S. 1462

119th CONGRESS 1st Session

To improve forest management activities on National Forest System land, public land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, and Tribal land to return resilience to overgrown, fire-prone forested land, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES · April 10, 2025 · Sponsor: Mr. Curtis · Committee: Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.

• (a) Short title
  • This Act may be cited as the Fix Our Forests Act.
  • Short title
• (b) Table of contents
  • The table of contents for this Act is as follows:
  • Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
  • Sec. 2. Definitions.
  • TITLE I—Landscape-scale restoration
    • Subtitle A—Addressing emergency wildfire risks in high-priority firesheds
  • Sec. 101. Designation of fireshed management areas.
  • Sec. 102. Wildfire Intelligence Center.
  • Sec. 103. Fireshed Registry.
  • Sec. 104. Shared stewardship.
  • Sec. 105. Fireshed assessments.
  • Sec. 106. Emergency fireshed management.
  • Sec. 107. Sunset.
    • Subtitle B—Expanding collaborative tools to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health
  • Sec. 111. Modification of treatment of certain revenue and payments under good neighbor agreements.
  • Sec. 112. Fixing stewardship end result contracting.
  • Sec. 113. Fireshed management project strike teams.
  • Sec. 114. Locally led restoration.
  • Sec. 115. Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership Program.
  • Sec. 116. Collaborative forest landscape restoration program.
  • Sec. 117. Utilizing grazing for wildfire risk reduction.
  • Sec. 118. Water Source Protection Program.
  • Sec. 119. Watershed Condition Framework technical corrections.
  • Sec. 120. Tribal forest protection management activities and projects.
    • Subtitle C—Litigation reform
  • Sec. 121. Commonsense litigation reform.
  • Sec. 122. Consultation on forest plans.
    • Subtitle D—Prescribed fire
  • Sec. 131. Prescribed fire eligible activities, policies, and practices.
  • Sec. 132. Human resources.
  • Sec. 133. Liability of prescribed fire managers.
  • Sec. 134. Environmental review.
  • Sec. 135. Cooperative agreements and contracts for prescribed fire.
  • Sec. 136. Facilitating responsible use of prescribed fire.
  • TITLE II—Protecting communities in wildland-urban interface
    • Subtitle A—Community wildfire risk reduction
  • Sec. 201. Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Program.
  • Sec. 202. Community Wildfire Defense Research Program.
  • Sec. 203. Community wildfire defense accountability.
  • Sec. 204. Community wildfire defense grant program improvements.
  • Sec. 205. Updated definition of at-risk community.
    • Subtitle B—Vegetation management, reforestation, and local fire suppression
  • Sec. 211. Vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and maintenance relating to electric transmission and distribution facility rights-of-way.
  • Sec. 212. Fire-safe electrical corridors.
  • Sec. 213. Categorical exclusion for high-priority hazard trees.
  • Sec. 214. Seeds of Success strategy.
  • Sec. 215. Program to support priority reforestation and restoration projects.
  • Sec. 216. Reforestation, nurseries, and genetic resources support.
  • Sec. 217. Fire department repayment.
  • TITLE III—Transparency, technology, and partnerships
    • Subtitle A—Transparency and technology
  • Sec. 301. Biochar innovations and opportunities for conservation, health, and advancements in research.
  • Sec. 302. Accurate hazardous fuels reduction reports.
  • Sec. 303. Public-private wildfire technology deployment and demonstration partnership.
  • Sec. 304. GAO study on Forest Service policies.
  • Sec. 305. Keeping forest plans current and monitored.
  • Sec. 306. Container Aerial Firefighting System.
  • Sec. 307. Study on pine beetle infestation.
    • Subtitle B—White oak resilience
  • Sec. 311. White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition.
  • Sec. 312. Forest Service pilot program.
  • Sec. 313. Department of the Interior white oak review and restoration.
  • Sec. 314. White oak regeneration and upland oak habitat.
  • Sec. 315. Tree nursery shortages.
  • Sec. 316. White oak research.
  • Sec. 317. USDA formal initiative.
  • Sec. 318. Use of authorities.
  • TITLE IV—Ensuring casualty assistance for firefighters
  • Sec. 401. Wildland Fire Management Casualty Assistance Program.

Sec. 2. Definitions.

In this Act:

• The term end water user has the meaning given the term in section 303(a) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (). 16 U.S.C. 6542(a)
• The term Executive Director means the Executive Director of the Wildfire Intelligence Center appointed under section 102(g).
• The term fireshed means a landscape-scale area, as delineated using methods developed through research conducted by the Forest Service, that represents similar source levels of community exposure to wildfire.
• The term fireshed management area means a fireshed management area designated under section 101(a).
• The term fireshed management project means any of the following forest or vegetation management activities:
• The term Fireshed Registry means the registry established under section 103(a).
• The term forest plan means—
• The term Governor means the Governor or other appropriate executive official of—
• The term hazardous fuels management activity means a vegetation management activity, or any combination of such activities, that reduces the risk of wildfire, including mechanical thinning, mastication, prescribed burning, cultural burning (as determined by an applicable Indian Tribe), timber harvest, and grazing.
• The terms , , and have the meanings given those terms in section 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (). at-risk community,community wildfire protection plan,wildland-urban interface 16 U.S.C. 6511
• The term Indian forest land or rangeland means land that—
• The term Indian Tribe has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (). 25 U.S.C. 5304
• The term National Forest System has the meaning given the term in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (). 16 U.S.C. 1609(a)
• The term public land means—
• The term relevant committees of Congress means—
• The term Secretaries means—
• The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture.
• The term Secretary concerned means—
• The term special district means a political subdivision of a State that—
• The term State means—

TITLE I—Landscape-scale restoration

Subtitle A—Addressing emergency wildfire risks in high-priority firesheds

Sec. 101. Designation of fireshed management areas.

• (a) Designations
  • (1) Initial designations
    • Subject to paragraph (4), for the 5-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act, the following firesheds are designated as fireshed management areas:
      • Each landscape-scale fireshed identified as a in the document published by the Forest Service entitled and dated January 2022. high-risk fireshed Wildfire Crisis Strategy
      • Of the 7,688 firesheds described in the report published by the Rocky Mountain Research Station of the Forest Service in 2019, each landscape-scale fireshed identified by the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, as being in the top 20 percent for wildfire exposure based on the following criteria:
        • (i) Wildfire exposure and corresponding risk to communities, including risk to life, critical infrastructure, and other structures.
        • (ii) Wildfire exposure and corresponding risk to municipal watersheds, including Tribal water supplies and systems.
        • (iii) Risk of vegetation type conversion due to wildfire, based on information from existing forest plans, State forest action plans, and best available science.
  • (2) Designations in Alaska, Hawaii, and territories
    • Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, shall designate in the States of Alaska and Hawaii and the territories of the United States such additional fireshed management areas as the Secretaries determine to be appropriate, based on the criteria described in clauses (i) through (iii) of paragraph (1)(B).
  • (3) Map-based updated designations
    • (A) Map of firesheds
      • Not later than the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than once every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, shall submit to the relevant committees of Congress an updated map of firesheds, which shall—
        • (i) be based on the Fireshed Registry; and
        • (ii) include firesheds in the States of Alaska and Hawaii and the territories of the United States.
    • (B) Fireshed management areas
      • Not later than 60 days after submitting an updated fireshed map under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall designate as a fireshed management area each fireshed depicted on that map that the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, identifies as being in the top 20 percent of firesheds at risk of wildfire exposure based on the criteria described in clauses (i) through (iii) of paragraph (1)(B) and in accordance with this section.
    • (C) Publication
      • The Secretary shall make each updated map prepared under this paragraph publicly available on the Fireshed Registry.
  • (4) Land location and content
    • A fireshed management area designated under this subsection—
      • shall not overlap with any other fireshed management area; and
      • may contain Federal and non-Federal land, including Indian forest land or rangeland.
  • (5) Combining multiple firesheds
    • On receipt of a request of an affected Governor, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, may expand a fireshed management area designated under this subsection to include more than 1 fireshed.
• (b) Use
  • The Secretary concerned may carry out fireshed management projects on the fireshed management areas designated under this section.
• (c) Applicability of NEPA
  • The designation of a fireshed management area under this section shall not be subject to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (). 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.

