8w.

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