Agriculture and Forestry budget briefing draws attention to wildfire carryforwards, aging firefighting fleet and federal program pauses

Mark Bournes of Senate Fiscal Services presented the Department of Agriculture & Forestry’s FY26 recommended budget, which the department said totals about $95.9 million and relies on statutory dedications (40%), state general funds (37%), federal funds (13%) and fees/self-generated revenues (9%).

Commissioner Mike Strain (present at the hearing) and his staff described major FY25 carryforwards and one-time federal grants tied to the August 2023 wildfires, including a $15.7 million BA7 for bona-fide obligations from wildfire response and about $8.4 million in federal firefighting equipment funding through the U.S. Forest Service. They said nonrecurring carryforwards and equipment expenditures explain much of the FY25-to-FY26 fluctuation.

Senators pressed the department on fleet replacement and the forestry heavy-equipment program. Commissioner Strain reported a total state fleet of roughly 635 units (light, medium and heavy), with numerous vehicles and heavy transports purchased in prior bulk procurements (many in the late 2000s) that are now aging. Forestry uses large dozers and transports in wildfire response; the department asked for recurring capital (commissioner said a $5 million annual goal for dozer replacement was discussed) and an increase in fleet mechanics (the department requested 4 mechanic positions) to maintain readiness. Strain told members that older dozers are becoming hard to maintain because parts are unavailable for some pre‑2007 models.

Soil and water conservation districts were a focus: the department said USDA NRCS paused signing of new EQIP and CSP applications and that reimbursement to the state-run workforce that supports the districts had fallen two months in arrears; the department warned that, if the federal delay extended, districts that depend on the federal flow could need staff reductions. The department asked for clarity about a carryforward interagency transfer related to Lake St. Joseph nutrient-loading work.

Agriculture staff also described a pause in several domestic USDA food-program grants, including the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure (RFSI) and local-food purchase programs; department staff said they had notified grantees not to spend additional award funds because federal reimbursement was paused. The department further described ongoing seafood-safety testing (antibiotics and other residues) and inspections of seafood labeling; it reported initial sampling, lab accreditation, and actions taken when noncompliant packages are found.

Senators requested more detailed equipment inventories, a roster of vehicles with mileage and repair history, and documentation on carryforwards and FEMA/GOSEP transfers used for wildfire response. Several members asked Treasury and the department to coordinate when CEAs and pass-through distributions affect parish-level projects.