This figure was the largest acreage burned on record and is larger than the acreage burned in the previous two years combined (4.3 million acres in 2013 and 3.6 million acres in 2014). The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service (FS) carries out wildfire response and management across the 193 million acres of national forests and national grasslands. Wildfire Management Appropriations

Both DOI and FS receive annual discretionary appropriations for wildfire management activities through the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bills. The majority of wildfire management appropriations go to FS. Figure 2 reflects the proportion of FS discretionary funding between wildfire and non-wildfire activities over the past 10 years. Wildland Fire Management Account

Of the two programs funded by both agencies' WFM accounts, Fire Operations receives the largest share of the funding, accounting for 78% of the combined WFM appropriation on average over the last five years. Bill or report language typically specifies how the additional funds are to be used (e.g., for wildfire suppression, for fire transfer reimbursement, for emergency rehabilitation), although for record-keeping purposes, these funds are generally reported in the agencies' WFM suppression activity. In FY2016, the total combined suppression appropriation was $2,802.7 million, including a $700.0 million supplemental appropriation. 5538 would not adopt the Administration's proposal to eliminate the FLAME account or provide a budgetary adjustment mechanism to fund a portion of the wildfire suppression appropriation. S. 3068 would provide a total of $4.4 billion for wildland fire management for FY2017 ($3.3 billion for FS and $1.1 billion for DOI), $16.1 million above the requested amount, although $661.3 million would be designated as emergency spending for wildfire suppression purposes and not subject to certain discretionary spending limits. Congress did not adopt the proposal in FY2015 or FY2016. Similar legislative proposals have been introduced in the 114 th Congress. Issues

Congress is debating several issues related to federal funding for wildfire management. Issues under debate include the level and direction of federal spending on wildfire management as well as the effectiveness of that spending (e.g., whether the funding is allowing agencies to meet wildfire management targets and the adequacy of those targets). Wildfire spending has more than tripled since the 1990s, increasing from $1.6 billion in FY1995 in constant dollars to $4.9 billion in FY2016. Congress also is debating the level of appropriations dedicated for certain wildfire management activities, such as whether the rising cost of suppression should come at the expense of funding other activities or whether investing more funds in hazardous fuel reduction activities now may help reduce wildfire costs in the future. Congress has provided funding for wildfire management in addition to what was provided in the Interior appropriations bill—usually for wildfire suppression—for 6 of the last 10 years, including FY2013, FY2014, and FY2016. This fact may lead to questions regarding the structure of wildfire funding and wildfire suppression funding estimation methods, among other things. Wildfire suppression is complicated, and both the efficiency of resources used for wildfire suppression and the federal protocol for wildfire management have an impact on wildfire suppression costs.
The Forest Service (FS, in the U.S. Department of Agriculture) and the Department of the Interior (DOI) are the two primary federal entities tasked with wildland fire management activities. Federal wildland fire management includes activities such as preparedness, suppression, fuel reduction, and site rehabilitation, among others. Approximately 10.1 million acres burned during the 2015 wildfire season, which was more than the acreage burned in 2014 (3.6 million acres) and 2013 (4.3 million acres) combined and represents the largest acreage burned since modern record-keeping began in 1960.
There are several ongoing concerns regarding wildfire management. These concerns include the total federal costs of wildfire management, the strategies and resources used for wildfire management, and the impact of wildfire on both the quality of life and the economy of communities surrounding wildfire activity. Many of these issues are of perennial interest to Congress, with annual wildfire management appropriations being one indicator of how Congress prioritizes and addresses certain wildfire management concerns.
Annual federal funding for wildland fire management is provided in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. Congress appropriated $4.9 billion combined to both FS and DOI in FY2016, which included a $700 million appropriation for FS to reimburse transfers that occurred in FY2015 to pay for wildfire costs. The combined FY2015 appropriation was $3.5 billion. Federal wildfire spending has increased significantly over the last two decades, driven largely by the rising cost to suppress wildfires. In FY1995, FS spent just over $500 million in constant dollars to suppress wildfires; in FY2001, FS spent $898 million. In FY2015, FS spent $1.7 billion on suppression operations. Appropriations for wildfire management have similarly increased. In FY1995, appropriations for wildland fire management were $1.6 billion in constant dollars, $3 billion less than the FY2016 appropriation.
Congress is debating several issues related to federal funding for wildfire management. Issues under debate include the level and direction of federal spending on wildland fire management as well as the effectiveness of that spending (e.g., whether the funding is allowing agencies to meet wildfire management targets and the adequacy of those targets). Congress also faces requests from the agencies for additional appropriations during severe fire activity (e.g., justification for additional funding and the impact on non-fire programs without the additional funding). Congress has provided additional funding for wildfire management above the level provided in the Interior appropriations bill—usually for wildfire suppression—for 6 of the last 10 years, including FY2013, FY2014, and FY2016. The additional funding is typically provided through a supplemental appropriation. The frequent need for additional funds raises questions about the structure of wildfire funding and how the agencies estimate wildfire suppression funding requirements, among other things.
Proposals to create alternative mechanisms for funding wildfire suppression have been introduced in the 114th Congress and proposed by the Administration. The proposals generally would create a budgetary adjustment mechanism to fund a portion of the wildfire suppression appropriation outside of statutory discretionary spending limits.
This report provides wildfire management appropriations data over the past 10 years, information on the President's FY2017 budget request, and information on FY2017 appropriations for wildland fire management.