Since Congress still has not dealt with their self-imposed “fiscal cliff” or budget sequestration required by the Budget Control Act of 2011, severe budget cuts could affect the federal land management agencies and their wildland firefighters after March 1. That is the latest deadline after Congress has consistently kicked the can further down the road rather than actually doing their jobs and passing a federal budget.
An all-employees letter from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack today warned that the agency could be forced to lay off, or furlough, some employees if the self-imposed crisis is not averted. Here is an excerpt:
…As a result, we are closely examining contracts, grants, and other forms of expenditures across the Department to determine where we can reduce costs. In many cases, this could mean making cuts to vital programs or curtailing spending on contracts. We will also take steps, wherever possible, to cut operational or administrative costs in areas such as travel, training, facilities, and supplies.
We may also have to consider placing employees on temporary furlough, or taking other personnel actions, should sequestration occur. With respect to furloughs, should we have to pursue this unfortunate course of action, let me assure you that all affected employees will be provided at least 30 days’ notice prior to executing a furlough.
If the Budget Control Act of 2011 or “fiscal cliff” is allowed to go into effect on March 1, 2013 the federal wildland fire programs will be cut by $218 million.
In addition, the FLAME wildfire suppression reserve fund will be cut by 8.2 percent, meaning it would not be funded at the 10-year average, greatly increasing the risk of funding shortfalls, as occurred in fiscal year 2012 which ended September 30. Such a shortfall would impact more than just the fire programs. With no carryover funds and a cut in the FLAME reserve fund, the wildland fire agencies in the Departments of Interior and Agriculture would need to take funds from other accounts to make up the firefighting shortfall.
Under the Budget Control Act, the sequestration would result in a 9.4 percent reduction in non-exempt defense discretionary funding and an 8.2 percent reduction in non-exempt nondefense discretionary funding. The sequestration would also impose cuts of 2.0 percent to Medicare, 7.6 percent to other non-exempt nondefense mandatory programs, and 10.0 percent to non-exempt defense mandatory programs.
Most of the federal wildland fire appropriations will be subject to an 8.2 percent reduction since they are considered “discretionary”.
A report, prepared by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), revealed the following cuts to wildland fire budgets that could go into effect; the numbers do not include the FLAME fire suppression accounts:
- U.S. Forest Service Wildland Fire Management: $172 million
- Department of Interior Wildland Fire Management: $46 million
Contractors are at the tip of the spear…..way to go forest circus.
Dodge, the Forest Service is not responsible for passing the legislation that caused this fiasco. The blame lies with the people that ask us to elect them so that they can go to Washington to conduct the nations’s business. Passing a budget should be their first priority, but they have not accomplished this for four years. They have failed miserably at that very important responsibility.
Well said, Bill. Forest Service haters are always ready to throw rocks, even if they don’t know the real target. If contractors are “on the point of the spear” because of budget cuts and Sequestration, so be it! USFS employees have flexibility to plant seedlings, fight fire, mark timber and clean campgrounds; Contractors require contract modifications, possible re-bidding and increased costs to do the same. Don’t like the possible budget cuts, call your Congress Person, not your local District Ranger.
If you want a job you need to be calling districts/forests you are interested in working for. That will help your cause for sure.
Ive been doing that everyday, Ive recieved 25 interest emails from 5 different states, one interest phone call from california and one location asked for my supervisors names and phone numbers in my resume. I also visited with an FMO and had a good talk with him.
Agreed- I’m currently hiring 8 seasonal positions and have a cert with around 400 names on it, so calling or visiting is a huge advantage, especially at the GS-3/4 levels. Another thing that helps is using decent grammar and spelling on applications and resumes.
Thats rough, I applied with the forest service too for over 600 duty locations. Im hoping something will pop with them.
Well, my friend at the BLM said to me that his budget was cut big time and he will only be able to staff two type 6 engines leaving his type 4 engine without a crew. His engines are manned by seasonals so yeah, sounds bad for seasonal firefighters. He said that he could maybe man his type 4 if the season got bad, but with a lower number of seasonals being hired the BLM would move a crew from a quiet area to fill the need. Of course to bump a crew would short staff another area already short staffed….. If a seasonal does get lucky enough to get hired he or she will probably be quite busy.
Does anyone know how this may or may not effect seasonal wildfire positions?