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Commission approves higher entry pay and premium pay for forestry firefighting roles
Summary
The State Civil Service Commission approved a special entrance rate and corresponding base-pay adjustments for forestry firefighting job titles to address recruitment and retention, following a presentation from Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain and staff showing a substantial market pay gap.
The Louisiana State Civil Service Commission on July 1 approved a special entrance rate (SER) for forestry firefighting titles and corresponding base-pay increases after hearing that the state’s forestry firefighters are paid substantially less than market comparators.
Staff told commissioners the Forestry Crew Specialist 1 position currently starts at $28,579 annually while the market average is about $42,000. Staff recommended an SER of $42,016 and corresponding adjustments across the series that would raise base pay for about 144 employees by roughly 42.7%, at an estimated cost of about $2.7 million. Commissioners were told the legislature provided roughly $5 million to address recruitment and retention for the program.
"I bring to you a very important matter, and it's a matter of the state's firefighters," Louisiana Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry Mike Strain said in the presentation, describing heavy training requirements, frequent deployments and high turnover after the department’s 2023 wildfire season.
Strain described the scale of operations and risks firefighters face and said retention is challenged when employees with CDLs and heavy-equipment training can move to higher-paying private-sector jobs or out-of-state employers. Staff and the commissioner pointed to comparisons with neighboring states and to a two-pronged request: the special entrance rate plus a premium-pay option tied to longevity and hours worked.
Commissioner discussion focused on whether the proposed increases would be enough to be competitive; one commissioner said the proposal brings starting pay to the regional average, not a market-leading rate, and encouraged the department to return if additional funds are needed. After questions, a motion to approve both the SER and premium-pay request (items 20 and 21) was made and seconded; the measure passed without objection.
The action is effective July 1, 2026. The motion to approve was made on the record by a commissioner and seconded; the commission recorded no objections and the items were adopted.
Looking ahead, staff said the appropriation and the adjustments aim to reduce turnover and align starting pay with regional comparators, while premium-pay would offer an additional hourly supplement based on years of service.
