US Wildland Fire Service Phase 3 advances under DOI What Phase 3 means for DOI operations and the status of US Forest Service consolidation. The US Department of the Interior (DOI) is moving ahead with Phase 3 of the US Wildland Fire Service (USWFS) implementation, consistent with the Secretary of the Interior’s Order 3448, as the agency continues its phased approach to reorganizing federal wildland fire resources. Phase 3 marks the next step in establishing the USWFS, building on earlier administrative and organizational groundwork and focusing on the operational alignment of DOI wildfire resources. This phase does not transfer US Forest Service (USFS) personnel or assets into the USWFS; any such action would require congressional approval. Last week, the US Senate Committee on Appropriations released its FY2026 bill summary for wildland fire budgets as part of the annual appropriations process aimed at finalizing funding and avoiding a government shutdown. The committee’s summary states that it does not endorse consolidation of the USFS and DOI wildfire workforces as proposed in President Trump’s budget request. Instead, it calls for a feasibility study to evaluate whether such a consolidation should be pursued in the future. Critically, the bill summary continues the long-standing practice of funding both the DOI and the USFS separately, allowing Congress time to consider any major structural changes through legislation rather than through the appropriations process. The FY2026 summary provides resources to support wildfire operations across federal agencies, including: • Funding for a permanent pay fix and job series for federal wildland firefighters, preventing a significant pay cut for the firefighting workforce • $4.25 billion for wildfire suppression, including $2.85 billion for the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund • Continued funding to ensure preparedness and suppression capacity during periods of high wildfire activity. These provisions are intended to maintain operational continuity and workforce stability for the 2026 fire season. VAI will continue to provide updates as congressional discussions regarding feasibility studies and long-term agency structure continue and will remain engaged with Congress on issues related to aerial firefighting funding and potential consolidation efforts. Read the US Department of the Interior press release about the launch of the US Wildland Fire Service.
