First name / friend,
You may have seen that on Friday, May 2, the President of the United States released the proposed federal budget for Fiscal Year 2026. In it, there’s a major change that would directly affect our work here in Kansas: it proposes eliminating all U.S. Forest Service State, Private, and Tribal Forestry (SPTF) programs.
These programs help fund a wide range of services we provide across the state—things like wildfire prevention, support for local fire departments, assistance for private landowners managing forests or windbreaks, community tree planting and care, habitat restoration, and more.
If Congress agrees to this proposal, the impact in Kansas would be detrimental. It would mean fewer resources to reduce wildfire risk, protect homes and communities, and keep our forests and woodlands healthy and productive.
It would also end a federal-state partnership that’s been in place for more than 100 years—one that ensures Kansas has the tools and funding needed to support forests and the people who depend on them.
Programs that may be eliminated with these cuts include:
- Support for Kansas fire departments including training, grants, and equipment donation programs.
- Landowner assistance programs in forestry including giving landowners access to cost-share programs like EQIP and CRP.
- Wildfire response, community wildfire protection plans, and private landowner trainings on prescribed fire and fire safety.
- Tree City USA programs that support community trees and the people who manage them.
While these programs will be directly affected by cuts, there is no way to measure the overall impact on our agency as we look to making difficult decisions about what staff and programs we are able to maintain. If you have used or care about any Kansas Forest Service programs, please use your voice now to share your experience with our federal representatives.
