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May 31, 2018
Forest Service: FY2018 Appropriations and FY2019 Request
The Forest Service (FS) is responsible for managing 193
million acres of land in the National Forest System (NFS);
conducting forestry research; and providing assistance to
state, local, private, and international forest owners. FS is
an agency within the Department of Agriculture, yet it
generally receives discretionary appropriations through the
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations
bill.
For FY2018, total FS discretionary appropriations were
$6.581 billion. This figure includes $5.934 billion in regular
appropriations provided in the FY2018 Consolidated
Appropriations Act (P.L. 115-141) and $646.3 million in
supplemental appropriations provided for disaster response
and recovery (P.L. 115-72 and P.L. 115-123) and
designated as emergency funding, outside of discretionary
spending limits. In total, FY2018 discretionary
appropriations were 18% ($1.0 billion) above the FY2017
appropriations of $5.596 billion. For FY2019, the
Administration requested $4.658 billion, 29% less than the
FY2018-enacted level.
FY20 8 Discretionary Appropriations
FS discretionary appropriations for FY2018 were mostly in
seven main accounts (see Table 1 and Figure 1). The
largest share-a combined 52% ($3.407 billion)-went to
two accounts: the Wildland Fire Management (WFM) and
FLAME Wildfire Suppression Reserve Fund accounts. The
WFM account funds activities related to the preparation for
and suppression of wildfires. The FLAME account funds
emergency wildfire suppression activities under certain
specified circumstances. The FY2018 WFM and FLAME
appropriations are $231.4 million above the FY2017 levels
($3.175 billion combined). This includes a combined
$526.5 million ($184.5 million for WFM and $342.0
million for FLAME) provided as emergency-designated
supplemental funding to repay funds transferred from other
FS accounts in FY2017. No other funds were appropriated
to the FLAME account in FY2018. One program was not
funded in FY2018 (National Fire Plan).Three programs
were moved from WFM to other accounts: Hazardous Fuels
was funded in the National Forest System (NFS) account,
and State Fire Assistance (SFA) and Volunteer Fire
Assistance (VFA) were funded in the State and Private
Forestry (SPF) account.
Figure I. Share of Total FS FY2018 Appropriations
$6.5S891 bilion3
Source: CRS. Data from P.L. 115-141 Division G; P.L. 115-72; P.L.
115-123.
Note: See Table I for account abbreviations.
Table I. Forest Service (FS) Discretionary Appropriations, by Account
Change FY2019 Change
FY2017 Enacted FY2018 Enacted from Requested from
Account ($ in millions) ($ in millions) FY2017a ($ in millions) FY2018
Forest and Rangeland Research (FRR) $288.5 $297.0 3% 258.8 -13%
State and Private Forestry (SPF) 216.9 337.1 [7.5] 55% 172.3 -49%
National Forest System (NFS) 1,513.3 1,944.4 [20.7] 28% 1,720.0 -12%
Capital Improvement & Maintenance (CIM) 348.0 525.6 [91.6] 51% 79.7 -85%
Land Acquisition (LA) 54.4 64.3 18% -17.0 -126%
Wildland Fire Management (WFM) 2,833.4 3,064.8 [184.5] 8% 2,440.0 -20%
FLAME 342.0 [342.0] 342.0 [342.0] - 0.0 -
Otherb 6.0 5.7 -6% 4.4 -21%
Total 5,596.3 [342.0] 6,580.9 [646.3] 18% 4,658.2 -29%
Sources: P.L. 115-31 Division G; P.L. 115-141 Division G; P.L. 115-72; P.L. 115-123; FS FY20I 9 budget justification.
Notes: Figures reflect rescissions of $18.3 million in FY20 17, $5.9 million in FY20 18, and $109.0 million requested in FY20 19. Figures in
brackets reflect any supplemental and emergency-designated appropriations provided outside of discretionary spending limits ($342.0 million in
FY2017 and $646.3 million in FY2018). Column totals may not add due to rounding.
a. Some of these figures reflect the shifting of programs between accounts in the FY2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 115-141).
b. In addition, FS receives appropriations to other relatively small accounts, including for specified land acquisition activities; the Range
Betterment Fund; gifts, donations, and bequests for research; and management of national forest lands for subsistence uses.
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