NFFE Forest Service Council Yields Huge Legislative Wins

Years of hard work and perseverance by the NFFE Forest Service Council (FSC) have come to successful fruition for its members. When the FY 2008 Omnibus Appropriations Bill was signed into law last month, it stopped competitive sourcing (outsourcing) in the Forest Service in its tracks.  The bill also arranged for firefighters to receive 50% reimbursement for personal liability insurance.

The FSC’s Legislative Committee has been lobbying long and hard for its members on these two issues, at home and in Washington, D.C. In fact, the Council was responsible for writing most of the bill’s language. The new law, which prohibits the Forest Service from spending any money on competitive sourcing or related activities, at least for 2008, states, “None of the funds made available by this or any other Act may be used in fiscal year 2008 for competitive sourcing studies and any related activities involving Forest Service personnel.”

The other long-fought victory was extending the scope of coverage for the 50% reimbursement for personal liability insurance to include firefighters. For years, law enforcement officers and agency supervisors were the only ones eligible for that benefit.

“This is a much-deserved victory for our Forest Service Council,” said NFFE National President Richard N. Brown. “Our members have spent years laying the groundwork for this legislation, and this year they finally made it happen.  Congratulations to all who have been a part of this important fight.”