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Department of Lands budget hearing spotlights fire fund transfers, Good Neighbor Authority and Timber Protective Association pay
Summary
Lawmakers reviewed the Department of Lands’ FY2026 requests including $5.7 million in line-item enhancements (mostly one-time), the governor’s proposed transfers to the fire suppression deficiency fund, proposed firefighter bonuses, continued Good Neighbor Authority activity, and a CEC-equivalent for Timber Protective Associations.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee reviewed the Idaho Department of Lands’ FY2026 budget request and related wildfire and forest-management items, with testimony from Legislative Services and Department of Lands Director Dustin Miller.
Why it matters: the hearing covered funding and staffing for wildfire response and prevention programs that affect state finances, county partners and private forest owners. Committee members pressed the department on the state of the fire suppression deficiency fund, the role and pay of Timber Protective Associations (TPAs), the department’s personnel requests for fire program modernization, and the status of the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) program that coordinates forest work on federal lands.
Department overview and funds: Janet Jessup (Legislative Services) described the department’s structure and fund mix, noting the Department of Lands Fund receives revenue from many sources and that the fire suppression deficiency warrant fund is continuously appropriated (meaning the agency can expend from it without…
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