Sec. 102. Wildfire Intelligence Center.

• (a) Definitions
  • In this section:
  • Definitions
  • (1) Board
    • The term Board means the Board governing the Center appointed under subsection (f).
  • (2) Center
    • The term Center means the Wildfire Intelligence Center established under subsection (b).
• (b) Establishment
  • Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior shall establish a joint office, to be known as the , the duties of which are to study, plan, coordinate, and implement issues of joint concern among the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior, including— Wildfire Intelligence Center
    • serving as the development and operational center for the comprehensive assessment and prediction of wildfires and fires that move into the built environment to provide decision support services to inform land and fuels management, community outreach and risk reduction, post-wildfire recovery and rehabilitation, and fire management and response activities carried out by entities, including—
      • the Federal Government;
      • State, Tribal, and local governments;
      • land managers;
      • incident management teams;
      • the National Interagency Coordination Center;
      • geographic coordination centers;
      • land, air, and water managers;
      • burned area rehabilitation teams;
      • public health entities; and
      • other entities identified by the Board;
    • facilitating collaboration and information sharing across Federal and State departments and agencies, Tribal entities, academia, and the private sector with respect to matters relating to wildfires; and
    • addressing such other issues as the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior may identify as issues of joint interest in support of the functions of the Center described in subsection (d).
• (c) Headquarters
  • Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Board shall select from within the United States a permanent location for the physical headquarters of the Center.
• (d) Functions
  • The functions of the Center shall include the following:
    • Providing real-time, science-based, and data-rich scientific and technical analytical services, decision support, and predictive services across all phases of fire to inform pre-fire land and fuels management, pre-fire community and built environment risk reduction, active fire management and emergency response, and post-fire recovery in the built and natural environments.
    • Assessing and monitoring wildfires and wildfire conditions across all phases of fire, including ignition, behavior, and spread, climate, weather, drought, soil moisture, fuel conditions, smoke, aerosols, fire severity, debris flows, and erosion.
    • Comprehensive modeling of wildfire behavior and risks, including ignitions, wildfire intensity and spread inside the built and natural environments, air quality, and dependence on burn history, vegetation conditions, climate, and weather.
    • Providing and procuring, if commercially available, and combining existing data, mapping, technological, and consultation services to support pre-, active, and post-fire activities, including—
      • creating and maintaining a real-time nationwide wildfire risk catalog by leveraging existing risk mapping at land management agencies;
      • assisting with the creation of evacuation plans for at-risk communities;
      • assisting with the creation of public safety power shutoff plans;
      • assisting with the creation and updating of wildfire response strategies, plans, and treatment and mitigation measures, including mitigation measures in the built environment and the development of community wildfire protection plans;
      • providing decision support and gridded and point data forecast and assessment products in support of operational and planning activities, including the pre-positioning of wildfire suppression personnel and assets based on real-time-risk; and
      • assisting with the safe and effective use of prescribed fire.
    • Consolidating air quality monitoring and forecasting data to support health risk information to help inform risks to public health and protect the public from smoke impacts associated with wildfires, including providing planning guidance for safe and effective beneficial fire opportunities to prevent the risk of wildfires.
    • Providing accessible tools and products that support emergency and land management decisions relating to wildfire prevention, preparedness, and response, including risk assessment and contingency planning, which shall include the development of a data interface to assist and inform, in real-time, firefighters, first responders, and approved contractors in responding to wildfires, including the use of any observations by the civil, military, and intelligence communities of the Federal Government and commercial Earth observations.
    • Establishing an interoperable information technology infrastructure accessible by Federal agencies, State government offices, units of local government, and Tribal governments.
    • To the extent feasible, establishing data interoperability through—
      • the development of common data standards;
      • the provision of comprehensive searchable data inventories;
      • working with Tribal governments in nation-to-nation partnership;
      • the integration and sharing of information and resources of the Federal Government and State and local governments to support the essential functions of the Center;
      • the development of data standards to protect confidential information that may be essential to the core functions of the Center;
      • regular updates and maintenance of research and technology essential to achieving the core functions of the Center; and
      • the development and maintenance of a big-data architecture to compile, maintain, standardize, and evaluate data associated with the core functions of the Center.
    • In coordination with relevant Federal agencies and coordinating entities, as determined by the Board, and in consultation with State government agencies, units of local government, territories of the United States, and federally recognized Indian Tribes, developing, procuring where commercially available, and disseminating tools to support wildfire planning, risk reduction and response guidance, guidelines, maps, and training materials to help inform State, territorial, local, and Tribal governments and decisionmakers with respect to—
      • the use and implementations of wildfire risk assessments;
      • the applied use of the database and information developed under paragraphs (7) and (8);
      • reducing losses from wildfires;
      • increasing benefits from wildfires;
      • resources available for communities and responders working to improve wildfire preparedness; and
      • enhancing communication management in emergency wildfire situations, land and resource management, and scientific studies.
    • Working with Federal, State, and Tribal agencies to develop and improve National Wildfire Coordinating Group wildfire preparedness curricula and training modules for—
      • State, territorial, local, and Tribal officials; and
      • Federal, State, territorial, local, and Tribal emergency managers and responders.
    • Maintaining the Fireshed Registry.
    • Administering the pilot program established under section 303 and streamlining procurement processes for technologies identified under that pilot program and technology systems related to addressing wildfire and smoke for purposes of scaling such technologies and systems across Federal agencies.
• (e) Administration
  • (1) In general
    • The Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior shall cooperatively administer the Center.
  • (2) Transfer of funds
    • (A) In general
      • Subject to subparagraph (B), the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior may transfer funds provided to establish, and carry out the duties of, the Center between—
        • (i) the Forest Service; and
        • (ii) the United States Geological Survey.
    • (B) Notice required
      • Not later than 15 days before transferring funds under subparagraph (A), the Secretary or the Secretary of the Interior, as applicable, shall submit to the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a notice of the proposed transfer.
• (f) Board
  • (1) Membership
    • The Center shall be governed by a Board, to be composed of 16 members, as follows:
      • 1 member who is a career employee of the Department of Agriculture, to be appointed by the Secretary.
      • 1 member who is a career employee of the research and development areas of the Forest Service, to be appointed by the Chief of the Forest Service.
      • 1 member who is a career employee in fire and aviation management of the Forest Service, to be appointed by the Chief of the Forest Service.
      • 1 member who is a career employee of the Department of the Interior, to be appointed by the Secretary of the Interior.
      • 1 member who is a career employee of the Bureau of Land Management, to be appointed by the Director of the Bureau of Land Management.
      • 1 member who is a career employee of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to be appointed by the Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs.
      • 1 member who is a career employee of the National Park Service, to be appointed by the Director of the National Park Service.
      • 1 member who is a career employee of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, to be appointed by the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
      • 1 member who is a career employee of the United States Geological Survey, to be appointed by the Director of the United States Geological Survey.
      • 1 member who is a career employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to be appointed by the Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
      • 1 member who is a career employee of the National Weather Service, to be appointed by the Director of the National Weather Service.
      • 1 member who is a career employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, to be appointed by the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
      • 1 member who is a career employee of the United States Fire Administration, to be appointed by the Administrator of the United States Fire Administration.
      • 1 member who is a career employee of the Department of Defense, to be appointed by the Secretary of Defense.
      • 1 member who is a career employee of the National Science Foundation, to be appointed by the Director of the National Science Foundation.
      • 1 member who is a career employee of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, to be appointed by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
  • (2) Terms
    • A member of the Board—
      • shall be appointed for a term of 3 years; and
      • may be reappointed for not more than 3 additional terms.
  • (3) Chairperson; Vice Chairperson
    • The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Board shall—
      • be selected by the members of the Board from among the members appointed under subparagraphs (B), (I), and (J) of paragraph (1); and
      • serve for a term of 1 year.
  • (4) Majority vote
    • A voting consensus by the Board shall be not less than a majority vote of the members present.
  • (5) Nonvoting status
    • At the discretion of the Board, the Board may include nonvoting observers to the Board.
• (g) Executive Director
  • (1) In general
    • The Center shall have an Executive Director, who shall be appointed by, and serve at the direction of, the Board.
  • (2) Drought monitoring
    • The Executive Director shall engage with relevant Federal agencies, State agencies, and entities in the private sector to improve drought monitoring, forecasting, communication, and response that may be essential to the core functions of the Center, if the Executive Director determines that the engagement is appropriate, beneficial, and cost-effective.
  • (3) Contracting authority
    • (A) In general
      • The Executive Director may enter into and perform contracts, agreements, memoranda of understanding, or other, similar transactions, as the Executive Director determines to be appropriate to carry out the functions of the Center described in subsection (d).
    • (B) Report
      • Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Board and the Executive Director shall submit to the relevant committees of Congress a report that provides—
        • (i) an assessment of existing contracting authorities of the Executive Director;
        • (ii) recommendations regarding whether any new contracting authorities or modifications of existing contracting authorities are needed; and
        • (iii) a description of technologies that may be commercially available to perform the functions of the Center, together with the costs and timelines of procuring those technologies or developing relevant capabilities.
• (h) Detailees
  • The Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior may detail or assign to the Center such employees of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior, respectively, as the Secretaries determine to be necessary to carry out the duties of the Center.
• (i) Interagency financing
  • Notwithstanding section 708 of the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2023 (; 136 Stat. 4706), or any other, similar provision of law, interagency financing may be used to fund the Center. Public Law 117–328
• (j) Coordination with other agencies and entities
  • To carry out the functions of the Center described in subsection (d), the Board shall coordinate with agencies represented on the Board and other relevant entities, including—
    • the National Wildfire Coordinating Group;
    • State and Tribal governments;
    • any other agency that—
      • is responsible for the management of Federal or State land; or
      • has data, science, and technology expertise relevant to the Center; and
    • any other relevant Federal, State, Tribal, or nongovernmental entity that is representative of an element of the wildland fire community.
• (k) Operational plan
  • (1) In general
    • Not later than 180 days after the appointment of the Executive Director, the Executive Director shall submit to the relevant committees of Congress an operational plan describing—
    • In general
      • the structure of the Center;
      • staffing and funding needs of the Center;
      • technological capabilities within the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, and the other Federal departments and agencies comprising the Board that are available to the Center;
      • an assessment of the potential of commercially available technologies to perform the functions of the Center; and
      • a timeline for full operational functioning of the Center.
  • (2) Inclusions
    • The plan under paragraph (1) shall include estimated costs, key milestones, coordination strategies with Federal, State, and private entities, and recommendations for ensuring the effective operation of the Center.
  • (3) Updates
    • The Director shall update the plan not less frequently than annually to reflect progress, adjustments in funding, and the adoption of new technologies.
• (l) Rule of construction
  • Nothing in this section affects the ownership of any data source.

