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1-7.3 - Agency Responsibility for Authorizing Individual Rates.
Setting special rates is not limited to situations where employees subsist themselves. Appropriate
travel administration should assure per diem rates paid are reasonable for costs incurred by
travelers. Forest Supervisors can establish Special Travel Authorizations at a fixed per diem rate,
or lodging plus per diem rates, where it is administratively determined lodging, meals, and
miscellaneous cost, indiviudally or collectively, are substantially less than the standard per diem
rate. Authorization of Speical Travel Authorizations on an actual subsistence basis must be
issued by the Regional Forester or designated acting.
All travelers shall be treated fairly, equitably, ane uniformly. Therefore, using more than one rate
per location is inappropriate. Setting detailed administrative procedures is unnecessary to insure
every potential traveler to a location is aware of the special rates in effect. However, Foerst
Supervisors should make detailers from ohter units aware of special rates and request employers
to issue a Speical Travel Authorization. Also, all Government employees are expected to be
prudent with Government funds. Whenever travelers not covered by a Special Travel
Authorization become aware they are using a special rate site, they should request post-approval
of their travel voucher at the special rate.
The use of a zero per diem rate is authorized in situations where the Government furnishes meals
and lodging if the employee is unable to incur incidental travel expenses while in travel status.
For example, subsistence in lieu of per diem would be authorized where the Government
provides meals and lodging and, due to the camp are unable to incur expenses for laundry or
other expenses described in FTR 1-7.1.b until returning to their official station. This is because
expenses incurred while not in travel status are not authorized as per diem.
If the Government buys groceries and provides cooking facilities but meals are prepared by
employees in travel status, whether prepared inside or outside their tour of duty, this will meet
the definition of Governement-furnished meals.
The determination of subsistence in lieu of per diem requires the issuance of a Special Travel
Authorization. This is required by ATR 1.1.5.e.(3) in order for the Government to procure meals
and by FSTR 1-7.3 which requires determinations to pay a lower than the standard rate to
become part of the official record.
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CHAPTER 1. TRAVEL ALLOWANCES
PART 7. PER DIEM IN LIEU OF ACTUAL SUBSISTENCE
1-7.6 - Per diem computation rules
d. Computation of basic entitlement
(1) Travel of 24 hours or less. Payment of per diem is not authorized in absence of
additional expense while performing official travel of less than 24 hours. Per diem is for
reimbursing travelers for the necessary additional cost of subsistence while maintaining their
own table (CG Decision B-185932 of May 27, 1976). Agencies have broad discretion to limit or
deny per diem for travel of less than 24 hours (FTR 1-7.3a, CG B-182728 of February 18, 1975,
and B-198008 of September 17, 1980). It is the responsibility of the approving officer of the
travel voucher to assure necessary additional expenses were incurred for travel claims of 24
hours or less.
*- f. Deductions for meals and/or lodging furnished. Fire camp facilities will normally be
used by all personnel assigned to fire duty. This rule applies whether the fire is located in Region
1 or in another Region. Exceptions to this rule would be fire duty not usually assigned to fire site,
such as airtanker operations, zone headquarters, dispatching, etc., unless these operations
actually take place at the fire site.
When an employee is assigned to fire suppression, travel expenses will be reimbursed by the
actual expense method.
The actual subsistence policy for fire suppression assignments will apply only from time of fire
dispatch to time of release and return to official station or return to point of dispatch. Switching
between actual subsistence and per diem will be done in accordance with 1-8.2c of the
Agriuclture Travel Regulations.
Exceptions to actual subsistence method may be approved on a case by case basis by those
authorized to approve travel authorizations.
Other specific points to follow when applying this policy are as follows:
(1) Travel voucher reimbursement is limited to maximum allowable for per diem areas
except in specified high rate geographic areas where a higher maximum allowable rate is
authorized (see 1-8 of ATR).
(2) Calculation of actual expense claims in per diem areas is prescribed as follows:
(a) Within the conterminous United States reimbursement is up to $50 per day.
However, claim for subsistence and miscellaneous expenses is limited to $23 per day which
reduced by $6 for each Government-furnished meal.
(b) In Alaska, reimbursement for lodging may be for up to 50 percent of the per
diem rate. The remaining 50 percent available to cover subsistence and miscellaneous expense
claims, reduced by 25 percent for each Government-furnished meal.
FSH 6509.33 - AGRICULTURE TRAVEL REGULATIONS
12/85 R1 SUPPLEMENT 17