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Agriculture department details wildfire recovery, aging forestry fleet and seafood testing program
Summary
The Department of Agriculture and Forestry told the Senate committee its FY26 budget includes carryforward funds for 2023 wildfire response, requests to replace aging dozers and transports, concerns about NRCS funding pauses and new antibiotic testing for shrimp and crawfish.
The Senate Budget Committee heard a detailed budget briefing for the Department of Agriculture and Forestry on March 18; the briefing covered wildfire recovery carryforwards, an aging forestry fleet and a pause in some USDA conservation programs that could affect Salt and Water Conservation District staffing.
Why it matters: The department supervises forest firefighting capacity, conservation district programs and state food‑system grants. Committees heard that wildfire response and federal grant pauses have immediate operational consequences for districts and local conservation technicians.
Wildfire recovery and federal grants: Mark Bournes of Senate Fiscal Services said the department's FY25 budget included a $15.7 million carryforward to cover bona fide obligations from the August 2023 wildfires…
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