The agency’s budget requests for the upcoming fiscal year are listed in priority order below. A more detailed breakdown of each request can be viewed/downloaded from the SCFC website.
| Priority 1: $420,000 – Bolstering Wildfire Response We are requesting funding for the salary, fringe and operating expenses of one new FTE, a meteorologist, as well as equipment and gear – specifically personal protective equipment (PPE), automated external defibrillators (AEDs) – for agency firefighting/emergency response personnel. | Recurring request *companions to this request are Priorities #5 and #6 in non-recurring requests |
| PRIORITY 2: $260,000 – Information technology We are requesting $260,000 to pay the recurring licensing expenses of a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN), install automatic vehicle location (AVL) on all firefighting and road equipment, and use the OnBase system hosted by the Dept. of Administration/Office of Technology and Information Services to enhance agency document management. | Recurring request *companion to this request is Priority #7 in non-recurring requests |
| PRIORITY 3: $75,000 – Conservation education We are requesting $75,000 to sustain three critical forestry-based conservation education programs: Project Learning Tree (PLT), the Wood Magic Forest Fair (WMFF), and School-Based Education Programs. | Recurring request |
| PRIORITY 4: $370,000 – Strengthening forestland conservation We are requesting funds for the salary, fringe and operating expenses of one current Forestry Commission position/FTE that would be shifted from Other to State funds and of one new FTE, a conservation coordinator that would promote the conservation of forestland through fee simple acquisition and/or conservation easements. Operating funds would be used to pay for professional services related to due diligence costs for land conservation projects. | Recurring request *companion to this request is Priority #8 in capital requests |
| PRIORITY 5: $2 million – SEAT contract additional funds We are requesting funds to continue providing aerial wildfire suppression efforts via a single-engine air tanker (SEAT) contract. | Non-recurring request *request is a companion to Priority #1 in recurring requests |
| PRIORITY 6: $3.5 million – Contract wildland hand crews We are requesting funding to contract for Type 2 Initial Attack hand crews composed of fully qualified wildland firefighters during periods of high wildfire activity. These rapidly deployable, professional wildfire suppression teams provide critical support in mountainous terrain and other areas impacted by Hurricane Helene. | Non-recurring request *request is a companion to Priority #1 in recurring requests |
| PRIORITY 7: $560,000 – Information technology We are requesting $560,000 to implement SD-WAN, OnBase and a new multifaceted recording system that supports a wide range of mission-critical activities. | Non-recurring request *request is a companion to Priority #2 in recurring requests |
| PRIORITY 8: $20 million – Land acquisitions and easements We are requesting $20 million in funding to be used for due diligence on land acquisition projects and for fee simple purchases of land. The funding requested represents just 25% of the fair market value of projects we anticipate could be closed in FY2027, contingent upon timely support. | Capital request |
| PRIORITY 9: $500,000 – BMP road mat cost-share program We are requesting $500,000 to implement a steel road mat cost-share program to address the public safety issues of mud on the road related to logging road entrances onto public roadways. | Non-recurring request |