Department of Lands emphasizes fire suppression and staffing needs; governor proposes large transfers to suppression fund

The Idaho Department of Lands presented its FY 2026 budget to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee with an emphasis on wildfire suppression preparedness, staffing for fire and forestry programs, and continued expansion of the Good Neighbor Authority on federal lands.

Janet Jessup, Budget and Policy Analyst with the Legislative Services Office, said the Department of Lands operates across six programs and uses many dedicated funds. She explained the fire suppression deficiency warrant fund is continuously appropriated — the agency can spend from it without a legislative appropriation — and that since 2015 the legislature has increasingly prefunded the account in anticipation of wildfire seasons. Jessup noted prior transfers and that the governor recommended transfers to bolster the fund.

The governor’s recommendations included a $60 million supplemental transfer to the fire suppression deficiency fund for FY 2025 and a $40 million transfer from the general fund (as identified in the FY 2026 recommendation). The department and analysts noted that without additional transfers the suppression account could decline substantially: Director Dustin Miller told the…