USFS Preparedness
Dept. of Agriculture – Forest Service – Wildland Fire Management
Wildfire-Specific Spending: Yes
Wildfire Activities Funded: “Preparedness”
6,177
TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS (IN MIL)
FY2017 – FY2026
Description
The Preparedness program covers fixed costs for fire management assets in preparation for wildfire events, including training and education, firefighting equipment, and aviation costs.Additional Program Notes & TCS Insights
The Preparedness line item funds costs associated with preparing for suppression activities and should not be confused with funding appropriated to prevent and mitigate the impacts of wildfire, such as prescribed burns and other hazardous fuels reduction.Appropriations
| Regular | Supplemental | IIJA | IRA | |
| FY2015 | 1,145,840,000 | — | — | — |
| FY2016 | 1,082,620,000 | — | — | — |
| FY2017 | 1,082,620,000 | — | — | — |
| FY2018 | 1,323,520,000 | — | — | — |
| FY2019 | 1,339,620,000 | — | — | — |
| FY2020 | 1,339,620,000 | — | — | — |
| FY2021 | 152,000,000 | — | — | — |
| FY2022 | 172,000,000 | — | — | — |
| FY2023 | 32,000,000 | 160,000,000 | — | |
| FY2024 | 192,000,000 | — | — | |
| FY2025 | 192,000,000 | — | — | |
| FY2026 | 192,000,000 | — |
Last Updated: March 20, 2026
Received Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Funding: No
Received Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) Funding: No
Appropriations Notes
In FY2023, $160 million in supplemental appropriations from Division N of the FY2023 omnibus are available for “forest fire presuppression,” a term that is not defined. In this database the $160 million is categorized as Forest Service Preparedness funding.
*In FY2021, the U.S. Forest Service implemented a new budget line item for salaries and expenses across all Forest Service programs – costs that had previously been incorporated into each program’s budget line item. This re-structuring makes it difficult to compare program spending before and after FY2021.