United StatesForest managers would target wildfire work; courts would face limits
Federal land managers would carry out forest work in designated high-risk wildfire areas, while courts would face limits on stopping those projects.
What it does
Federal land managers would carry out tree removal and other wildfire-risk work in designated high-risk areas. This framework would last seven years after enactment.
Certain forest projects could skip detailed environmental reviews on sites up to 10,000 acres. Wildfire-area projects would still have to meet each exemption’s rules.
Courts could block wildfire-area projects only with a direct, substantial risk of environmental harm and no other available nonfinancial remedy. Agencies could continue work that does not interfere with court-ordered fixes.
Challenges to wildfire-project documents or review exemptions would generally face a 120-day deadline. When comments were accepted, challengers would need to have participated and raised their issue in a detailed comment.
Communities seeking wildfire and disaster assistance would have one application portal for several federal programs, plus help applying. The coordinating program would last seven years after enactment.
Argument forOne application portal and help applying could make it easier for communities to seek money for wildfire protection and disaster response.
Argument againstLimits on court orders could make it harder for residents to stop legally flawed forest projects while agencies correct their errors.
More detail
Federal land managers would carry out forest and vegetation work in designated high-risk wildfire areas. Initial designations would cover areas identified in the Forest Service’s January 2022 wildfire strategy and areas ranked in the top 20 percent for wildfire exposure. The initial area designations would apply from enactment through five years after enactment.
Certain forest projects could use exemptions from detailed environmental reviews on sites up to 10,000 acres. The 10,000-acre limits would apply to four specified forest-project review exemptions. Wildfire-area projects would have to follow the law governing each exemption. The Forest Service would apply these exemptions where forest plans allow timber production or timber harvesting is not prohibited. Authority under this wildfire-area subtitle would end seven years after enactment.
Courts would face limits on stopping or overturning wildfire-area project decisions. These limits would cover federal legal challenges to agency actions taken as part of designated wildfire-area projects. A court order blocking work would also require a claim likely to succeed. Without grounds to stop the project, courts would send the matter back to the agency to fix legal errors.
People challenging wildfire-area projects would have to meet filing deadlines and public-comment requirements. The deadlines would cover challenges to project documents and the use of environmental-review exemptions. When an agency accepted public comments, challengers would need to have joined its review process and submitted a detailed comment identifying the issue they later challenge. The deadline would run from Federal Register notice, with any shorter federal deadline controlling. Otherwise, it would run from the earlier publication or notice of the document or exemption.
Federal agencies would offer one application portal for several wildfire, disaster, and fire-service assistance programs. People and communities seeking covered assistance could use the portal and receive help applying. The portal would cover only the assistance programs listed in this section. Agencies would seek to shorten and simplify applications; a shared application would not guarantee an award.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To President
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2025
- Mar 6Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry, Natural Resources, and Biotechnology. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 119-27.Latest
- Jan 28Received in the Senate.
- Jan 23Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 53. (consideration: CR H312-335)
- Vote recorded Legislative vote recorded. Result: Passed.House
- Jan 23Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 471 and S. 5. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 471 under a structured rule with one hour of general debate and one motion to recommit. Also, the resolution provides for consideration of S. 5 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate and one motion to commit.
- Jan 23House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 53 and Rule XVIII.
- Jan 23The Speaker designated the Honorable Dale W. Strong to act as Chairman of the Committee.
- Jan 23GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 471.
- Jan 23DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 53, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Perry amendment No. 1.
- Jan 23DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 53, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Carbajal amendment No. 2.
- Jan 23The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 471.
- Jan 23The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
- Jan 23The House adopted the amendments en gros as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.
- Jan 23POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 471, the Chair put the question on passage of the bill and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Peters demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.
- Jan 23Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H346-347)
- Jan 23Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 279 - 141 (Roll no. 25). (text: CR H321-333)Passed House
- Jan 23Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Jan 21Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 53 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 471 and S. 5. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 471 under a structured rule with one hour of general debate and one motion to recommit. Also, the resolution provides for consideration of S. 5 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate and one motion to commit.
- Jan 16Introduced in House
- Jan 16Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.Introduced
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