Fix Our Forests Act
Sponsored By: Senator John Curtis
In Committee
Summary
A national fireshed management framework would create mapped firesheds, a public Fireshed Registry, and new authorities to speed landscape wildfire projects. It would also establish a joint Wildland Fire Intelligence Center for real‑time science, data, and operational decision support.
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- Families and communities: A unified grant portal and broadened Community Wildfire Defense program would make it easier to get funding for home hardening, defensible space, and landscape fuels reduction in prioritized firesheds.
- Tribes and local governments: Expands tribal contracting and cooperative agreements, funds tribal prescribed‑fire work, and provides liability protections for covered non‑Federal partners working under direct Federal supervision.
- Fire managers, contractors, and utilities: Creates faster review paths and higher acreage thresholds for expedited projects (administrative review raised from about 3,000 to 10,000 acres), extends stewardship contracts to 20 years with limited cancellation payments, and requires a local contractor preference where practicable.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
22 provisions identified: 21 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Advance payments for private forest owners
If enacted, owners of nonindustrial private forest land could choose to get up to 75% of emergency measure costs before work begins. You would have 180 days to spend the funds and must return unspent amounts. The rule also expands which wildfires qualify for the program.
Faster disaster payments for farmers
If enacted, the bill would let agricultural producers get advance Emergency Conservation payments before work starts. The advance could be 75% of replacement costs or 50% of repair/restoration costs, as the Secretary decides. The bill would also extend the time to act from 60 days to 180 days and broaden wildfire eligibility in some cases.
Local contractor preference and longer contracts
If enacted, the bill would require the Forest Service to prefer local contractors for hazardous fuels work when practical. It would lengthen stewardship contracts up to 20 years and require a cancellation payment (the lesser of 10% of the contract or unrecovered amortized costs) for new multiyear contracts. The bill would also raise a small-project dollar threshold to $55,000 and speed vegetation plan reviews with automatic approvals after 120 days.
Unified disaster application and family help
If enacted, FEMA would build one unified online disaster- assistance application within 360 days. The system would let survivors apply, update information, get status updates, and share data across certified agencies to speed help. The bill also requires a new program to help next-of-kin and survivors of firefighters with travel, case management, and personalized federal benefits information.
More prescribed fire, grazing, and contracts
If enacted, the Secretaries could sign up to 10‑year cooperative agreements with states, tribes, local governments, nonprofits, and private entities to plan and run prescribed burns. The bill defines prescribed fire, allows grants and training from existing programs, and aims to include qualified non‑Federal crews in ordering and reimbursements. It requires a livestock‑grazing strategy within 18 months that expands temporary permits and variances subject to limits. Agencies are told to combine available authorities to carry out projects.
Plans to grow more tree seedlings
If enacted, the Forest Service must make and start a national plan within 1 year to expand Federal, State, Tribal, and private tree nursery capacity. The Secretaries must also create a 'Seeds of Success' strategy within 1 year to boost domestic seed supply, speed seed permits on BLM land, expand storage, and build workforce capacity. The Forest Service may make contracts and grants to states, tribes, colleges, and groups to collect and grow native plants for restoration.
Bigger reforestation and white oak efforts
If enacted, Interior must set up an Interior Reforestation Program within 1 year with annual project lists and cost estimates. USDA would create a White Oak initiative and NIFA would fund research and partnerships. DOI and the Forest Service must run five white oak pilot projects each. The Secretaries must report on biochar demonstrations and research needs and give annual status updates to budget materials.
Grants, research, and a single grant portal
If enacted, the bill would create a Community Wildfire Defense Research Program to test ways to harden homes and communities. The Secretaries must also set up a Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Program to coordinate agencies and give communities a simpler portal and single grant application. The portal and programs would end 7 years after enactment unless extended.
Priority firesheds, registry, and faster projects
If enacted, the bill would name priority "fireshed management areas" for a 5-year period and require fast public mapping. The government would build a public Fireshed Registry with risk maps, planned projects, permit timetables, and project cost estimates. Agencies could use faster review authorities for fireshed projects after an emergency finding and public notice. The bill would set up small strike teams to speed permitting and site prep for projects.
Faster reimbursements for fire departments
If enacted, the Secretaries must set standard payment rules within 1 year for fire suppression cost‑share agreements. Federal payers would have to reimburse a local fire department or State wildland agency that submits an appropriate invoice. The bill says repayments should happen as soon as practicable and not later than 1 year after the suppression event.
