Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act of 2025

This bill makes it easier to clear trees and brush near power lines on certain federal lands. The Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management can let electric utilities cut and remove vegetation near distribution and transmission lines without doing a separate timber sale, as long as the work follows land management plans and environmental laws. If a utility sells any of the wood or other material it removes, the money (minus transport costs) must go back to the agency that manages the land. The bill does not require selling the material that’s cleared. The short title points to a goal of making power line corridors safer from fire risk.

Key points

• Who is affected: Electric utilities working on National Forest and BLM lands; nearby communities that rely on safe, reliable power.
• What changes: Utilities can get permission in their permits or easements to clear trees/brush near lines without a separate timber sale; any sale proceeds go to the land agency after transport costs.
• When: Applies when permits or easements include this permission, consistent with existing land plans and environmental laws; no separate timber sale process is needed for that clearing.