FIR Act

This bill would change how federal land plans are checked for impacts on protected wildlife. It says the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management would not have to redo certain wildlife reviews for their land management plans if a new species is added to the endangered list, if new critical habitat is designated, or if new information shows different effects than expected. In short, the agencies could keep their overall land plans in place without restarting these consultations when those changes happen.

Supporters may see this as speeding up planning and reducing delays. Others may worry it could mean fewer updates to plan-level reviews when new species or habitats are identified. The text focuses on plan-level consultations; it does not describe other reviews beyond that.

Key points

• Who is affected: Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and communities near national forests and public lands.
• What changes: No need to reinitiate certain endangered species consultations for land management plans when new species are listed, new critical habitat is set, or new information emerges.
• Where it applies: National forests and BLM-managed public lands.