Sec. 103. Fireshed Registry.

• (a) Establishment
  • The Secretaries, acting through the Executive Director, shall establish and maintain, on a publicly accessible website, a registry, to be known as the , that provides interactive geospatial data relating to individual firesheds, including information relating to— Fireshed Registry
    • wildland fire exposure, delineated by ownership, including rights-of-way for utilities and other public or private purposes;
    • any hazardous fuels management activities that have occurred within an individual fireshed during the preceding 10 years;
    • wildland fire exposure with respect to a fireshed, delineated by—
      • wildfire exposure and corresponding risk to communities, including risk to life, critical infrastructure, and other structures;
      • wildfire exposure and corresponding risk to municipal watersheds, including Tribal water supplies and systems; and
      • risk of vegetation type conversion due to wildfire;
    • the percentage of a fireshed burned in wildfire during the preceding 10 years, including, to the extent practicable, delineations of acres that have burned at a high severity;
    • spatial patterns of wildfire exposure, including plausible extreme fire events; and
    • any hazardous fuels management activities planned for a fireshed, including fireshed management projects.
• (b) Community wildfire protection plans
  • The Executive Director shall make data from the Fireshed Registry available to local communities developing or updating community wildfire protection plans.
• (c) Maintenance
  • As part of the website containing the Fireshed Registry, the Executive Director shall—
    • publish fireshed assessments conducted under section 105; and
    • maintain a searchable database to track—
      • the status of Federal environmental reviews, permits, and authorizations for fireshed management projects, including—
        • (i) a comprehensive permitting timetable;
        • (ii) the status of the compliance of each lead agency, cooperating agency, and participating agency with the permitting timetable with respect to fireshed management projects;
        • (iii) any required modifications of the permitting timetable under clause (i), including an explanation regarding why the permitting timetable was modified; and
        • (iv) information regarding any public meetings, public hearings, and public comment periods relating to a fireshed management project, as that information becomes available, which shall be presented in—
        • English; and
        • the predominant language of each community that is most affected by the fireshed management project, as that information becomes available;
      • the projected cost of fireshed management projects; and
      • in the case of a completed fireshed management project, the estimated effectiveness of the fireshed management project in—
        • (i) reducing the wildfire exposure within the applicable fireshed, including wildfire exposure described in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of subsection (a)(3); and
        • (ii) increasing the resilience of wildlife habitats, including habitat for species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (). 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
• (d) Incorporation of existing assessments and data
  • In carrying out this section, the Executive Director shall incorporate any assessments completed or data gathered through existing partnerships, to the extent practicable.
• (e) Applicability of NEPA
  • The establishment and maintenance of the Fireshed Registry under this section shall not be subject to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (). 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.

Sec. 104. Shared stewardship.

• (a) Joint agreements
  • The Secretary concerned shall seek to use an existing shared stewardship agreement, modify an existing shared stewardship agreement, or enter into a similar agreement with the Governor of each State and Indian Tribe that contains a fireshed management area designated under section 101(a) to jointly—
    • promote the reduction of wildfire exposure, based on the criteria described in clauses (i) through (iii) of section 101(a)(1)(B), in fireshed management areas across jurisdictional boundaries; and
    • conduct fireshed assessments under section 105.
• (b) Adjustment of boundaries and updates to agreements
  • With respect to an agreement under subsection (a), the Secretary concerned, on request of the applicable Governor, may—
    • adjust the boundaries of any applicable fireshed management area; and
    • update the agreement to address any new wildfire threats.
• (c) Cooperative agreements
  • The Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior may enter into cooperative agreements with units of local government, special districts, end water users, nongovernmental organizations, institutions of higher education, and other entities, at the discretion of the applicable Secretary to carry out the activities described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a).

Sec. 105. Fireshed assessments.

