This bill focuses on improving the health of forests and reducing the risk of wildfires on federal lands by setting clear goals and promoting various management strategies.
This bill establishes forest management requirements for federal lands, particularly with respect to reducing wildfires. For example, the bill establishes annual goals to increase (1) the number of acres of Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land that are mechanically thinned (i. e., a management process related to the removal of trees and vegetation); and (2) the number of acres of Forest Service and BLM land treated by prescribed fire. By FY2029, the goals must be to increase the number of acres of each by at least 40% compared to the average number of acres of each in FY2019-FY2023. The bill also directs the Forest Service and the BLM to (1) implement standardized procedures for tracking data relating to hazardous fuels reduction activities they carry out, and (2) develop a strategy to identify opportunities to use livestock grazing as a wildfire risk reduction tool on federal land. Additionally, the Forest Service and the Department of the Interior must establish a deployment and test bed pilot program for wildfire prevention, detection, communication, and mitigation technologies. The bill mandates use of existing authorities for expedited environmental review for certain forest land at high risk from wildfire, insects, or disease. Finally, the bill provides local governments and Indian tribes the right to intervene in lawsuits concerning certain projects on federal land that (1) reduce risks posed by wildfire, insects, or disease; or (2) generate revenue from harvesting timber.
