On Monday, March 28th, the Biden Administration released its $5.8 trillion budget request for Fiscal Year 2023, which highlights many Administration priorities and kicks off the appropriations process on Capitol Hill. While much of the budget is requesting funds for programs already announced under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), some new provisions of interest for RCRC member counties include: 

  • The Budget provides nearly $3.9 billion for Forest Service Wildland Fire Management, an increase of $778 million, plus an additional $2.6 billion authorized in the suppression cap adjustment.  
  • The Budget upholds the President’s commitment that no Federal firefighter will make less than $15 an hour, and increases the size of the Federal firefighting workforce by providing $1.8 billion for personnel and preparedness. Consistent with the President’s commitment to use the latest technologies in the fight against wildfires, the Budget also permanently sustains a pilot program that leverages sensitive satellite imagery to rapidly detect wildfires.  

  • The Budget also invests $646 million in Hazardous Fuels Management and Burned Area Rehabilitation programs to help reduce the risk and severity of wildfires and restore lands that were devastated by catastrophic fire over the last several years. This funding complements the $2.5 billion for hazardous fuels management and $650 million for burned area rehabilitation projects provided through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 

  • The Budget provides $300 million in new funding for grants, loans, and debt forgiveness for rural electric providers as they transition to clean energy, as well as $6.5 billion in loan authority for rural electric loans, an increase of $1 billion over the 2021 enacted level. 

  • The Budget invests over $675 million in Western water resource infrastructure to provide potable water to rural areas, serving both tribal and non-tribal communities. The Budget also provides funding to address the ongoing drought in the western United States.