• (a) In general
  • Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned, in cooperation with the Governor with whom the Secretary concerned enters into an agreement under section 104(a), if applicable, shall conduct a fireshed assessment in accordance with this section with respect to each fireshed management area designated in the applicable State or area of Tribal land.
• (b) Requirements
  • (1) In general
    • Each fireshed assessment under subsection (a) shall—
    • In general
      • identify—
        • (i) using the best available science, wildfire exposure risks within the applicable fireshed management area, including scenario planning and wildfire hazard mapping and models; and
        • (ii) each at-risk community within the fireshed management area;
      • identify the types of fireshed management projects that could benefit the fireshed management area, with an emphasis on reducing—
        • (i) wildfire exposure and corresponding risk to communities, including risk to life, critical infrastructure, and other structures;
        • (ii) wildfire exposure and corresponding risk to municipal watersheds, including Tribal water supplies and systems;
        • (iii) risk of vegetation type conversion due to wildfire;
        • (iv) wildfire risk for wildlife habitats, including habitat for species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (); 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
        • (v) wildfire risk to resources of an Indian Tribe, as defined by the Indian Tribe; or
        • (vi) any combination of purposes described in clauses (i) through (v); and
      • include, with respect to the applicable fireshed management area—
        • (i) a strategy for reducing the threat of wildfire—
        • to protect at-risk communities in the wildland-urban interface on Federal and non-Federal land;
        • to improve the effectiveness of wildfire firefighting, particularly the effectiveness of fuels treatments that would improve wildfire firefighter safety during wildfires; and
        • to reduce risk to wildlife habitats, including habitat for species listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (); 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
        • (ii) a timeline for the implementation of fireshed management projects;
        • (iii) long-term benchmark goals for the completion of fireshed management projects in the highest wildfire exposure areas to ensure that those fireshed management projects contribute to the development and maintenance of healthy and resilient landscapes;
        • (iv) a strategy to ensure that fireshed management projects comply with applicable forest plans and incorporate the best available science; and
        • (v) a strategy for maximizing the retention of late-successional forests, to the extent that the trees promote stands that are resilient to insects and disease, and reduce the risk or extent of, or increase resilience to, wildfires.
  • (2) Existing plans
    • To the maximum extent practicable, a fireshed assessment shall incorporate and build on information, planning, and strategies contained in relevant forest plans, State forest action plans, watershed management plans, community wildfire protection plans, and similar locally led landscape-scale planning documents.
  • (3) Participation
    • (A) State, Tribal, and local governments
      • In addition to the parties to an applicable agreement described in subsection (a), the Secretary concerned shall coordinate with States, Indian Tribes, units of local government, and other entities that are parties to an agreement under section 104(c) within a fireshed management area in conducting the fireshed assessment under paragraph (1).
      • State, Tribal, and local governments
    • (B) Public
      • In carrying out a fireshed assessment under this section, the Secretary concerned shall provide an opportunity for public participation during the 45-day period beginning on the date of initiation of the assessment, including—
        • (i) publication of information regarding the development of the assessment—
        • on a website maintained by the Secretary concerned; and
        • at convenient locations within the applicable fireshed management area; and
        • (ii) at least 1 public meeting.
• (c) Updates and availability
  • Each fireshed assessment under subsection (a) shall be—
    • regularly updated based on the best available science, subject to the requirements of subsection (d)(2); and
    • made publicly available on 1 or more websites maintained by the Secretary concerned, including the Fireshed Registry.
• (d) Information improvement
  • (1) Memoranda of understanding
    • In carrying out a fireshed assessment under this section, the Secretary concerned may enter into memoranda of understanding with other Federal departments and agencies (including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), States, Indian Tribes, private entities, or research or educational institutions to improve, with respect to the assessment, the use and integration of—
      • advanced remote sensing and geospatial technologies;
      • statistical modeling and analysis; or
      • any other technology or combination of technologies and analyses that the Secretary concerned determines will benefit the quality of information in the assessment.
  • (2) Best available science
    • In using the best available science for a fireshed assessment under this section, the Secretary concerned and the applicable Governor shall incorporate, to the maximum extent practicable—
      • traditional ecological knowledge from Indian Tribes;
      • data from State forest action plans and State wildfire risk assessments;
      • data from the Fireshed Registry; and
      • data from other Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments or agencies.
• (e) Applicability of NEPA
  • A fireshed assessment under this section shall not be subject to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (). 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.

Sec. 106. Emergency fireshed management.

• (a) Fireshed management projects
  • (1) In general
    • The Secretary, acting through a responsible official, shall carry out fireshed management projects on land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned in fireshed management areas in accordance with this section, the applicable forest plan, and the laws (including regulations) applicable to the Secretary concerned.
  • (2) Applicability of other provisions
    • (A) In general
      • The following shall have the force and effect of law with respect to any fireshed management project carried out in a fireshed management area:
      • In general
        • (i) Section 220.4(b) of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on April 9, 2025), with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary.
        • (ii) Section 46.150 of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on April 9, 2025), with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior.
        • (iii) Section 402.05 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on April 9, 2025).
        • (iv) Section 800.12 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on April 9, 2025), except that any reference contained in that regulation to an shall be considered to be a reference to a responsible official. agency official
    • (B) Determination of emergency
      • (i) A regulation referred to in subparagraph (A) shall not apply pursuant to that subparagraph with respect to a fireshed management project unless, before carrying out the fireshed management project, a responsible official—
      • determines, in accordance with the regulation, that an emergency or emergency circumstance exists;
      • completes any documentation or identification processes required under such regulation; and
      • provides public notice of the determination of emergency and each related fireshed management project activity by publishing such determination on a website maintained by the Secretary concerned.
      • (ii) In carrying out a fireshed management project under a regulation referred to in subparagraph (A), a responsible official shall ensure that such fireshed management project is consistent with the applicable forest plan and the laws (including regulations) and policies applicable to the Secretary concerned.
    • (C) Further clarification
      • A regulation referred to in subparagraph (A) shall not apply to any fireshed management project unless such fireshed management project will achieve a land management goal described in section 604(c) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (). 16 U.S.C. 6591c(c)
    • (D) Utilization of existing streamlined authorities in fireshed management areas
      • (i) Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, with respect to each fireshed management area that contains Federal land, the Secretary concerned, acting through a responsible official, shall use not fewer than 1 of the following expedited authorities for environmental review to carry out fireshed management projects:
      • Section 603(a) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (). 16 U.S.C. 6591b(a)
      • Section 605(a) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (). 16 U.S.C. 6591d(a)
      • Section 606(b) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (). 16 U.S.C. 6591e(b)
      • Section 40806(b) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (). 16 U.S.C. 6592b(b)
      • (ii) In applying expedited authorities for environmental review to carry out fireshed management projects under clause (i), the Secretary concerned shall ensure—
      • such project is carried out in accordance with the statute establishing the categorical exclusion applied by the Secretary concerned;
      • compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (); and 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.
      • such project is carried out in accordance with the applicable forest plan or resource management plan and the laws and policies applicable to the Secretary concerned.
      • (iii) The Secretary may declare an emergency pursuant to section 40807 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act () for any fireshed management project. 16 U.S.C. 6592c
      • (iv) In carrying out this section, the Secretary concerned shall ensure compliance with the amendments made to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 () by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (; 137 Stat. 38). 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; Public Law 118–5
      • (v) To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary concerned shall use the authorities provided under this section in combination with other authorities to carry out fireshed management projects, including—
      • good neighbor agreements under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 () (as amended by this Act); 16 U.S.C. 2113a
      • stewardship contracting projects entered into under section 604 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 () (as amended by this Act); 16 U.S.C. 6591c
      • self-determination contracts and self-governance compact agreements entered into under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (); and 25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.
      • agreements entered into under the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 (; 118 Stat. 868). Public Law 108–278
• (b) Expansion
  • (1) Healthy Forests Restoration Act amendments
    • Healthy Forests Restoration Act amendments
    • (A) Definitions
      • Section 3 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 () is amended— 16 U.S.C. 6502
      • Definitions
        • (i) in paragraph (2), by striking and inserting ; and
        • (ii) by adding at the end the following:
          • (3) Local government
            • The term local government means—
              • a county;
              • a municipality; and
              • a special district.
          • (4) Special district
            • The term special district means a political subdivision of a State that—
              • has significant budgetary autonomy or control;
              • was established by, or pursuant to, the laws of the State for the purpose of performing a limited and specific governmental or proprietary function primarily relating to forest or rangeland management; and
              • is distinct from any other unit of local government within the State.
    • (B) Administrative review
      • Section 603(c) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 () is amended— 16 U.S.C. 6591b(c)
      • Administrative review
        • (i) in paragraph (1), by striking 3000 acresand inserting 10,000 acres; and
        • (ii) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking Fire Regime Groups I, II, or IIIand inserting Fire Regime I, Fire Regime II, Fire Regime III, or Fire Regime IV.
    • (C) Wildfire resilience projects
      • Section 605(c) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 () is amended— 16 U.S.C. 6591d(c)
      • Wildfire resilience projects
        • (i) in paragraph (1), by striking 3000 acresand inserting 10,000 acres; and
        • (ii) in paragraph (4), by striking code of Federal regulations (or successor regulations)and inserting Code of Federal regulations (or a successor regulation).
    • (D) Greater sage-grouse and mule deer habitat
      • Section 606 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 () is amended— 16 U.S.C. 6591e
        • (i) in subsection (a)(1)(A)—
        • by striking clause (ii);
        • by redesignating clauses (iii) through (vii) as clauses (ii) through (vi), respectively; and
        • in clause (iii) (as so redesignated), in the matter preceding subclause (I), by striking ;
        • (ii) in subsection (c), by striking concurrently for both greater sage-grouse andand inserting for greater sage-grouse or; and
        • (iii) in subsection (g)(1), by striking 4,500 acresand inserting 7,500 acres.
  • (2) Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act amendment
    • Section 40806(d)(1) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act () is amended by striking 3,000 acresand inserting 10,000 acres. 16 U.S.C. 6592b(d)(1)

