The president’s budget request to Congress for fiscal year 2024 was released on March 9. I’m pleased to see it proposes more historic investments in our agency; our workforce, communities and tribes; and the nation’s forests and grasslands. Such a strong statement at this stage in the budget development process sets the tone for what we want to accomplish together. The following information provides the highlights for the Forest Service and the context for what comes next.

The FY24 budget request focuses on three primary areas that impact the Forest Service: modernizing the wildland fire management system, combating climate change and confronting the wildfire crisis, and ensuring equitable access to the benefits of the National Forest System. Our discretionary funding request for FY24, including the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund, is about $9.7 billion, up from last year by $1.7 billion.

A centerpiece of this FY24 budget request is firefighter compensation reform. For the first time ever, this administration is proposing a permanent base pay increase for all firefighters. The proposal includes a request for $180 million in support of a special base rate salary table for all firefighters. That funding will also support incident standby pay (more commonly known as “portal to portal”) and maintain hazard pay. I know our wildland firefighters will be eager to dig into the details of this permanent pay solution. This funding request is just one piece. We will need Congress to also pass special legislation that authorizes the new pay table. We expect that to be in the hands of Congress soon and will be sharing that information as soon as we can.  

Additionally, increases in wildland fire management salary and expenses are considered in the budget request. Specifically, cost of living adjustments and firefighter capacity increases. The funding will allow us to hire approximately 970 more firefighters. This will also allow the agency to continue the progress of creating a more full-time, year-round workforce by converting temporary firefighters to permanent. The funding will also, if approved, allow for urgent and necessary firefighter housing facility maintenance and repair. 

I have always been committed to firefighter health and well-being, so I’m pleased to see $10 million proposed for physical and mental health programs and $50 million for housing that will be focused on firefighters but will ultimately benefit a wide range of employees. If approved, the agency and our partners at the Department of the Interior will increase investment in programs to better meet our firefighters’ needs and build longevity to sustain the workforce in a demanding work environment. 

The budget also proposes the following investments ensure that national forests and grasslands continue to provide experiences, services and products to the American public by focusing on the restoration, enhancement and resilience of the nation’s forests and grasslands, particularly in the face of climate change: 

• $56 million for burned area rehabilitation (new program for fiscal year 2024) 
• $94 million for recreation, heritage and wilderness (+$37M from fiscal year 2023) 
• $50.5 million for vegetation and watershed management (+$18.5M from fiscal year 2023) 
• $45 million for minerals and geology (+$30.5M from fiscal year 2023) 
• $55 million for forest health management (+$5M from fiscal year 2023) 
• $80 million for Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (+$48M from fiscal year 2023) 
• $349 million for forest and rangeland research (+$42M from fiscal year 2023)

It’s good to remember that the president’s budget is just proposed, not a final budget. This process has multiple steps, starting when the president submits a detailed budget request to Congress for the next fiscal year, which begins October 1. The president’s budget request emerges from a dialogue between federal agencies and the Office of Management and Budget, and it lays out the president’s policy and budget priorities for the entire administration. 

The president’s budget request then goes to Congress, where the appropriations subcommittees in both chambers have a big say in how to cut up that pie. Congress has the final say in approving a budget. They hold hearings where some of us testify on behalf of the Forest Service. We talk about everything we do—about our science and about our challenges and opportunities. I am preparing for those hearings now; two hearings will occur this week. In the end, we’re part of that bigger federal family budget, which we administer as one administration through congressional appropriations. 

I hope this overview gives you a big picture view of the complexities and consideration that go into the Forest Service budget. I’m optimistic and know that Congress and the American people appreciate your commitment and hard work to steward the nation’s forests and grasslands for present and future generations.

Editor's Note: Provide feedback about this column, submit questions or suggest topics for future columns through the FS-Employee Feedback inbox.