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119-hr-7578119th CongressWALLET

TORCH Act

Sponsored By: Representative Kennedy, Mike [R-UT-3]

Introduced

Summary

Speeds and scales forest and vegetation treatments to reduce catastrophic wildfire risk. It creates new categorical exclusions, raises allowed project sizes, and expands authorities to use timber, grazing, and power-line vegetation work to accelerate fuels reduction.

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  • Homeowners and rural communities: Faster, larger fuels-reduction projects aim to lower wildfire risk, with collaborative and fuel-break project sizes increased from 3,000 to 10,000 acres.
  • Tribes, counties, and forest managers: Indian tribes and counties can receive and use timber-sale revenue under an expanded Good Neighbor Authority. The bill also lets agencies dispose of trees in extreme-risk areas without an appraisal and clarifies how restoration funds are retained and shared.
  • Utilities, private landowners, and ranchers: Sets a 50-foot hazard-tree buffer from power lines, creates a categorical exclusion for right-of-way vegetation work, and expands livestock grazing and temporary permits as tools for fuels reduction and drought response.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

8 provisions identified: 5 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.

Allow larger forest projects

If enacted, the bill would raise several project-size limits from 3,000 acres to 10,000 acres. This includes collaborative restoration categorical exclusions and wildfire resilience projects under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act and fuel-break projects under the cited infrastructure law. The change would let agencies and partners run larger projects to reduce fuels and restore forests.

Faster hazard-tree removal near roads

If enacted, the Forest Service would have to create a fast review option for "high-priority hazard trees" within one year. The option would cover pruning, felling, and disposal of trees likely to fail and within 300 feet of certain roads, trails, or developed recreation sites. Projects using this categorical exclusion could not exceed 3,000 acres. The exclusion could not be used in wilderness, inventoried roadless areas, where removal is restricted by statute or proclamation, or where it conflicts with the land and resource management plan, and the agency must follow NEPA and extraordinary-circumstances procedures.

Easier timber sales in emergencies

If enacted, the bill would raise the appraisal threshold for timber sales from $10,000 to $50,000 so smaller sales would not need an appraisal. It would also let the Secretary sell or otherwise dispose of portions of trees or forest products on National Forest land without an appraisal when a unit faces extreme risks, like catastrophic wildfire, major insect or disease outbreaks, storms, floods, or drought. Those disposals would follow rules the Secretary prescribes. The changes would speed some timber and hazard removals but relax appraisal safeguards.

Limit new Endangered Species reviews

If enacted, the bill would say the Secretary does not have to reinitiate consultation under section 7 of the Endangered Species Act for a land use or management plan when a new species is listed or new information appears about effects. The change would apply to plans approved, amended, or revised under FLPMA and the Forest and Rangeland Resource Planning Act. That would speed some projects but reduce opportunities for additional ESA protections tied to new listings or new information.

Faster power-line tree work

If enacted, electric utilities would get faster approval for vegetation management plans. Plans submitted without changes would be approved in 60 days and plans with modifications in 67 days. The allowed hazard-tree distance from power lines would increase to 50 feet and permits or easements could authorize cutting without a separate timber sale. The bill would create a narrow categorical exclusion for routine inspection, O&M, and vegetation work along rights-of-way that excludes wilderness and lands where vegetation removal is restricted, bans permanent road building, and requires temporary roads to be decommissioned within 3 years. The exclusion would not be subject to certain environmental consultations and historic-review procedures, and utilities that sell removed material would have to give proceeds to the Forest Service after transport costs are deducted.

More grazing to cut wildfire fuel

If enacted, the Forest Service would have to make a strategy to use more livestock grazing to reduce wildfire risk. The plan would include NEPA reviews to allow grazing on vacant allotments during droughts or disasters, use of targeted grazing, more temporary permits for fuels reduction and invasive grass control, and use of grazing in postfire recovery where appropriate. The strategy would instruct the agency to use all applicable legal authorities to expand these tools.

More time for cross-boundary projects

If enacted, the bill would change a deadline year in the Healthy Forests Restoration Act from 2023 to 2030. That would give states, tribes, and local collaboratives more time to plan and carry out cross-boundary wildfire mitigation projects under the cited program. The change extends the timeframe but does not create new payments.

Tribes and counties keep timber money

If enacted, Indian tribes and counties would be allowed to retain and use timber-sale revenue received under Good Neighbor Agreements, like Governors already can. The retained funds could be used to carry out restoration services under that agreement, and any remaining funds could be used on restoration work under other Good Neighbor Agreements. The change would apply to projects initiated on or after enactment and to certain projects tied to the 2018 Farm Bill as described.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Kennedy, Mike [R-UT-3]

UT • R

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Gallagher, James [R-CA-1]

    CA • R

    Sponsored 6/23/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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