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Participants question transfer of federal wildfire program after FY26 proposal zeros funding
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Summary
An unnamed staff member said FY2025 numbers for a federal wildfire program were still being finalized while a senator criticized the president's proposed FY2026 budget, which they said would zero out the program and shift responsibility to states.
An unnamed staff member and a senator debated the federal role in wildfire funding during a brief exchange at the meeting. The staff member said the agency was "still working with OMB on on that request" and expected to finalize FY2025 figures within a few weeks. The senator challenged that timeline and criticized the administration's FY2026 proposal, saying it "zeroes out this program" and asking how responsibility could be shifted to states facing tighter budgets.
The debate centered on two budget points: the staff member said FY2025 fourth-quarter numbers were still being finalized and noted an internal deadline of Aug. 15; the senator said the president's proposed FY2026 budget eliminates direct federal resources for the program and voiced concern that states would be left to cover the work. "Do you know what the FY '26 numbers? My understanding is the president's proposed budget zeroes out this program. How does that make any sense?" the senator asked.
The staff member responded that the intent for FY2026 was to "transfer that responsibility to the states" and to continue "partnering with the states in dialogue and discussions," but did not provide funding figures for FY2026 or describe how the transfer would be implemented. The staff member also confirmed that some FY2025 program numbers were still being finalized: "So q 4 numbers for '25 are still being finalized for some of those programs. Yes, sir." The senator pressed the practical implications of that shift for states with constrained budgets: "You're pushing it to the states that have less resources to work with. How does that make any sense?"
The senator cited past wildfire events as context for the urgency of federal support, referencing Santa Rosa and Los Angeles and saying those communities "are at increased risk." The transcript did not provide specific dollar amounts for the FY2025 figures under discussion, nor did it include any formal vote or directive arising from this exchange.
This item was a discussion; no formal action, motion, or decision was recorded in the transcript excerpt. The key unresolved points are the finalized FY2025 numbers (described in the meeting as "still being finalized"), the specifics of how responsibilities would be transferred to states, and any implementation plan or timeline for FY2026 funding changes.
