Budget Justification Wildland Fire Management FY2022
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The United States BUDGET Department of the Interior JUSTIFICATIONS and Performance Information Fiscal Year 2022 WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT NOTICE: These budget justifications are prepared for the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittees. Approval for release of the justifications prior to their printing in the public record of the Subcommittee hearings may be obtained through the Office of Budget of the Department of the Interior. Printed on Recycled Paper Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................. 2 Introduction 2 Governance & Coordination 3 America the Beautiful 4 American Jobs Plan 4 Program & Budget Overview 5 Fiscal Year 2022 Budget Request 6 Fiscal Year 2022 Priorities 6 Good Government 8 Budget Summary Tables .......................................................................................10 Budget at a Glance 10 Summary of Requirements 12 Program Activities .................................................................................................14 Preparedness 16 Suppression Operations 24 Fuels Management 30 Other Operations 36 Burned Area Rehabilitation 38 Facilities Construction and Maintenance 42 Joint Fire Science Program 46 Other Exhibits ........................................................................................................50 Appropriations Language 50 Justification of Fixed Costs 57 Employee Count By Grade 58 Section 403 Compliance 59 Appendix A – Lists of Key Tables and Figures ...................................................62 Appendix B – References .......................................................................................64 FY 2022 Budget Justification DOI Wildland Fire Management This page is intentionally blank. Page 1 of 65 FY 2022 Budget Justification DOI Wildland Fire Management Executive Summary Introduction Fire is generally a natural and essential component of a healthy ecosystem, but it can be destructive and costly in unhealthy ecosystems. The average wildfire has become larger, costlier, and more complex, and wildfire “season” has grown to be almost year-round. Furthermore, climate change has contributed to more frequent and severe wildfire activity, and wildfire itself contributes to climate change through the release of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. In the United States, on average, more than 62,000 wildfires burn 6.8 million acres1 every year. During the 2020 fire year, wildfire activity burned 10.3 million acres nationally—a 51 percent increase over the ten-year average. The majority of acres burned occurred in the latter half of the year, with National Preparedness Level 5 starting in the middle of August and lasting for 44 days. That represented a significant increase above the ten-year average of 9.6 days. To manage an effective wildland fire program, it is critical to take a proactive and cooperative approach that mitigates the negative effects of wildfires while actively managing the use of fire to achieve resource management goals. The wildland fire community includes two Cabinet-level agencies that manage wildland fire on behalf of the Federal government: the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Department of the Interior (DOI) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA)—through its U.S. Forest Service (USFS)—are integral parts of a larger wildland fire management (WFM) community that works collaboratively to implement a cohesive fire management framework that ensures wildland firefighter and public safety while mitigating loss from wildfire. The goal of DOI’s WFM program is to provide integrated, cost-efficient, and operationally effective actions that meet resource and safety objectives before, during, and after wildfires. The guiding program principles and priorities are to create fire-resilient landscapes, promote fire-adapted communities, and safely and effectively respond to wildfires through strong Federal, Tribal Nation, State, and local collaboration. DOI’s WFM program 1 Statistics cited from the ten-year average of fires from 2010-2019: https://www.predictiveservices.nifc.gov/IMSR/2020/20201231IMSR.pdf Page 2 of 65 FY 2022 Budget Justification DOI Wildland Fire Management comprises the Office of Wildland Fire (OWF) and four bureaus with WFM responsibilities: (1) the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), (2) the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), (3) the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and (4) the National Park Service (NPS). In addition, other bureaus and agencies play an integral role in supporting DOI’s WFM program. Collaboration with other Federal agencies, Tribal Nations, States, local communities, and the private sector is essential to providing a unified and coordinated response to wildland fire. Military and international partners provide additional wildfire suppression support, especially when existing resources are insufficient to meet the increased demands of a severe fire season. Governance & Coordination The Federal WFM program is closely coordinated and integrated with other Federal, Tribal Nation, State, and local programs using interoperable equipment, training, and standards. The program is guided by a common policy and approach, implemented through agency line organizations, and operates within the context of the statutory mission of each agency. A number of governance structures are used to develop and maintain this common, integrated approach—ranging from the national, strategic level to regional and local coordination groups. The Wildland Fire Leadership Council (WFLC) is an intergovernmental council that includes Federal, Tribal Nation, State, and local officials. The Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture established WFLC in 2002 in the aftermath of several severe fire seasons. WFLC provides strategic guidance in the application of WFM policy across multiple jurisdictions. The council is instrumental in the development and implementation of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy, which remains the foundation of Federal wildland fire management policy. The National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy establishes a national vision for wildland fire management. Developed in 2014, it represents a commitment to working collaboratively among all stakeholders and across all landscapes through shared stewardship to achieve the three national goals. In DOI, OWF is the principal office responsible for developing, managing, and overseeing WFM policy, planning, budget, program accountability, and review. In carrying out these responsibilities, OWF ensures that implementation of the WFM program is consistent across DOI and adheres to the laws and directives established by Congress and the President, Administration priorities, DOI’s Strategic Plan, and other wildland fire policies and directives. Furthermore, OWF is responsible for developing and managing many of the information technology systems that the WFM community uses for tracking and using data, planning, and responding to wildfires. Page 3 of 65 FY 2022 Budget Justification DOI Wildland Fire Management America the Beautiful The America the Beautiful Initiative – A key component of the Administration’s investment strategy to address climate impacts on-the-ground through land stewardship and conservation is to leverage the power of Americans across the country. The Administration recently released a preliminary report to the National Climate Task Force titled Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful, recommending a ten-year, locally led campaign to conserve and restore America’s lands and waters. The report provides an overarching framework to implement the President’s goal to conserve 30 percent of U.S. land and waters by 2030, which will help address the climate crisis and its impacts on nature, improve equitable access to the outdoors, and strengthen the economy. The report recognizes and celebrates the voluntary conservation efforts of farmers, ranchers, and forest owners; the leadership of sovereign Tribal Nations in caring for lands, waters, and wildlife; the contributions and stewardship traditions of America’s hunters, anglers, and fishing communities; and the vital importance of investing in playgrounds, trails, and open space in park-deprived communities. The “America the Beautiful” initiative is intended to serve as a call to action to support locally led conservation and restoration efforts across public, private, State, and Tribal lands and waters. The initiative welcomes all communities wishing to steward their lands and waters and boost the economy and support jobs. The guiding principles—which include a commitment to collaboration, support for voluntary and locally led conservation, and honoring of Tribal sovereignty and private property rights— are essential to building and maintaining broad support, enthusiasm, and trust for this effort. Supporting these principles, the 2022 budget includes increases across Interior to support local partnership programs, improve targeted conservation efforts, restore damaged lands, and promote locally led efforts of all kinds wherever communities wish to safeguard the lands and waters they know and love. American Jobs Plan The 2022 budget request includes the American Jobs Plan legislative proposal, which calls for significant investments to create jobs, bolster the Nation’s infrastructure, and help make America more competitive in a changing world. The plan invests in much needed brick-and-mortar infrastructure,