Fix Our Forests Act

IntroducedJanuary 16, 2025

Public Lands and Natural ResourcesAdministrative law and regulatory proceduresCongressional oversightDepartment of the InteriorEcologyEnvironmental assessment, monitoring, researchCaliforniaComputers and information technologyExecutive agency funding and structureFirst responders and emergency personnelFiresEmergency planning and evacuationFederal officialsAlternative and renewable resourcesBuilding constructionDepartment of AgricultureCommunity life and organizationClimate change and greenhouse gasesAgricultural practices and innovationsData collection, sharing, protection

Why This Matters

This bill improves forest management on national, public, and tribal lands to make forests healthier and less prone to wildfires. It designates areas for focused wildfire risk management and streamlines the process for forest restoration projects.

If you live near forested areas, this bill could lead to better wildfire prevention efforts and safer communities.

Affects: Communities living near national forests, public lands, and tribal lands that are at risk of wildfires.

Summary

Fix Our Forests Act This bill establishes requirements for managing forests on federal land, including requirements concerning reducing wildfire threats, expediting the review of certain forest management projects, and implementing forest management projects and other activities. Specifically, the bill (1) designates certain firesheds at high risk for wildfires as fireshed management areas; (2) directs the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Geological Survey to jointly establish an interagency Fireshed Center that is responsible for duties related to assessing and predicting fire, including maintaining a fireshed registry on a publicly accessible website that provides interactive geospatial data on individual firesheds; and (3) makes other requirements related to reducing wildfire. Next, the bill expedites the review of certain forest management projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and exempts certain activities from NEPA review. It also establishes intra-agency strike teams to accelerate the review and any interagency consultation processes under NEPA, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the National Historic Preservation Act. It also limits consultation requirements concerning threatened and endangered species under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 and the Federal Land Management and Policy Act of 1976. Finally, it limits litigation involving fireshed management projects and limits remedies that courts may provide. Additionally, the bill supports reducing community wildfire risks, carrying out forest restoration and stewardship activities (including watershed protection and restoration), conducting biochar demonstration projects, advancing technologies to address forest wildfires, and assisting wildland firefighters and their families.