https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Economy


Pixabay

News

Pew study unpacks how state wildfire spending norms fall short and strain budgets

Pew study unpacks how state wildfire spending norms fall short and strain budgets

  • Written by Andy Castillo
  • 1st December 2022

Every year, dramatic photographs of smoldering communities and grieving loved ones portray the physical cost of wildfire season. What isn’t captured in those heart-wrenching images is the fiscal implications of increasingly catastrophic wildfires; they’re straining state budgets to the breaking point.

A new report from The Pew Charitable Trusts, “Wildfires: Burning Through State Budgets,” sheds light on the financial burden wildfires are placing on state budgets and highlights a need for more research and data collection on the subject while unpacking inefficiencies of the current administrative system.

“The overarching context is that wildfires are becoming bigger and more costly over time. As fires have grown, so have government costs associated with them,” said Colin Foard, lead author of the report and a manager of the The Pew Charitable Trusts’ fiscal federalism initiative. He was speaking Wednesday in a briefing about the report’s findings.

Compared to a 33-year period beginning in 1983, the average amount of acreage that burned annually between 2017 and 2021 was 68 percent larger. And in correlation, combined funding for wildfire activities undertaken by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Forest Service more than doubled from 2011 to 2020, according to the report.

States are likewise facing a dramatic increase in wildfire spending. Washington, for example, spent an annual average of $24 million on wildfire suppression between 2010 and 2014. From 2015 to 2019, it more than tripled to $83 million, the report notes.

In response to the growing need, states are taking a two-pronged approach to mitigate wildfires, according to Foard: they’re allocating resources for unpredictable year-over-year costs, and they’re trying to reduce fire risk over time. Given the variables, this is easier said than done.

“Wildfire needs vary a lot year over year, and planning for that is a challenge,” Foard said.

Confronting wildfire is a complex and tedious process that begins with smart forest management and cooperation agreements between jurisdictional agencies. From managing forests to making sure buildings are less susceptible to fires, preparation and prevention measures are undertaken constantly, but they aren’t prioritized as highly as suppression.

Administratively, it’s difficult to make sure that line items for prevention aren’t “swallowed up by suppression costs,” he said. In this, it’s important for administrators to consider the macro perspective, “taking stock” and considering “if there’s a way to more accurately represent those costs in their budget.”

When a fire does break out, researchers found that states “most commonly draw on general fund revenue for wildfire activities and often pay upfront for these costs while awaiting reimbursement from other levels of government. States primarily use backward-looking estimates based on past suppression costs to decide how much funding to allocate for these expenses.”

These reactionary practices, while flexible in the moment, aren’t working to reduce wildfire in the long run. They also obscure the true cost of wildfire mitigation, the report says.

“These budgeting practices are under strain: In recent years, the estimates states have used to inform their wildfire budgets have frequently proved insufficient, forcing states to cover spending gaps using after-the-fact budgeting tools such as supplemental appropriations,” the report continues. “While these reactive mechanisms provide needed flexibility during emergencies, they also obscure from the state budgeting process the true costs of wildfire mitigation. Complicating things even further, patchwork of land management complicates the response of all agencies involved—state, local, federal or private. And while federal agencies have more stability, states “must balance their spending and revenue every budget cycle,” the report says. “Local governments, although not the focus of this study, also face significant challenges meeting wildfire expenses and navigating the direct impacts of fires on communities.”

To address these issues, the report highlights a need for more data on wildfire spending, more evidence-based investments, and for states to “evaluate and strengthen current budgeting practices to account for growing risk,” the report says. “By comparing actual spending versus expected spending, assessing the threat of future fires, and implementing other tools, states can more accurately understand how much to budget for wildfire management, including mitigation.”

Tags: homepage-featured-1 homepage-featured-2 homepage-featured-3 homepage-featured-4 Administration Economy Public Safety Administration Economy Economy & Finance Public Safety News

Most Recent


  • businesses
    Engaging businesses to strengthen your community
    A prosperous business community epitomizes effective city leadership and fuels economic growth. But to fully understand and address specific needs within your community, cities must engage with local stakeholders and businesses to cultivate and maintain a strong business ecosystem. Business engagement plays an essential role in a city’s retention of businesses, helping to foster organic […]
  • Report: Some public employees face financial hardship; comprehensive pay packages proved 'a pathway toward economic security'
    Many who work in public service, in professions that center around helping others, are themselves struggling to make ends meet and face financial hardship. Addressing these needs, the public employers they work for are well positioned to help them out, according to a report published Thursday by the MissionSquare Research Institute, “Examining the Financial Wellbeing […]
  • public health
    How public health can build a “one health” infrastructure for the future
    Public health challenges—like antibiotic resistance, vector-borne disease and a global pandemic—have eluded traditional public health tools and frameworks. As a result, public health leaders focus more and more on the intersection between the environment and human health. Searching for a better framework to understand emerging threats to human health, many in public health circles have […]
  • Phoenix
    Federal funds help fast-growing Arizona city address several infrastructure challenges and needs
    Joe Giudice, public works director for the city of Phoenix, says the influx of new residents is driving a lot of construction in his community. “Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the United States. It is one of the fastest growing cities in a fast-growing region, which influences infrastructure product and service demand. This […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • How capital improvement project prioritization helps secure infrastructure funding
  • Proposed 2023 federal budget increases local government, police spending, decreases deficit
  • Pew study unpacks how state wildfire spending norms fall short and strain budgets
    Associations urge Congress to replenish Disaster Relief Fund
  • Pew study unpacks how state wildfire spending norms fall short and strain budgets
    County Leader of the Year: Standing tall

White papers


Modernizing government services for today’s resident expectations

24th January 2023

Preparing Your Community Now for the Next Generation of Older Adults

18th October 2022

Helping Government Fleets Achieve Their Goals

30th September 2022
view all

Webinars


How To: Evaluate Digital Government Service Delivery Technologies

23rd January 2023

Using Technology to Enhance Communications

29th November 2022

Learn the benefits of transforming and automating your Contract Management process

4th November 2022
view all

PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


These 10 American cities are well prepared for a tech-based future

1st February 2023

Report: While remote work is causing offices to empty out, walkable cities are still in high demand

26th January 2023

10 American cities with a great downtown

24th January 2023
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

Amid spike, federal transportation department launches initiative to curb traffic-related deaths dlvr.it/Shvs31

3rd February 2023
AmerCityCounty

Engaging businesses to strengthen your community dlvr.it/ShvZn0

3rd February 2023
AmerCityCounty

Report: Some public employees face financial hardship; comprehensive pay packages proved ‘a pathway toward economic… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

2nd February 2023
AmerCityCounty

Strategic Budgeting for Modern Government dlvr.it/ShrHmD

2nd February 2023
AmerCityCounty

These 10 American cities are well prepared for a tech-based future dlvr.it/Shp7sH

1st February 2023
AmerCityCounty

How public health can build a “one health” infrastructure for the future dlvr.it/ShnlKm

1st February 2023
AmerCityCounty

Four Steps to Better Municipal Fleet Fuel Purchasing dlvr.it/ShnbWP

1st February 2023
AmerCityCounty

Report: With increase popularity of e-bikes and e-scooters, there’s a need for ‘safe and connected infrastructure’ dlvr.it/ShlKmJ

31st January 2023

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.