An Urgent Request to Senate and House Leadership: 

Include the bipartisan, bicameral Federal Wildland Firefighter pay adjustment in the next CR or Emergency Supplemental to stop a pay cliff that will cripple emergency incident response. 

Background 

15,000 Federal Wildland Firefighters (WFFs) from the U.S. Forest Service (USDA) and Department of the Interior (DOI) endure longer and more dangerous wildfire seasons each year, with the loss of life and property increasing at a phenomenal rate. A temporary WFF pay adjustment has expired, putting our federal WFFs at risk. We have pending legislation that is a permanent fix to the WFF pay problem. Failing to act will mean that federal firefighters will endure a pay cut of up to 50% of base pay, up to  $20,000. 

A bipartisan, bicameral fix is already supported by authorizers and appropriators. This fix MUST be included in the next CR or Emergency Supplemental. Save lives, save property, and sustain a wildland firefighting workforce. House and Senate FY 2025 Interior Appropriations bills include a permanent pay fix supported by Democratic and Republican Committee and Subcommittee Chairs and Ranking Members. This legislation would: 

1. Permanently Increase Federal WFF Pay. The bill would avoid the impending pay cliff by permanently increasing WFF pay at levels at or near those enacted within  the current temporary increase extended from legislation passed in 2021 (IIJA). 

2. Establish a new Pay Scale for WFFs. The bill's pay increases are largely realized by  establishing a new pay scale for WFFs at all grade levels, similar to the General  Schedule (GS) pay scale that applies to most federal employees. 

3. Establish Additional Pay Supplements for WFFs. Base pay is supplemented by  additional pay for each day a firefighter is deployed on a wildland fire. 

Bipartisan, Bicameral Support from Authorizers and Appropriators 

Senate ENR Chair Joe Manchin and Ranking Member John Barrasso 

Senate Appropriations Chair Patty Murray and Vice Chair Susan Collins 

Senate Interior Appropriations Chair Jeff Merkley and Ranking Member Lisa Murkowski House Appropriations Chair Kay Granger and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro  

House Interior Appropriations Chair Mike Simpson and Ranking Member Chellie Pingree 

Built-In Offsets 

Majority and Minority Appropriators realize that automatic offsets will occur from 1) smaller and fewer wildfires, 2) saving on remediation costs, 3) more prescribed burns that prevent fires, 4) more effective use of current resources (e.g., fire  engines and hotshot crews sitting idle due to high position vacancies), and 5) less FEMA and other financial assistance to wildfire victims and towns.