Sec. 107. Sunset.

The authority under this subtitle terminates on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Subtitle B—Expanding collaborative tools to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health

Sec. 111. Modification of treatment of certain revenue and payments under good neighbor agreements.

• (a) Good neighbor authority
  • Section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 () is amended— 16 U.S.C. 2113a
    • in subsection (a)—
      • in paragraph (1)(B), by striking either the Secretary or a Governor or countyand inserting the Secretary, a Governor, an Indian tribe, a special district, or a county;
      • in paragraph (5), by striking Governor orand inserting Governor, an Indian tribe, a special district, or a;
      • in paragraph (6), by striking ; and
      • by adding at the end the following:
        • (11) Special district
          • The term special district means a political subdivision of a State that—
            • has significant budgetary autonomy or control;
            • was established by, or pursuant to, the laws of the State for the purpose of performing a limited and specific governmental or proprietary function primarily relating to forest or rangeland management; and
            • is distinct from any other unit of local government within the State.
    • in subsection (b)—
      • in paragraph (1)(A), by striking or countyand inserting , an Indian tribe, a special district, or a county;
      • in paragraph (2)(C)—
        • (i) in clause (i)—
        • in the matter preceding subclause (I), by inserting after each place it appears;
        • in subclause (I)—
        • by striking ; and
        • by striking and inserting a semicolon;
        • in subclause (II)—
        • in the matter preceding item (aa), by striking clause (i)and inserting subclause (I); and
        • in item (bb), by striking and inserting ; and
          • if there are funds remaining after carrying out subclause (II)—
          • to carry out authorized restoration services under other good neighbor agreements; and
          • for the administration of a good neighbor authority program by a Governor, Indian tribe, special district, or county.
        • by adding at the end the following:
        • (ii) in clause (ii), by striking and inserting ;
      • in paragraph (3), by striking or countyand inserting , an Indian tribe, a special district, or a county; and
      • by striking paragraph (4).
• (b) Technical amendment
  • (1) In general
    • Section 443 of division E of (138 Stat. 297) is amended, in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking Agriculture Act of 2014and inserting Agricultural Act of 2014. Public Law 118–42
    • In general
  • (2) Effective date
    • The amendment made by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the date of enactment of (138 Stat. 25). Public Law 118–42
• (c) Effective date
  • The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply to any project initiated pursuant to a good neighbor agreement (as defined in section 8206(a) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 ())— 16 U.S.C. 2113a(a)
    • before the date of enactment of this Act, if the project was initiated after the date of enactment of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (; 132 Stat. 4490); or Public Law 115–334
    • on or after the date of enactment of this Act.

Sec. 112. Fixing stewardship end result contracting.

Section 604 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 () is amended— 16 U.S.C. 6591c

• in subsection (b), by inserting before the period at the end; and
• in subsection (d)(3)(B), by striking 10 yearsand inserting 20 years; and
  • (4) Special rule for long-term stewardship contracts
    • (A) Definition of long-term contract
      • In this paragraph, the term long-term contract means an agreement or contract under subsection (b) that—
        • (i) has a term of longer than 5 years; and
        • (ii) is entered into on or after the date of enactment of this paragraph.
    • (B) Special rule
      • A long-term contract entered into under subsection (b) by the Chief or the Director with an entity shall provide that, in the case of cancellation or termination of the long-term contract by the Chief or the Director, the Chief or the Director, as applicable, shall provide to the entity an amount equal to 10 percent of the long-term contract amount as cancellation or termination costs.
• in subsection (h), by adding at the end the following:

Sec. 113. Fireshed management project strike teams.

• (a) Establishment
  • The Secretary concerned shall establish intra-agency strike teams to assist the Secretary concerned with—
    • any reviews, including analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (), consultations under division A of subtitle III of title 54, United States Code (formerly known as the ), and consultations under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (), with the intent to accelerate and streamline interagency consultation processes; National Historic Preservation Act 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
    • the implementation of any necessary site preparation work in advance of, or as part of, a fireshed management project;
    • the implementation of fireshed management projects; and
    • any combination of purposes described in paragraphs (1) through (3).
• (b) Members
  • (1) In general
    • The Secretary concerned may appoint not more than 10 individuals to serve on an intra-agency strike team under this section, to be composed of—
    • In general
      • employees of the department under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned;
      • employees of a different Federal department or agency, with the consent of the head of that department or agency; and
      • private contractors or volunteers from any nonprofit organization, State government, Indian Tribe, local government, quasi-governmental agency, academic institution, or private organization.
  • (2) Requirement
    • In appointing individuals under paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall appoint not fewer than 1 employee of the Federal agency with jurisdiction over the applicable Federal land.
• (c) Review responsibility
  • The Secretary concerned shall—
    • determine the sufficiency of the documents prepared by an intra-agency strike team under this section; and
    • retain responsibility for any authorizing decision relating to such a document.
• (d) Sunset
  • The authority under this section terminates on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Sec. 114. Locally led restoration.

Section 14(d) of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 () is amended, in the first sentence, by striking striking0,000and inserting $55,000. 16 U.S.C. 472a(d)

Sec. 115. Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership Program.

Section 40808 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act () is amended— 16 U.S.C. 6592d

• in subsection (a)(2)—
  • in subparagraph (B), by striking or at the end;
  • in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and
    • to recover from wildfire; or
    • to enhance soil, water, and related natural resources.
  • by adding at the end the following:
• in subsection (d)(1)—
  • in subparagraph (A), by inserting after ; and
  • in subparagraph (F), by inserting before the semicolon;
  • (2) Additional reports
    • For each of fiscal years 2022 and 2023, and not less frequently than once every 2 fiscal years thereafter, the Chiefs shall submit a report describing projects for which funding is provided under the Program, including the status and outcomes of those projects, to—
      • in the Senate—
        • (i) the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry;
        • (ii) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources; and
        • (iii) the Committee on Appropriations; and
      • in the House of Representatives—
        • (i) the Committee on Agriculture;
        • (ii) the Committee on Natural Resources; and
        • (iii) the Committee on Appropriations.
• in subsection (g), by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
• in subsection (h)(1), by striking and 2023and inserting through 2031.

