H.R. 471 · Passed House · Public Lands and Natural Resources

Fix Our Forests Act

What it does

Designates high-risk firesheds as fireshed management areas and directs the Forest Service and U.S. Geological Survey to establish a joint Fireshed Center to assess wildfire risk.
Expedites environmental review of forest management projects under the National Environmental Policy Act by exempting certain activities from NEPA review and establishing strike teams to accelerate interagency consultati
Limits consultation requirements for threatened and endangered species under forest planning laws and restricts litigation remedies available in court challenges to fireshed management projects.
Requires the Fireshed Center to maintain a publicly accessible registry of firesheds with geospatial data on wildfire risk.

Official summary

Fix Our Forests Act This bill establishes requirements for managing forests on federal land, including requirements concerning reducing wildfire threats, expediting the review of certain forest management projects, and implementing forest management projects and other activities. Specifically, the bill (1) designates certain firesheds at high risk for wildfires as fireshed management areas; (2) directs the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Geological Survey to jointly establish an interagency Fireshed Center that is responsible for duties related to assessing and predicting fire, including maintaining a fireshed registry on a publicly accessible website that provides interactive geospatial data on individual firesheds; and (3) makes other requirements related to reducing wildfire. Next, the bill expedites the review of certain forest management projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and exempts certain activities from NEPA review. It also establishes intra-agency strike teams to accelerate the review and any interagency consultation processes under NEPA, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the National Historic Preservation Act. It also limits…

Latest action

Mar 6, 2025: Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry, Natural Resources, and Biotechnology. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 119-27.

Committee: Senate Conservation, Forestry, Natural Resources, and Biotechnology Subcommittee