ACRES Act

House Votes

This bill, called the ACRES Act, aims to give the public a clearer picture of wildfire‑prevention work on federal lands. Each year, the Agriculture and Interior Departments must publish a report with how many acres got hazardous fuel work, counted once per acre even if several tasks were done. The report must show where the work happened (including whether it’s in the wildland‑urban interface), the fire risk at the start and end of the year, what types of work were done (during managed wildfires or planned projects), the cost per acre, the region, and how well the work reduced risk. These reports must be posted online.

Within 90 days of becoming law, the agencies must set up standard ways to track this data, check that it’s accurate, and study short‑ and long‑term results, including separating acres inside and outside the wildland‑urban interface when projects cross both. Two weeks after putting these steps in place, they must tell Congress what they did and share any recommendations. Within two years, the Government Accountability Office will review how well the law is working and report to Congress. The bill does not add new funding; it depends on future appropriations.

• Who is affected: The Departments of Agriculture and the Interior, and work on federal lands, including areas in the wildland‑urban interface.
• What changes: Annual public reports with one‑time acre counts, details on location, risk, activity type, cost per acre, and effectiveness; standardized data tracking and verification; a federal review of implementation.
• When: The first annual report starts with the first fiscal year after enactment; tracking procedures must be in place within 90 days; the GAO study is due within 2 years.