Tom Vilsack Secretary of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) | Official Website
WASHINGTON, June 3, 2024 — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland today issued a joint memo to federal agency leaders with wildfire responsibilities, outlining their vision and goals for managing wildland fires this year. The memo highlights fire management investments from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, as well as other strategic priorities to reduce wildfire risk, restore ecosystems, engage in post-fire recovery, support the wildland fire workforce, and make communities more resilient to fire.
“Our wildland firefighters and employees who support forest health have proven time and time again that they can deliver on our efforts to confront the nation’s wildfire crisis,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. “Whether they are suppressing wildfires or reducing hazardous fuels to lower wildfire risk to communities, they are always there on the frontlines. We need Congress to act now to provide them with the permanent pay fix they need and deserve. We also need Congress to double down by adopting President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda and provide us with a budget that provides a permanent pay increase for our wildland firefighters, expands firefighter health and wellbeing, improves work-life balance, and improves housing they can afford in the communities they serve.”
“As climate change continues to drive wildfires with increased speed and intensity, we are deploying historic resources from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to better protect communities and ecosystems around the country,” said Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. “We will continue to leverage our valuable partnerships with state, Tribal and local governments, and the private sector to address and mitigate wildfire risk while also ensuring that our wildland fire personnel have the support and resources they need to stay safe and be prepared on the landscape.”
In 2023, the Agriculture and Interior Departments completed an historic 6.85 million acres of hazardous fuels treatments aimed at reducing excessive vegetation that can fuel wildfires. These activities are restoring fire-adapted ecosystems and reducing the risk of high-severity wildfires which pose greater dangers to public health, infrastructure, natural resources, and communities. Increased funding available through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda is continuing to support collaborative efforts for fuel treatments across public, Tribal, and private lands in 2024.
The Departments aim to employ more than 17,000 wildland fire personnel this year to support communities increasingly impacted by wildfires. They are working together to increase support for these personnel by improving recruitment efforts, retaining talented professionals sustainably into the future while addressing worsening conditions due to climate change.
Firefighter pay supplements first introduced by President Biden in 2021 provided a significant pay increase for federal and Tribal wildland firefighters after decades without one. These increases have been enhanced through temporary supplements funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Since 2021 almost 16,000 Forest Service firefighters along with nearly 5,600 Interior Department firefighters have received over $560 million in temporary pay supplements funded through this law. However without congressional action base salaries could revert back—$15 per hour—in October 2024 making achieving a lasting pay increase crucial according both Departments’ top priority remains finding a permanent solution within legislative proposals outlined within fiscal year budget requests.
Wildland firefighters operate under hazardous stressful environments impacting their overall health well-being; thus developing comprehensive programs understanding short long-term effects remains vital expanding mental physical readiness mitigating occupational environmental hazards remains essential goal.
The Secretaries emphasized incorporating newly updated National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy into policy providing uniform framework strengthening partnerships enabling cross-jurisdictional collaboration tackling challenges posed increasing wildfire activity climate change-driven events using recommendations Wildland Fire Mitigation Management Commission shifting response proactive building sustainable solutions creating resilient landscapes communities crucially needed moving forward highlighted commission's final report submitted Congress last fall including actionable steps taken address outlined issues accordingly aiming reduce future impacts tragic events witnessed past years
Across United States significantly reduced burned areas compared previous years yet devastating incidents causing civilian deaths loss housing infrastructure resource damage necessitating continued vigilance preparedness anticipating potential increased activity coming months ensuring lives protected mitigating adverse effects stemming from intensifying conditions requiring collective effort ongoing commitment enhancing resilience combating evolving threats posed growing crisis
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