Wildfire Prevention and Treatment Reductions

Fuel Treatment and Prescribed Burns

The U.S. Forest Service treated approximately 2.6 million acres of hazardous vegetation in 2025, down from over 4 million acres in 2024. Prescribed burning covered about 900,000 acres in 2025, compared to over 1.6 million acres in both 2023 and 2024.

The agency stated the decline resulted from staff being occupied with firefighting duties and unsuitable environmental conditions for prescribed burns, particularly in the Southeast.

Grant Funding Delays

The Forest Service has not released close to $20 million in grant funding to Washington state groups, and 22 states and two Tribes were promised $200 million through the Community Wildfire Defense Grant Program but have not yet received the funds. The program, launched in 2022 with $1 billion over five years, provides funding for controlled burns and other wildfire prevention measures.

The delay follows a memo signed by USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins on December 31, 2025, which added new conditions to federal grants, including requirements that awards not support climate change or DEI initiatives. Washington State Forester George Geissler stated the new terms conflict with state laws, preventing him from accepting the funds. On March 23, 20 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit against the USDA to block the new funding terms.

Wildfire Management Policy Changes

Full Suppression Strategy

On April 8, 2026, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum issued a memo adopting a full suppression strategy for wildfires on federal land and restricting prescribed burns. Forest Service Chief Tom Schulz echoed this strategy at an April 16 budget hearing.

"The limitations put us in a worse position to deal with fires." — Bill Avey, former Forest Service firefighter

The policy shift has drawn criticism from current and former agency personnel and researchers. Dr. Timothy Ingalsbee, a wildland fire ecologist, said the policy defies decades of fire ecology research and indigenous knowledge.

New Agency Formation and Pay Increases

The U.S. Wildland Fire Service, a new agency formed under the Trump administration, is preparing for what agency head Brian Fennessy described as potentially one of the most severe fire seasons. The agency is increasing aircraft and crew deployments earlier than usual and has been instructed to prioritize fire suppression over prevention efforts.

On April 14, 2026, the federal government announced a 25% pay increase for firefighters working on prescribed burns.

Workforce Reductions

The Forest Service lost 16% of its workforce as of summer 2025, with 5,860 personnel leaving in the first six months of 2025 due to administration downsizing efforts. This total included 1,400 personnel with firefighting training.

Research Facilities Reorganization

Facility Closures

On March 31, the Forest Service announced a reorganization plan that includes evaluating the closure of over 100 research facilities, including:

• The Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Lab in Seattle, Washington
• The Baltimore office that supported the Camp Small wood recycling facility

The proposal includes closing 56 of 90 research stations and all 10 regional offices, and relocating the headquarters from Washington, D.C., to Salt Lake City, Utah.

President Donald Trump's proposed 2027 budget included zero funding for Forest Service research, down from $309 million in 2026. Congress ultimately determines the final budget.

Agency Rationale

Chief Schulz stated the reorganization is intended to achieve fiscal responsibility and bring employees closer to the land they manage. The agency cited:

• $3 billion deferred maintenance backlog for research buildings
• Over $8 billion deferred maintenance agency-wide for roads, trails, bridges, and dams

The proposed consolidation site in Fort Collins, Colorado, costs $1 million per year in rent. Some current facilities have lease costs as low as $1 annually (e.g., Hilo, Hawaii; Houghton, Michigan).

Employee and Research Impacts

• 229 employees work in facilities slated for closure, according to the Forest Service Council of the National Federation of Federal Employees.
• The Forest Inventory Analysis program, mandated by Congress, would see about one-third of its staff affected, with travel costs potentially exceeding $2,000 per person per month.
• The Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Lab in Seattle develops real-time wildfire smoke mapping technology used by governments and commercial apps.
• Four current Forest Service scientists interviewed stated they would quit rather than relocate and predicted many colleagues would also leave.

Union and Legal Concerns

The union representing Forest Service employees argues the reorganization violates a law requiring advance notification and approval from House and Senate appropriations committees. The union is currently negotiating with agency leadership.

Washington State Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove expressed concerns over lack of communication from the Forest Service on reorganization progress.

Context

A 2025 study found that areas previously burned experienced wildfires about 16% less severe on average during the 2020 California fire season.

Researcher Park Williams of UCLA stated that large prescribed fires are the best available tool to prevent catastrophic wildfires.