WASHINGTON, D.C.—Tax time is the time when the Chief Financial Officer’s staff asks for help with the agency’ Annual Financial report.

That report feeds into the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Annual Financial Report. We appreciate our subject matter experts, auditors and liaisons working diligently to meet deadlines to ensure that USDA and Congress continue to see that Forest Service employees are responsibly using funding and can be relied on to carry out our mission for the American people.

Federal agencies in the executive branch must contribute financial snapshots of operations, accomplishments and challenges as part of the yearly reporting. This report can ultimately influence the trust American taxpayer and Congress have in our abilities to manage appropriated funding.

“This annual cycle helps USDA and the Forest Service identify areas that are excelling at maintaining accurate financial data and areas that need improvement,” said Director Erica Banegas, Audit and Assurance. “All this requires a significant amount of work to be done by employees.”

The Forest Service’s submission for USDA’s 2023 report successfully demonstrated a continued ability to manage our budget in large part because of the commitment by Forest Service employees who manage and report on finances.

The Forest Service’s financial statements have consistently received clean audits and we are no longer on a high-risk status since our financial management services were consolidated in early 2000 to what has been familiarly known as the Albuquerque Service Center. Today, Budget and Finance, Audit and Assurance, and Financial Reporting and Reconciliation in Albuquerque are part of the Chief Financial Officer Deputy Area.

“Having accurate and reliable financial statements demonstrates that employees who touch funding across the agency are doing the right thing and keeping our financial house in order,” said Dina Giddings, director of Financial Reporting and Reconciliation. “I am grateful to the Forest Service employees who are safeguarding the public’s money as they work toward our agency’s goals.”