National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025
Sponsored By: Senator Ron Wyden
Introduced
Summary
Expand and accelerate the use of prescribed fire on federal and nearby lands to reduce wildfire risk and restore fire-adapted ecosystems. The bill would create flexible funding, set annual acreage targets, build a competitive grants program, and boost the prescribed-fire workforce and smoke-management tools.
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- Communities and nearby homeowners would see more cross-boundary prescribed burns prioritized near the wildland–urban interface and improved smoke-management guidance and outreach to reduce wildfire risk and protect health.
- State, Tribal, local governments, prescribed burn associations, and nonprofits could receive grants and long-term cooperative agreements to plan and carry out prescribed fires on Federal land and on non-Federal land that benefits Federal land.
- Firefighters and support staff would get new workforce steps including hazard pay, noncompetitive conversions for qualifying seasonal staff, recruitment pathways for veterans and formerly incarcerated people, and regional multiparty task forces.
- Federal land managers must aim to increase treated acreage by 10% each year for nine years and must develop landscape-scale, NEPA-compliant prescribed-fire plans within set deadlines.
- A new Collaborative Prescribed Fire Program would fund landscape projects, with up to 20 proposals funded and a total cap of $20 million per year.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Better smoke forecasting and health tools
If enacted, States and Tribes could submit smoke exceptional event demonstrations for prescribed fires and EPA must concur when fires followed smoke management and land plans. For federal prescribed fires, the Secretary would assist or submit demonstrations. EPA, the Secretaries, and CDC would work on research, modeling, public tools, and messaging to improve smoke prediction and public health protections.
More federal prescribed fire and plans
If enacted, the agencies would be required to treat 10% more federal acres with prescribed fire each year. This would start the first fiscal year after enactment and continue for nine years. The Secretaries must inventory National Forest and BLM units within one year and revise or make landscape plans within two years. Within 180 days, each Geographic Area Coordination Center would get at least one multiparty task force to coordinate cross-boundary prescribed fire.
More job paths and pay for fire crews
If enacted, the bill would expand hiring, pay, and training for prescribed-fire work. Federal employees who do ignition, management, or control work could be eligible for hazard pay under existing law. Seasonal firefighters who have three recent "Fully Successful" ratings could be converted noncompetitively to permanent jobs. The bill would create or fund regional and Indigenous training centers, shorten supervisory certification paths, support veteran-focused crews, help qualified formerly incarcerated people with reentry pathways, and run a national education program.
Liability protection for fire partners
If enacted, certain non-federal entities doing covered prescribed-fire work under direct federal supervision would be treated as federal employees for the Federal Tort Claims Act. The Secretaries must issue guidance within one year and offer a voluntary training on liability protections. The agencies would request appropriations to reimburse the Treasury for any FTCA claims paid starting the first fiscal year after enactment.
New funding and contracts for prescribed fire
If enacted, each department could use up to 15% of its hazardous-fuels funds each year for prescribed-fire activities and related grants. The bill would create a Collaborative Prescribed Fire Program. It could fund no more than 20 proposals per year. No single project could get more than $1,000,000 per year and projects could last up to 10 years. The program includes a stated cap of $20,000,000 per fiscal year. The bill also authorizes cooperative contracts and long-term agreements (up to 10 years) with States, Tribes, local governments, nonprofits, and private entities. States must report prescribed-fire accomplishments by December 31 to stay eligible for prior-year Act amounts.
Non-federal crews eligible for federal orders
If enacted, agencies would set up processes to include non-federal prescribed-fire practitioners in resource ordering and reimbursement. Practitioners who meet National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards could be eligible for statewide participating agreements. The Secretaries would develop partnership agreements with State, Tribal, university, and nongovernmental groups that choose to join.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Ron Wyden
OR • D
Cosponsors
Ted Budd
NC • R
Sponsored 6/10/2025
John Curtis
UT • R
Sponsored 9/9/2025
Alex Padilla
CA • D
Sponsored 9/9/2025
Rick Scott
FL • R
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Christopher Coons
DE • D
Sponsored 12/10/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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