Sec. 116. Collaborative forest landscape restoration program.

Section 4003 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 () is amended— 16 U.S.C. 7303

• in subsection (b)—
  • in paragraph (2)(B)(ii), by striking and inserting ; and
  • in paragraph (3)—
    • (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking plans to—and inserting plans—;
    • (ii) in each of subparagraphs (A) through (H), by inserting after the subparagraph designation; and
    • (iii) in subparagraph (D), by inserting before the semicolon;
• in subsection (c)(3)(A)—
  • in clause (i), by striking and at the end;
  • in clause (ii), by adding after the semicolon at the end; and
    • (iii) include a Federal Government staffing plan for providing staff to support collaborative processes established under subsection (b)(2);
  • by adding at the end the following:
• in subsection (d)—
  • in paragraph (2)—
    • (i) in subparagraph (E), by striking and at the end;
    • (ii) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and
    • (iii) by adding at the end the following:
      • proposals that seek to use innovative implementation mechanisms, including good neighbor agreements entered into under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (); 16 U.S.C. 2113a
      • proposals that seek to reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire or increase ecological restoration activities—
        • (i) within areas across land ownerships, including State, Tribal, and private land; and
        • (ii) within the wildland-urban interface (as defined in section 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ()); and 16 U.S.C. 6511
      • proposals that seek to enhance watershed health and drinking water sources.
  • in paragraph (3)—
    • (i) by striking subparagraph (A) and inserting the following:
      • 4 proposals in any 1 region of the National Forest System to be funded during any fiscal year; and
    • (ii) by striking subparagraph (B); and
    • (iii) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (B);
• in subsection (e)(3), by inserting before ; and
• in subsection (f)—
  • in paragraph (4)(B)(ii), by striking $4,000,000and inserting $8,000,000; and
  • in paragraph (6), by striking and inserting .

Sec. 117. Utilizing grazing for wildfire risk reduction.

• (a) Strategy
  • (1) In general
    • Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned, in coordination with the holders of permits to graze livestock on Federal land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned and in consultation with other relevant stakeholders, shall develop a strategy to utilize livestock grazing as a wildfire risk reduction tool on Federal land, consistent with the laws applicable to the Secretary concerned.
    • In general
  • (2) Inclusions
    • The strategy under paragraph (1) shall include—
      • the completion of any reviews required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 () to allow permitted grazing on vacant grazing allotments during instances of drought, wildfire, or other natural disasters that disrupt grazing on allotments already permitted; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.
      • the use of targeted grazing to reduce hazardous fuels;
      • an increased use of temporary permits to promote targeted fuels reduction and reduction of invasive annual grasses;
      • an increased use of livestock grazing—
        • (i) to eradicate invasive annual grasses; and
        • (ii) as a post-fire restoration and recovery strategy, as appropriate;
      • an integrated use of advanced technologies to dynamically adjust livestock placement;
      • an increased use of any authorities applicable to livestock grazing, including modifications to grazing permits or leases to allow variances;
      • the utilization of grazing on Federal land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned in a manner that—
        • (i) avoids conflicts with other uses of that Federal land; and
        • (ii) is consistent with any applicable land management plan; and
      • the use of any other means determined to be appropriate by the Secretary concerned.
• (b) Effect on existing grazing programs
  • Nothing in this section affects—
    • any livestock grazing program carried out by the Secretary concerned as of the date of enactment of this Act; or
    • any statutory authority for any program described in paragraph (1).

Sec. 118. Water Source Protection Program.

Section 303 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 () is amended— 16 U.S.C. 6542

• in subsection (a)—
  • by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (7) as paragraphs (2) through (8), respectively;
    • (1) Adjacent land
      • The term adjacent land means non-Federal land, including State, local, and private land, that is adjacent to, and within the same watershed as, National Forest System land on which a watershed protection and restoration project is carried out under this section.
  • by inserting before paragraph (2) (as so redesignated) the following:
  • in paragraph (2) (as so redesignated)—
    • (i) by redesignating subparagraphs (G) and (H) as subparagraphs (K) and (L), respectively; and
    • (ii) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following:
      • an acequia association;
      • a local, regional, or other public entity that manages stormwater or wastewater resources or other related water infrastructure;
      • a land-grant mercedes; and
      • a local, regional, or other private entity that has water delivery authority;
• in subsection (b)—
  • by inserting before the period at the end;
  • by striking and inserting the following:
    • (1) In general
      • The Secretary
    • (2) Requirements
      • A watershed protection and restoration project under the Program shall be designed—
        • to protect and restore watershed health, water supply and quality, a municipal or agricultural water supply system, and water-related infrastructure;
        • to protect and restore forest health from insect infestation and disease or wildfire; or
        • to advance any combination of the purposes described in subparagraphs (A) and (B).
    • (3) Priorities
      • In selecting watershed protection and restoration projects under the Program, the Secretary shall give priority to projects that would—
        • provide risk management benefits associated with drought, wildfire, post-wildfire conditions, extreme weather events, flooding, resilience to climate change, and watershed and fire resilience, including minimizing risks to watershed health, water supply and quality, and water-related infrastructure, including municipal and agricultural water supply systems;
        • support aquatic restoration and conservation efforts that complement existing or planned forest restoration or wildfire risk reduction efforts;
        • provide quantifiable benefits to water supply or quality and include the use of nature-based solutions, such as restoring wetland and riparian ecosystems;
        • include—
          • (i) partners with demonstrated capacity to, and success in, designing and implementing ecological restoration projects, wildfire risk-reduction efforts, or post-wildfire restoration projects; or
          • (ii) in the case of communities that have historically lacked access to adequate resources, partners with a strong likelihood of success in designing and implementing a watershed protection and restoration project; and
        • include—
          • (i) a contribution of funds or in-kind support from non-Federal partners in an amount greater than the amount required under subsection (g)(2); or
          • (ii) such other characteristics as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.
    • (4) Conditions for projects on adjacent land
      • (A) In general
        • No project or activity may be carried out under this section on adjacent land, unless the owner of the adjacent land provides express support for, and is a willing and engaged partner in, carrying out that project or activity.
      • (B) Effect
        • Nothing in this section authorizes any change in—
          • (i) the ownership of adjacent land on which a project or activity is carried out under this section; or
          • (ii) the management of adjacent land on which a project or activity is carried out under this section, except during the carrying out of that project or activity.
  • by adding at the end the following:
• in subsection (c)—
  • in paragraph (1), by striking and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting the following:
    • agreements with end water users to protect and restore the condition of National Forest watersheds and adjacent land that provide water to—
      • end water users; or
      • end water users to protect and restore the condition of National Forest watersheds and adjacent land that provide water for the benefit of another end water user.
  • in paragraph (2)—
    • (i) in subparagraph (C), by striking or at the end;
    • (ii) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E); and
    • (iii) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following:
      • in the case of an agreement with a State, a county, or an Indian tribe for a project carried out on National Forest System land, a good neighbor agreement entered into under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (); or 16 U.S.C. 2113a
    • (3) Cooperation with non-Federal partners
      • The Secretary shall cooperate with non-Federal partners in carrying out assessments, planning, project design, and project implementation under this section.
  • by adding at the end the following:
• in subsection (d)—
  • (2) Requirements
    • A water source management plan shall be—
      • designed to protect and restore ecological integrity (as defined in section 219.19 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this subparagraph));
      • based on the best available scientific information; and
      • conducted in a manner consistent with the forest plan applicable to the National Forest System land on which the watershed protection and restoration project is carried out.
  • by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
    • (4) Reducing redundancy
      • An existing watershed plan, such as a watershed protection and restoration action plan developed under section 304(a)(3), or other applicable watershed planning documents approved by the Secretary may be used as the basis for a water source management plan under this subsection.
  • by adding at the end the following:
• in subsection (e)(1), by striking in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting purpose of advancing any of the purposes described in subsection (b)(2).; and
• in subsection (g)—
  • in paragraph (2)—
    • (i) by striking at least equal toand inserting not less than 20 percent of;
    • (ii) by striking and inserting the following:
      • (A) In general
        • Subject to subparagraph (B), the Secretary
    • (iii) by adding at the end the following:
      • (B) Waiver
        • The Secretary may waive the requirement under subparagraph (A) at the discretion of the Secretary.
  • in paragraph (4)—
    • (i) in subparagraph (B), by striking fiscal years 2019 through 2023and inserting fiscal years 2025 through 2031;
    • (ii) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (D); and
    • (iii) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
      • (C) Set-aside for partner participation in planning and capacity
        • Of the amounts made available under subparagraphs (A) and (B) to carry out this section for each fiscal year, the Secretary shall use not less than 10 percent for non-Federal partner technical assistance participation and capacity-building efforts in developing or implementing a water source management plan under subsection (d).
    • (5) In-kind contributions
      • The Secretary may include the value of forest restoration and watershed improvement work implemented on adjacent land in the project area in determining in-kind contributions to a project from non-Federal partners under paragraph (4)(A).
  • by adding at the end the following:

