2021 California Monument Fire - Engine crew battles flames
Credit: USDA
July 20, 2022 - WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein (both D-Calif.) on Tuesday urged the Biden administration to fill vacant wildland firefighter positions as California and the West enter the height of fire season.
The senators successfully secured $600 million in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to increase pay by up to $20,000 for wildland firefighters to improve recruitment and retention. Today’s letter follows recent calls for the administration to swiftly implement provisions of the bipartisan infrastructure law pertaining to wildfire and a new occupational series for federal wildland firefighters.
“Congress recently provided $600 million to your agencies to increase firefighter salaries, and we are pleased that federal firefighters are now starting to receive these pay raises. We urge your agencies to take advantage of this pay supplement to recruit additional firefighters and reach your staffing targets before this year’s California fire season begins in earnest,” the senators wrote.
They continued, “We understand that the U.S. Forest Service has a shortage of approximately 1,200 firefighters, 500 of which are in California, and the Interior Department has a shortage of roughly 450 firefighters, 150 of which are in California. Federal firefighter shortages in past fire seasons required the diversion of other resources to combat these fires, putting at risk not only federally owned forests, but also state and private lands.”
Full text of the letter is available here and below:
Dear Secretaries Vilsack and Haaland,
We write to express our ongoing concerns regarding the shortage of wildland firefighters at the U.S. Forest Service and Department of the Interior. For years, these staffing shortages have been attributed to the low salary and high risk associated with these positions. Congress recently provided $600 million to your agencies to increase firefighter salaries, and we are pleased that federal firefighters are now starting to receive these pay raises. We urge your agencies to take advantage of this pay supplement to recruit additional firefighters and reach your staffing targets before this year’s California fire season begins in earnest.
As you well know, wildfires are one of the most critical challenges currently facing the West; the eight largest wildfires in California history have occurred since 2017. During that span, more than 10 million acres have burned, killing nearly 200 people and destroying more than 32,000 homes. Because 58 percent of the forestland is federally-owned, the federal government has an obligation to provide the resources necessary to combat these fires. Nevertheless, we understand that the U.S. Forest Service has a shortage of approximately 1,200 firefighters, 500 of which are in California, and the Interior Department has a shortage of roughly 450 firefighters, 150 of which are in California. Federal firefighter shortages in past fire seasons required the diversion of other resources to combat these fires, putting at risk not only federally owned forests, but also state and private lands.
With the funds Congress provided through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, your agencies have the responsibility to demonstrate the efficacy of higher salaries and the need for a permanent pay increase for wildland firefighters. We therefore urge you to fill the outstanding vacancies without further delay, with additional hiring events if necessary, and request that you update us regularly on your progress.
Sincerely,
Source: Senator Alex Padilla
