What does Preamble of Wildfire Prevention Act of 2025 do?

This bill is formally titled 'A bill to address the forest health crisis on the National Forest System and public lands, and for other purposes.'

What does DEFINITIONS. of Wildfire Prevention Act of 2025 do?

This section defines terms used throughout the Act. “Federal land” includes land of the National Forest System and public lands administered by the Secretary of the Interior through the Bureau of Land Management. “Hazardous fuels reduction activity” refers to vegetation management activities to reduce wildfire risk, excluding contract awards for such activities. “National Forest System” has the meaning defined in the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, excluding certain forest reserves. “Secretary concerned” refers to either the Secretary of Agriculture (for National Forest System land) or the Secretary of the Interior (for public lands). “Wildland-urban interface” has the meaning defined in the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003.

What does ACCELERATING TREATMENTS ON FEDERAL LAND. of Wildfire Prevention Act of 2025 do?

This section, titled 'Accelerating Treatments on Federal Land,' directs the relevant Secretary to determine baseline treatments for fuels reduction and forest health on Federal land for fiscal years 2019 through 2023. The Secretary must establish annual goals for mechanical thinning and prescribed fire on Federal land starting in fiscal year 2025. For fiscal years 2025 and 2026, these goals must be at least the average acreage treated from 2019-2023. Goals increase to 20% more than the baseline in 2027-2028 and 40% more in 2029 and subsequent years. The Secretary is required to assign annual acreage allotments for mechanical thinning and prescribed fire, categorized by National Forest System region or State. Data related to these treatments and allotments must be made publicly available on the websites of the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management. This section includes a savings provision stating it does not supersede other laws, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Wilderness Act. The establishment of annual goals and assignment of regional allotments are exempt from the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

What does ANNUAL REPORTS. of Wildfire Prevention Act of 2025 do?

This section requires the Secretary concerned to publish annual reports on a public website. Reports must be published by September 30, 2025, and annually thereafter, covering the preceding fiscal year. The reports must include the number of acres treated under section 40803(b) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The reports must detail the number of acres mechanically thinned and treated by prescribed fire, and whether these numbers met or exceeded goals outlined in section 101(b)(2). Any limitations or challenges hindering the achievement of annual goals, including litigation or environmental documentation delays, must be reported. The number of acres undergoing regeneration harvest must be included. The reports must specify acres treated in areas with high insect/disease risk or wildfire hazard potential. The reports must identify acres treated using streamlined environmental review authorities like categorical exclusions or emergency action authorities. The reports must detail the number of acres where partners were used for work through agreements like Good Neighbor Agreements or Tribal Forest Protection Act contracts.

What does TRANSPARENCY IN HAZARDOUS FUELS REDUCTION ACTIVITY REPORTING. of Wildfire Prevention Act of 2025 do?

This section requires the Secretary concerned to include a report in materials submitted with the President's budget detailing hazardous fuels reduction activities on Federal land. The report must cover fiscal years 2025 through 2031, specifying the number of acres treated annually. The report must include information on wildfire risk, types of activities (wildfire managed or planned project), cost per acre, location, and effectiveness in reducing wildfire risk. The Secretary must use a specific methodology for assessing acres treated, recording each acre only once per year regardless of multiple activities. The Secretary is required to make these reports publicly available on the websites of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior. Within 90 days of enactment, the Secretary must implement standardized procedures for tracking data related to hazardous fuels reduction activities. These procedures must include data reviews, verification methods, analysis of effectiveness, and methods to distinguish acres within the wildland-urban interface. The Secretary must submit a report to Congress within 14 days of implementing the standardized procedures, outlining the procedures and policy recommendations.

What does REGIONAL FOREST CARBON ACCOUNTING. of Wildfire Prevention Act of 2025 do?

This section establishes requirements for regional forest carbon accounting within the National Forest System. The Secretary of Agriculture, through the Chief of the Forest Service, must determine the net forest carbon balance for each Forest Service region. This determination must be based on data from the forest inventory and analysis program. The assessment will identify whether National Forest System land is a carbon source or a carbon sink. The findings must be published on the Forest Service website. These assessments are required no later than September 30, 2025, and every 3 years thereafter.