Sec. 119. Watershed Condition Framework technical corrections.

Section 304(a) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 () is amended— 16 U.S.C. 6543(a)

• in paragraph (3)(A), by inserting before ;
• in paragraph (5), by striking and at the end;
• in paragraph (6), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and; and
  • to ensure that management activities and authorizations do not result in long-term degradation of watershed health or lower the classification under paragraph (1) of any watershed in a National Forest.
• by adding at the end the following:

Sec. 120. Tribal forest protection management activities and projects.

Section 8703 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 () is amended— 25 U.S.C. 3115b

• in the section heading, by striking and inserting ;
• by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c);
• in subsection (a)—
  • by striking ;
  • by striking programs ofand inserting activities and projects under;
  • by striking 5304 et seq.and inserting 5301 et seq.; and
  • by striking the subsection designation and heading and all that follows through and inserting the following:
    • (a) Definitions
      • In this section:
        • The term Indian Tribe means an Indian Tribe included on the list published by the Secretary of the Interior under section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (). 25 U.S.C. 5131
        • The term Tribal organization has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (). 25 U.S.C. 5304
    • (b) Activities and projects
      • The Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior
• in subsection (c) (as so redesignated)—
  • in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking subsection (a)and inserting subsection (b); and
  • in paragraph (1), by striking 5304 et seq.and inserting 5301 et seq.; and
  • (d) Publication of information
    • The Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior shall—
      • not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this subsection, make available, in an easily accessible format and location, on the website of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior, respectively, a list of the types of activities and projects that Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations may enter into contracts to perform under subsection (b); and
      • update the list under paragraph (1) as necessary.
• by adding at the end the following:

Subtitle C—Litigation reform

Sec. 121. Commonsense litigation reform.

• (a) Definitions
  • In this section:
    • The term , with respect to a fireshed management project, means a record of decision, decision memorandum, environmental document, or programmatic environmental document. agency document
    • The term covered agency action means—
    • The terms , , and have the meanings given those terms in section 111 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (). categorical exclusion,environmental document,programmatic environmental document 42 U.S.C. 4336e
• (b) Limitations on judicial review
  • (1) Limitations on injunctive relief
    • (A) Temporary delay of covered agency action
      • Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the case of a claim arising under Federal law seeking judicial review of a covered agency action, a court shall not issue a preliminary injunction against such covered agency action unless the court determines that—
        • (i) subject to subparagraph (C), such preliminary injunction is in the public interest;
        • (ii) the balance of equities favors the plaintiff;
        • (iii) the plaintiff is likely to succeed on the merits; and
        • (iv) the plaintiff is likely to suffer irreparable injury in the absence of preliminary relief.
    • (B) Permanent limit on agency action
      • Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the case of a claim arising under Federal law seeking judicial review of a covered agency action, a court shall not issue a permanent injunction against such covered agency action, or an order to otherwise permanently limit such covered agency action, unless a court determines that—
        • (i) subject to subparagraph (C), such permanent injunction or order is in the public interest;
        • (ii) the balance of equities favors the plaintiff;
        • (iii) the plaintiff has suffered or will suffer irreparable injury; and
        • (iv) no adequate remedy is available at law.
    • (C) Public interest determination
      • (i) In determining under subparagraphs (A) and (B) whether a preliminary or permanent injunction against, or other order with respect to, a covered agency action is in the public interest, the considerations of the court shall include—
      • the purpose for which an agency is undertaking the fireshed management project relating to such covered agency action;
      • the likelihood that the fireshed management project will achieve the stated purpose of the fireshed management project; and
      • the short- and long-term effects of proceeding with the covered agency action, as compared to delaying or limiting such covered agency action, including the potential for significant increases in wildfire risk or severity and significant threats to the health of the ecosystem.
      • (ii) In determining whether to issue any injunction or order under subparagraph (A) or (B), a court shall give significant, but not necessarily dispositive, weight to its consideration of whether such order is in the public interest.
  • (2) Remand
    • (A) In general
      • Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in the case of a claim arising under Federal law seeking judicial review of a covered agency action, if the court remands the matter to the agency, the court shall remand with instructions to carry out, during the 180-day period beginning on the date of such remand, such additional actions as may be necessary to redress any cognizable harm giving rise to such claim.
    • (B) Vacatur
      • (i) In remanding a matter to an agency under subparagraph (A), the court shall remand with vacatur only if—
      • In general
      • the seriousness of any deficiencies in the covered agency action weigh in favor of vacatur; and
      • the court determines that any disruptive consequences of vacatur, including the short- and long-term effects of vacating the covered agency action or any part of such covered agency action, do not outweigh the justification for vacatur.
      • (ii) In making the determination described in clause (i)(II), the court shall consider whether vacatur would cause—
      • any significant increases in wildfire risk or severity, and
      • any significant threats to the health of the ecosystem.
    • (C) Effect of remand on agency
      • In the case of a covered agency action subject to remand without vacatur, or with partial vacatur, pursuant to this paragraph, the agency may—
        • (i) continue to carry out such covered agency action, or such parts of the covered agency action as are not vacated, to the extent that doing so does not interfere with any additional actions required pursuant to subparagraph (A); and
        • (ii) use any format, as appropriate, to correct an agency document (including a supplemental environmental document, memorandum, or errata sheet), provided that such format is appropriate to the nature of the deficiency.
  • (3) Preservation of authority
    • Nothing in this section alters, limits, or displaces the authority of a court to review a covered agency action under section 706(2) of title 5, United States Code.
• (c) Limitations on claims
  • Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a claim arising under Federal law seeking judicial review of a covered agency action shall be barred unless—
    • with respect to an agency document or the application of a categorical exclusion noticed in the Federal Register, such claim is filed not later than 150 days after the date of publication of a notice in the Federal Register of agency intent to carry out the fireshed management project relating to such covered agency document or application, unless a shorter period is specified in such Federal law; or
    • in the case of an agency document or the application of a categorical exclusion not described in paragraph (1), if such agency document or application is otherwise published or noticed, such claim is filed not later than 150 days after the date that is the earlier of—
      • the date on which such agency document or application is published; and
      • the date on which such agency document or application is noticed.

Sec. 122. Consultation on forest plans.

