US Forest Service reduced funding for 2025 implications

[sapperJ24]

Looking at 2025, and possibly beyond, the US Forest Service is facing a significant decrease in available funds from recent levels. Some of this is due to supplemental funds expiring, some due to stagnation of appropriated funds while costs and expenses have increased, and others due to some changes in the make up of the workforce and resultant overspending. I'm confident many people would agree that often the government spends in excess and is inefficient with the funds they receive, however I'm also confident that many here will also be disappointed in the ramifications of this budget shortfall.

To address the lack of requested funding, the Forest Service (at least in Regions 1 and 3) will not hire temporary seasonal (1039) employees. The Forest Service has made some recent changes to convert some temporary 1039s to permanent seasonal employees. 1039s and seasonals have long been responsible for accomplishing vast majority of the field work facing the Forest Service. Often these employees have been college students or others that cover the busy seasons. Some regions are also freezing all outside hiring and current professional vacancies will remain in place.

This reduction in temporary workforce will directly result in at least the following:
- less timber sales marked and cruised
- inability to survey future project areas for analysis
- reduced ability to service trailheads and facilities and roads
- reduction in trails cleared and rehabilitated
- reduced ability to process requests are permits
- decreased visitor services including, map sales and area information
- delays of project implementation burdening partners

In addition to these immediate impacts, and most concerningly, the overall reduction in public services provided may result in a future deterioration of appreciation for our federal public lands.

Best of luck on the upcoming season.

edit - Regions 5 and 6 issued similar memos today.

 

[ismith]

Looking at 2025, and possibly beyond, the US Forest Service is facing a significant decrease in available funds from recent levels. Some of this is due to supplemental funds expiring, some due to stagnation of appropriated funds while costs and expenses have increased, and others due to some changes in the make up of the workforce and resultant overspending. I'm confident many people would agree that often the government spends in excess and is inefficient with the funds they receive, however I'm also confident that many here will also be disappointed in the ramifications of this budget shortfall.

To address the lack of requested funding, the Forest Service (at least in Regions 1 and 3) will not hire temporary seasonal (1039) employees. The Forest Service has made some recent changes to convert some temporary 1039s to permanent seasonal employees. 1039s and seasonals have long been responsible for accomplishing vast majority of the field work facing the Forest Service. Often these employees have been college students or others that cover the busy seasons. Some regions are also freezing all outside hiring and current professional vacancies will remain in place.

This reduction in temporary workforce will directly result in at least the following:
- less timber sales marked and cruised
- inability to survey future project areas for analysis
- reduced ability to service trailheads and facilities and roads
- reduction in trails cleared and rehabilitated
- reduced ability to process requests are permits
- decreased visitor services including, map sales and area information
- delays of project implementation burdening partners

In addition to these immediate impacts, and most concerningly, the overall reduction in public services provided may result in a future deterioration of appreciation for our federal public lands.

Best of luck on the upcoming season.

https://www.usdebtclock.org/

 

[BuzzH]

https://www.usdebtclock.org/

And the entire FS budget isn't even a rounding error in all that.

Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and get bought out, I qualify. Probably not though, research is largely insulated from this.

 

[ismith]

And the entire FS budget isn't even a rounding error in all that.

Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and get bought out, I qualify. Probably not though, research is largely insulated from this.

Insane isn’t it.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Budgets are the least sexy thing in the world, and by far the most important.

The cost of defunding an agency is born out in far larger costs to users of these lands. It's stepping over dollars to save dimes.

 

[1_pointer]

I wouldn't be upset if USDA didn't re-direct some of the Inflation Reduction Act funds to the USFS...

IMO, that'd be a better use than retroactively increasing minimum payments for folks already under contract...

 

[BrentD]

I wouldn't be upset if USDA didn't re-direct some of the Inflation Reduction Act funds to the USFS...

IMO, that'd be a better use than retroactively increasing minimum payments for folks already under contract...

1_pointer, the double negative in your first sentence has me wondering what you mean, especially relative to your second sentence.

But regardless, votes have consequences and defunding anything in the realm of environmental management is just one of them.

