The Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act of 2025 provides permanent pay raises for federal wildland firefighters employed by the Forest Service and Department of the Interior, with increases ranging from 42% for entry-level positions down to 1.5% for senior grades, while also establishing a new paid rest and recuperation leave benefit that firefighters can use immediately after responding to wildfires or similar incidents. The bill creates joint policies between the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior to determine the specific length and structure of this recuperation leave, which will apply equally to both permanent and intermittent employees. To ensure these salary increases remain fully funded, the bill authorizes the Forest Service to transfer up to $5 million in unused wildland fire management funds to the Department of Interior, closing a gap in resources needed to sustain the pay protections originally established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
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