More tree clearing near power lines
If enacted, the bill would let agencies treat trees that may come within 150 feet of power lines as hazards. Electric companies could get permits to cut trees near lines and would have to give sale proceeds (less some costs) to the government. The bill would also require agencies to talk with private landowners before removing hazard trees on their land.
New wildfire intelligence and tech pilots
If enacted, Agriculture and Interior would set up a joint Wildfire Intelligence Center within 1 year to give real‑time risk analytics and forecasts. The bill would fund pilots for new wildfire tech and buy modern satellite data to detect and manage fires. The agencies must evaluate an aerial firefighting system and report to Congress. The Center and pilots would end 7 years after enactment unless extended.
Protect watersheds and speed hazard work
If enacted, the Secretary could fund sponsors to do emergency watershed protection on National Forest land with waived matching rules and partial payments, and final payment within 30 days. Projects must finish within 2 years after the disaster and may include up to 3 years of maintenance. The bill would require annual hazardous fuels reporting using a new standardized method. The Secretary must create a NEPA categorical exclusion for high‑priority hazard tree work within 1 year, with a 6,000‑acre cap and specific exceptions.
Protecting watersheds and water supplies
If enacted, the bill would add a watershed-protection objective to forest management and change the Water Source Protection Program rules. It would define adjacent land, require landowner support before doing work on adjacent land, and generally require non-Federal partners to contribute at least 20% of project costs unless the Secretary waives it. At least 10% of yearly funds would go to partner technical help and capacity-building.
Expanded community wildfire defense grants
If enacted, the bill would let Community Wildfire Defense grants pay for more projects, including home retrofits, defensible space, evacuation-route hardening, and landscape fuels treatments. Projects inside designated fireshed management areas could get priority. Administrative fees for the program would be capped at 7% of funds.
New fire science and biochar programs
If enacted, the bill would create and fund new research, demonstration, and training programs. It would set up a biochar demonstration partnership and applied biochar research grants, establish regional wildland fire research centers, expand nursery and seed-orchard grants, run an innovation prize for ignition-resistant community design, and require a national fire risk data center. Most programs require Congress to fund them and have time or funding limits.
Tribal prescribed burns and training
If enacted, the bill would clarify Tribal authorities and let Tribes carry out prescribed burn projects under approved burn plans, including demonstrations that allow multiple burns. The Secretaries would post which Tribal activities are allowed and treat Tribal employees doing approved work as Forest Service employees for certain legal protections while working. The Forest Service would also update its burn policies and use resources to ensure prescribed burns are extinguished when needed.
More partnerships with tribes and states
If enacted, the bill would expand shared stewardship and Good Neighbor Authority partnerships to include Indian Tribes and special districts. It would let Secretaries enter cooperative agreements with more local entities and allow Governors to request fireshed boundary changes. Some amended projects could also rely on the updated Good Neighbor rules.
Which communities and local governments qualify
If enacted, the bill would change who counts as an 'at-risk community' to include interface communities, groups of homes in firesheds or risk assessments, and areas the Secretary of Agriculture names. It would also expand the HFRA definition of local government to add special districts and raise multiple project acreage thresholds (for example, 3,000 acres references would become 10,000 acres). These changes can widen which communities and local governments qualify for programs and larger projects.
Faster forest planning but fewer reviews
If enacted, the bill would push the agencies to keep forest plans current and post plans and monitoring reports online. At the same time, it would limit when agencies must reinitiate Endangered Species Act consultation on certain plans and set a 150-day deadline for many legal challenges to covered agency actions. Those rules speed planning but restrict some legal and ESA reviews.
New claim option for New Mexico
If enacted, the bill would let New Mexico recover certain design and construction costs for a native seed research and production center in eligible fire claims. The costs must be incurred by December 31, 2030, and any payment for the center would wait until pending individual claims are resolved.
Studies on Forest Service, smoke, and pests
If enacted, the Comptroller General must study Forest Service firefighting effectiveness and the feasibility of a new wildfire agency within 3 years. The Secretaries and EPA must study two recent Canada resource exchanges and report on smoke reduction within 1 year. The Forest Service must study pine beetle causes and solutions in the Northeastern U.S. and report within 1 year.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
John Curtis
UT • R
Cosponsors
John Hickenlooper
CO • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Tim Sheehy
MT • R
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Alex Padilla
CA • D
Sponsored 4/10/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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