Department of Lands seeks funds for fire program expansion; governor proposes multi-million transfers to fire fund

The Idaho Department of Lands told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee on Thursday it needs expanded staffing and sustainment funding to support wildfire response, firefighter pay, and forest restoration work, while the governor recommended large transfers to the fire suppression deficiency fund and targeted bonuses for state-employed firefighters.

Janet Jessup, a budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, told committee members the Department of Lands budget appears in the Natural Resources section of the budget book and encompasses six program areas, including fire and range protection, forest resources and trust-land management. She stressed the department receives revenue from numerous dedicated funds and that the largest dedicated fund for the agency collects receipts from multiple statutorily directed sources.

Dustin Miller, director of the Idaho Department of Lands, said the department is seeking several new positions tied to fire and forest operations and explained the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA), a program that uses timber-sale receipts from federal lands to fund state-administered restoration and active management. "We are now generating enough income in the program through the timber sales off of federal lands . . . About $40 million is what's been generated to date," Miller said.

Mil…