I agree with what Ben said, in the long run, this will cost us much more. Similar short-sightedness is carried out by the states for management of state properties from public hunting areas to universities (somehow never impacting the football and basketball teams, however).

Ponder your vote ladies and gentlemen. Your public forests, grasslands, and waterways depend on it.

 

[Flynarrow]

Having spent a 32 year career in the Forest Service, it was sad to see how, whatever the budget, how little actually reaches the ground. Budget Virga is my description. The seasonals/temporarys is what actually takes place that most of us see and appreciate.....trails cleared, toilets cleaned, timber marked, etc. And the recent over the top hysteria about fire has meant much of the budget appropriated is directed at fire, so little is available for all the other functions. Every additional staff manning an office somewhere takes away funds that otherwise could actually get things done on the ground. There never seemed to be a recognition of the impact of special project funding, additional staffing, etc on what happens on the ground.

And in recent years, very few personnel ever get their hands dirty or even see the landscapes they are suppose to be managing. Computer screens dominate and "the process" trumps actually getting thing done.

 

[sccritterkiller]

Hell they are already stretched thin in my neck of the woods.The NF next to me has 1 ranger for 3 districts..I can't even get them to fix the gates on the roads that are supposed to be closed that been vandalized in the area.
I have owned my place for almost a year and being neighbors with NF is an interesting experience.

 

[LuketheDog]

Budgets are the least sexy thing in the world, and by far the most important.

The cost of defunding an agency is born out in far larger costs to users of these lands. It's stepping over dollars to save dimes.

It's always shocking to me to hear that a government agency is incapable of staying in the black on their budget, it's really not that hard, and with the amount of waste that seems to occur it's inexcusable.

 

[Ben Lamb]

It's always shocking to me to hear that a government agency is incapable of staying in the black on their budget, it's really not that hard, and with the amount of waste that seems to occur it's inexcusable.

Perhaps the budget provided by Congress was insufficient to get the job done.

 

[SAJ-99]

It's always shocking to me to hear that a government agency is incapable of staying in the black on their budget, it's really not that hard, and with the amount of waste that seems to occur it's inexcusable.

Three words...Wildland Fire Management.

 

[BrentD]

It's always shocking to me to hear that a government agency is incapable of staying in the black on their budget, it's really not that hard, and with the amount of waste that seems to occur it's inexcusable.

The problem is that they DO stay in their budget, woefully inadequate though it may be.

"Waste" mostly in the eye of the beholder.

 

[LuketheDog]

Three words...Wildland Fire Management.

Fighting fires is expensive but it happens every year, that cost should not be a big surprise at this point.

 

[LuketheDog]

Perhaps the budget provided by Congress was insufficient to get the job done.

Very likely! That's why congress should adjust accordingly (and wisely)...but they don't!

 

[SAJ-99]

Fighting fires is expensive but it happens every year, that cost should not be a big surprise at this point.

The trend is more fires, larger fires, and higher cost to fight them. It probably doesn't matter what business you are in, when you ask your boss for money for something and the estimate is significantly higher than the previous year, they laugh you out of the office. Even if they ask for money it will typically be cut by Congress. Then, when the fires start, they have to ask Congress for an additional appropriation to pay. Congress is reactive. Congress should adjust accordingly but that require additional tax revenues to help pay. I do admit that this can sometimes create a perverse incentive to spend the budget to zero even if it isn't needed so you can justify next year's increase. That is human nature. I don't think we can assume rational and logical conversations can happen in Congress on budgetary matters.

 

[BrentD]

Fighting fires is expensive but it happens every year, that cost should not be a big surprise at this point.

Then, tell your congress critters.

 

[grizzly63]

If congress truly balanced the budget, there would be less money all the way around but thats a big rabbit hole to go down.

 

[RoughCountry]

Around here if the FS closed their doors and left I doubt anyone would notice they were gone. I’m talking about the administration not boots on the ground grunts.

 

[Forkyfinder]

If congress truly balanced the budget, there would be less money all the way around but thats a big rabbit hole to go down.

The vast majority is SS, Medicare, medicaid and welfare.