BOISE, ID – The Idaho Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved funding to fight wildfires and bonuses for wildland firefighters during a meeting Friday at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise.
However, budget writers did not provide the full funding levels that Idaho Gov. Brad Little and other statewide elected officials recommended at the beginning of the annual legislative session.
On Friday, legislators set aside less money for fighting wildfires than the state spent fighting wildfires in 2024.
Late Friday afternoon Idaho Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller said the one-time $40 million transfer to fight wildfires is not enough money to cover the average cost of a fire season.
In a statement to the Idaho Capital Sun, Miller said he worried about going into debt to fight wildfires.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, or JFAC, is a powerful committee that sets all the budgets for every state agency and department every year.
Budget committee approves of $40M transfer from general fund to fire suppression fund
JFAC members voted unanimously to approve a one-time request to transfer $40 million from the state’s general fund to the state’s Fire Suppression Deficiency Fund.
The fund is what the state uses to pay to fight wildfires on lands the state is responsible for. Following last year’s long and difficult fire season, the state spent about $58 million fighting wildfires and spent down a significant chunk of the fund balance, Miller said. The balance in the fire suppression account stands at about $12 million, he said.
At the beginning of the 2025 legislative session, Little requested a $60 million supplemental funding request for the current fiscal year 2025 budget and an ongoing transfer of $40 million every year to build the fire suppression fund back up and prepare to fight wildfires this year.
The Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners, which is made up of Little and other statewide elected officials, also backed Little and called for increasing the fund’s balance to about $100 million.
“For this reason, the State Board of Land Commissioners endorses the Governor’s recommendation for a $60 million FY25 supplemental appropriation that will backfill the last fire season so we can continue to keep the Fire Suppression Deficiency Fund balance near $100 million, and an additional ongoing $40 million fund transfer to help Idaho avoid going into debt to fight wildfires in the future,” Little, Attorney General Raúl Labrador, Secretary of State Phil McGrane, Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield and State Controller Brandon Woolf wrote in a Feb. 18 letter to JFAC.
“Backing the Fire Suppression Deficiency Fund means Idaho’s wildland firefighters can focus on aggressively protecting timber, lands, property, and people without funding delays, and lawmakers can enter next year’s budgeting cycle without a deficit due to wildfire suppression,” the letter from Little and the land board added.
JFAC just approved a one-time $40 million transfer, which would bring the balance of the fire suppression fund to about $52 million – not the $100-plus million Little and the land board sought.
“We appreciate the legislature funding many key Idaho Department of Lands’ budget priorities, including $40 million for the fire suppression fund,” Miller said. “However, concerns remain about relying on debt to cover wildfire costs, especially if we have a wildfire season like last year.”
“Unfortunately, the $40 million supplemental added to the balance of the account is not enough to fund our anticipated suppression activities if we have a bad fire season,” Miller added. “This would cause (Idaho Department of Lands) to have to rely on deficiency warrants. From the governor’s perspective, doing that and putting fire suppression on a “credit card” would be irresponsible, which is why he, with full support of the Idaho Board of Land Commissioner (Land Board), advocated for a stronger funding approach.”
Legislator says state can use different process for funding if state runs out of money during wildfire season
Rep. Dustin Manwaring, R-Pocatello, pointed out that the $52 million in the fund would not have been enough to pay the bills from last year’s fire season. But he said the state can use a process called deficiency warrants to pay for fighting wildfires if it runs out of money. If that happens, state officials would then return to the Idaho Legislature next year with the bills for the deficiency warrants – a process kind of like paying the bills with a credit card.
“I do want to make a comment about the current fire season that we just had was about $60 million,” Manwaring said. “So we understand if we have another fire season like we had, we may have to use the deficiency warrant process, but the department has that ability to pay for fire if we get into that situation.”
JFAC members did not discuss Little’s letter or consider any alternative proposals during the meeting to increase the fire suppression fund balance.
In separate action Friday, JFAC also voted 19-1 to approve $1.25 million in bonuses for wildland firefighters as part of the larger fiscal year 2026 budget enhancements for the Idaho Department of Lands. For the bonuses, $1 million would go to Idaho Department of Lands firefighters and the remaining $250,000 would go to timber protection association firefighters in Idaho.
The money would provide bonuses for more than 300 firefighters, legislators said.
The fiscal year 2026 budget enhancements for the department also include new funding for fire detection cameras, funding for fire equipment, funding and one new position for a new fire emergency support program manager, funding and one new position for a fire aviation section manager and more.
However, JFAC also zeroed out a $52,000 funding request from Little for the shared stewardship program to reduce wildfire risk. Under the shared stewardship program, the state, U.S. Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service share staff and funding and all participate in an advisory group that seeks to identify mutual priorities and forest management opportunities.
The funding for the Fire Suppression Deficiency Fund and the bonuses for wildland firefighters must still be approved by the full Idaho House of Representatives and Idaho Senate to take effect.
The bill, which passed the House Wednesday on a 93-4 vote, makes several key changes to improve access to the exemption.
According to a news release from Dent’s office, “It encourages fuel retailers to sell exempt fuel at the point of sale, allowing farmers to buy it without the surcharge. It also requires the Department of Ecology to map exempt fuel locations across the state using voluntary information from fuel sellers, ensuring farmers know where to purchase qualifying fuel.”
Washington’s 32,000 farmers deserve the relief, Dent observed.