Policy & Funding

The U.S. Forest Service has lost nearly 6,000 permanent employees since early 2025, cutting fuels treatments by 35% and raising alarms among state officials and firefighter unions as the 2026 season burns well above average.

Congress is advancing an FY27 appropriations bill that would formally fund the U.S. Wildland Fire Service at $1.16 billion under its own budget line, while pushing back against the Trump administration’s proposal to zero out Forest Service research and development funding.

The Trump administration's cuts to USFS wildfire research programs have drawn warnings from firefighters and scientists as the 2026 season escalates. Meanwhile, Congress is debating a potentially record wildfire funding bill that includes expanded hazard pay and multi-year aviation contracts.

The new U.S. Wildland Fire Service, created without congressional approval in January 2026, faces scrutiny following the deaths of three firefighters and ongoing battles over wildfire research funding cuts in the federal budget.

Bipartisan legislation directing a GAO study on cross-boundary wildfire mitigation passed both chambers in June. Meanwhile, the House FY2027 Interior Appropriations bill preserves current agency structures rather than creating the unified wildfire agency proposed in the President's budget.

Bipartisan legislation including the Wildland Firefighter Hazard Pay Correction Act and the Support Our Firefighters Act are advancing in Congress as the 2026 fire season intensifies — addressing longstanding pay and retention issues for federal firefighters.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has declared a wildfire state of emergency as state fire officials warn that Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Northern California will all compete for limited firefighting resources during what could be a record-breaking 2026 fire season.

Washington Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer is advancing legislation requiring insurers to disclose wildfire risk scores and explain mitigation pathways, while urging homeowners to review coverage before fire season peaks.

Congress provided $4.25 billion in wildfire suppression funding for FY2026, including a $2.85 billion reserve fund designed to prevent the fire borrowing that has historically gutted non-fire programs. Federal budget documents also reveal plans to consolidate wildland firefighting into a unified Federal Wildland Fire Service.

Proposed Trump administration budget cuts to U.S. Forest Service wildfire research programs are drawing criticism from Pacific Northwest scientists and fire experts as active fires burn across the region and forecasters project an above-normal fire season.

Proposed reductions to Forest Service research programs are drawing sharp criticism from fire scientists who say the cuts could undermine tools and forecasting capabilities that protect communities.

President Trump's proposed budget would zero out Forest Service research funding, drawing bipartisan pushback in Congress. Meanwhile, the House rejected a proposed consolidation of federal wildfire agencies in the FY2027 spending bill.

Governor Tina Kotek signed Executive Order 26-10 on June 15, declaring a wildfire state of emergency as ODF officially opened the 2026 fire season early due to drought, low snowpack, and dangerous fire weather conditions.

Oregon Governor Tina Kotek signed Executive Order 26-10 on June 15, declaring a state of emergency due to imminent wildfire threat. The order came as Oregon officially entered fire season, with record-low snowpack, drought in nearly half the state's counties, and 414 fires already burning 8,000+ acres in 2026.

Governor Tina Kotek signed Executive Order 26-10 on June 15, declaring a state of emergency due to the imminent threat of wildfire across Oregon. The order came as the state officially entered fire season and multiple fires ignited nearby in Washington.

Governor Tina Kotek signed Executive Order 26-10 on June 15 declaring a state of emergency over wildfire threat, as Oregon officially entered fire season the same day. The order grants state agencies access to all needed resources through year-end.

The Trump administration's proposed U.S. Forest Service cuts and reorganization threaten to close the Seattle wildfire smoke lab and gut decades of research infrastructure just as the Pacific Northwest faces a potentially severe 2026 fire season.

A 301-page House Appropriations report championed by Idaho Rep. Mike Simpson proposes $1.16 billion for the newly created U.S. Wildland Fire Service, prioritizes wildland firefighter pay, and advances consolidation of federal firefighting operations.

The Trump administration's proposed budget would eliminate all USFS research and development funding, threatening the closure of the Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Lab in Seattle. Congress is pushing back, but uncertainty hangs over critical fire science programs as the 2026 season intensifies.

With 26,000+ federal land management positions lost and wildfire mitigation acreage down 35%, fire experts warn that the agencies responsible for fighting and preventing wildfires are dangerously understaffed heading into a volatile 2026 season.