What does WILDLAND FIRE PERFORMANCE METRICS. of Wildfire Prevention Act of 2025 do?

This section requires the relevant Secretary to submit a report to Congress within 18 months of the Act's enactment. The report must address existing key performance indicators and potential outcome-based measures for reducing wildfire risk on Federal land. The report should identify solutions for tracking hazardous fuels reduction and forest restoration treatments. Specific areas of focus include tracking wildfire hazard reduction, locally led outcomes, standardizing monitoring measures, and quantifying catastrophic wildfire risk reduction. The report must also identify data and modeling challenges hindering annual wildfire risk mapping updates. The report should explore the integration of advanced technologies to improve the quality of reported information.

What does VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, FACILITY INSPECTION, AND OPERATION AND of Wildfire Prevention Act of 2025 do?

This section amends Section 512(a)(1)(B)(ii) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 to increase the distance from 10 feet to 50 feet for hazard tree management near electric power lines. Section 512 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 is amended to clarify the spelling of 'management' in the section heading. The bill redesignates subsections (j) and (k) of Section 512 as (k) and (l) respectively. It establishes a process allowing the Secretary concerned to permit the cutting and removal of trees and vegetation near electric transmission or distribution facilities on National Forest System or Bureau of Land Management land without a separate timber sale. This permission is contingent on consistency with applicable plans, land and resource management plans, and environmental laws. If the owner or operator of the facility sells removed materials, they must provide proceeds to the Secretary, minus transportation costs.

What does TIMBER SALES ON NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LAND. of Wildfire Prevention Act of 2025 do?

This section amends Section 14(d) of the National Forest Management Act of 1976. The amendment modifies the first sentence of Section 14(d). The dollar amount of $10,000 is replaced with $55,000.

What does CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR HIGH-PRIORITY HAZARD TREES. of Wildfire Prevention Act of 2025 do?

This section defines 'high-priority hazard tree' as a standing tree posing a visible hazard to people or Federal property, determined by the Secretary of Agriculture. A 'high-priority hazard tree activity' involves mitigating risks associated with these trees, potentially including pruning, felling, and disposal. Certain activities are excluded from this definition, including those in wilderness areas, constructing permanent roads/trails, or violating vegetation removal restrictions. The Secretary is defined as the Secretary of Agriculture. Within one year of the Act's enactment, the Secretary must develop a categorical exclusion for high-priority hazard tree activities, as defined by the National Environmental Policy Act. The Secretary must comply with the National Environmental Policy Act and apply extraordinary circumstances procedures when administering this exclusion. Projects utilizing this categorical exclusion are limited to a maximum of 3,000 acres.

Back to bills

Wildfire Prevention Act of 2025

Last updated: 12/2/2025 · Introduced: 1/16/2025

Author: John Barrasso (R-WY)

TL;DR (AI)

The bill establishes annual goals for mechanical thinning and prescribed fire on federal land, increasing over time to reduce wildfire risk.
It requires annual reports detailing wildfire risk reduction activities, including acreage treated, challenges encountered, and partner involvement.
The bill mandates standardized procedures for tracking hazardous fuels reduction activities and publicly reporting associated costs and effectiveness.
It expands the distance for hazard tree management near power lines on federal land from 10 to 50 feet, streamlining vegetation management.
The bill creates a Public-Private Wildfire Technology Deployment and Testbed Partnership to accelerate the testing and deployment of innovative wildfire prevention and mitigation technologies.

119th Congressin committeeOfficial page

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Other Sections

Includes provisions on preamble, definitions..

2 sections

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TITLE I

-ACCOMPLISHMENTS OVER RHETORIC

5 sections

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TITLE II

-FOREST MANAGEMENT

5 sections

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TITLE III

-CULTURAL CHANGE IN AGENCIES

3 sections

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