• (a) Forest Service plans
  • Section 6(d)(2) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 () is amended to read as follows: 16 U.S.C. 1604(d)(2)
    • (2) No additional consultation required under certain circumstances
      • Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall not be required to reinitiate consultation under section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 () or section 402.16 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation), on a land management plan approved, amended, or revised under this section when— 16 U.S.C. 1536(a)(2)
        • a new species is listed or critical habitat is designated under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (); or 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
        • new information reveals effects of the land management plan that may affect a species listed or critical habitat designated under that Act in a manner or to an extent not previously considered.
• (b) Bureau of Land Management plans
  • Section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 () is amended by adding at the end the following: 43 U.S.C. 1712
    • (g) No additional consultation required under certain circumstances
      • Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary shall not be required to reinitiate consultation under section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 () or section 402.16 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation), on a land use plan approved, amended, or revised under this section when— 16 U.S.C. 1536(a)(2)
        • a new species is listed or critical habitat is designated under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (); or 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
        • new information reveals effects of the land use plan that may affect a species listed or critical habitat designated under that Act in a manner or to an extent not previously considered.

Subtitle D—Prescribed fire

Sec. 131. Prescribed fire eligible activities, policies, and practices.

• (a) Definition of prescribed fire
  • Definition of prescribed fire
  • (1) In general
    • In this section, the term prescribed fire means a fire deliberately ignited to burn wildland fuels in a natural or modified state—
      • under specified environmental conditions that are intended to allow the fire—
        • (i) to be confined to a predetermined area; and
        • (ii) to produce the fireline intensity and rate of spread required to attain planned resource management objectives; and
      • in accordance with applicable law (including regulations).
  • (2) Exclusion
    • In this section, the term does not include a fire that is ignited for the primary purpose of pile burning. prescribed fire
• (b) Eligible activities
  • (1) In general
    • The Secretary concerned may carry out eligible activities described in paragraph (2) for hazardous fuels management with respect to land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned.
    • In general
  • (2) Description of activities
    • The activities referred to in paragraph (1) are—
    • Description of activities
      • with respect to prescribed fires on Federal land, or on non-Federal land if the Secretary concerned determines that such activities would benefit resources on Federal land—
        • (i) entering into procurement contracts or cooperative agreements for prescribed fire activities;
        • (ii) issuing grants from an existing grant program to a State, Tribal government, local government, prescribed fire council, prescribed burn association, or nonprofit organization for the implementation of prescribed fires, including—
        • carrying out necessary environmental reviews;
        • carrying out any site preparation necessary for implementing prescribed fires; and
        • conducting any required pre-ignition cultural and environmental surveys; and
        • (iii) conducting outreach to the public, Indian Tribes and beneficiaries, and adjacent landowners;
      • implementing prescribed fires on non-Federal land, if the Secretary concerned determines that the prescribed fire would benefit Federal land, including—
        • (i) carrying out necessary environmental reviews;
        • (ii) carrying out any site preparation necessary for implementing prescribed fires; and
        • (iii) conducting any required pre-ignition cultural and environmental surveys;
      • providing training for prescribed fire and basic smoke management practices to Federal employees and cooperators;
      • conducting post-prescribed fire activities, such as monitoring for hazard trees or reignitions and invasive species management; and
      • providing technical or financial assistance to a State, Tribal government, local government, prescribed fire council, prescribed burn association, or nonprofit organization for the purpose of providing training for prescribed fire or basic smoke management practices, consistent with any standards developed by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group or State-prescribed fire standards.
  • (3) Prioritization
    • (A) In general
      • Subject to subparagraph (B), the Secretary concerned shall coordinate with the other Secretary concerned, State and local government agencies, Indian Tribes, and applicable nongovernmental organizations to establish prioritization criteria for carrying out the activities described in paragraph (2).
    • (B) Requirement
      • In establishing criteria under subparagraph (A), the Secretary concerned shall give priority to a project that is—
        • (i) implemented across a large contiguous area;
        • (ii) cross-boundary in nature;
        • (iii) located in an area that is—
        • within or adjacent to the wildland-urban interface and identified as a priority area in a statewide forest action plan, fireshed assessment, or community wildfire protection plan; or
        • identified as important to the protection of a Tribal trust resource or the reserved or treaty rights of an Indian Tribe;
        • (iv) on land that is at high or very high risk of experiencing a wildfire that would be difficult to suppress;
        • (v) in an area that is designated as critical habitat and in need of ecological restoration or enhancement that can be achieved with the aid of prescribed fire; or
        • (vi) supportive of potential operational delineations or strategic response zones.
• (c) Policies and practices
  • The Secretary concerned, in coordination with State, local, and Tribal governments, shall develop a prescribed fire operational strategy for each region of the National Forest System or the Department of the Interior, as applicable, that describes—
    • the fire deficit, by region; and
    • staffing and funding needs to address the fire deficit described in paragraph (1).

Sec. 132. Human resources.

• (a) Competencies for firefighters
  • The Secretaries, in coordination with the Fire Executive Council, shall task the National Wildfire Coordinating Group with the duty to adjust training requirements to obtain a certification to serve in a supervisory role for a prescribed fire and any other positions determined to be necessary by the Secretaries—
    • in order to reduce the time required to obtain such a certification; and
    • such that significant experience, gained exclusively during a prescribed fire, is required to obtain such a certification.
• (b) Enhancing interoperability between Federal and non-Federal practitioners
  • (1) Qualification databases and dispatch systems
    • The Secretaries shall establish, to the extent practicable, a collaborative process to create mechanisms for non-Federal fire practitioners to be included in prescribed fire and wildfire resource ordering and reimbursement processes.
  • (2) Partnership agreements
    • The Secretaries may—
      • develop partnership agreements for prescribed fire with all relevant State, Federal, Tribal, university, and nongovernmental entities that choose to be included in resource ordering and reimbursement processes under paragraph (1);
      • create agreements and structures necessary to include non-Federal and other nontraditional partners in direct work with Federal agencies to address prescribed fires; and
      • treat any prescribed fire practitioner meeting the National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards as eligible to be included in statewide participating agreements.

Sec. 133. Liability of prescribed fire managers.

• (a) Training course
  • The Secretaries, in coordination with the Attorney General of the United States, shall develop a voluntary training course for employees involved in any activity carried out on Federal land that is directly related to a prescribed fire in the course of executing a Federal action.
  • Training course
• (b) Requirement
  • The training course developed under subsection (a) shall include a description of—
    • liability protections afforded to the employees described in that subsection when acting within the scope of their employment;
    • the limits on any liability protections under paragraph (1); and
    • any reimbursement available for qualified employees for professional liability insurance under section 636 of division A of (5 U.S.C. prec. 5941 note). Public Law 104–208

Sec. 134. Environmental review.

• (a) Smoke management agencies
  • (1) Policy
    • The Secretaries shall ensure that policies, training, and programs of the Secretaries are consistent with this subsection—
      • to facilitate greater use of prescribed fire in a safe and responsible manner, with appropriate monitoring to prevent prescribed fires from exceeding containment; and
      • to address public health and safety, including impacts from smoke from wildfires and prescribed fires.
  • (2) Coordination among Federal, Tribal, and State air quality agencies and Federal, Tribal, and State land management agencies
    • To facilitate the use of prescribed fire on Federal, State, Tribal, and private land, the Executive Director, in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency, Federal and State land management agencies, shall coordinate with State, Tribal, and local air quality agencies that regulate smoke under the Clean Air Act ()— 42 U.S.C. 7401 et seq.
      • to the maximum extent practicable, to provide State, Tribal, and local air quality agencies with guidance, data, imagery, or modeling to support the development of exceptional event demonstrations in accordance with sections 50.14 and 51.930 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations);
      • to develop archives and automated tools to provide State, Tribal, and local air quality agencies with the data, imagery, and modeling under subparagraph (A);
      • to provide technical assistance, best practices, or templates to States, Indian Tribes, and local governments for the use of the State, Indian Tribe, or local government in approving the use of prescribed fire under a State, Tribal, or local government smoke management program;
    • (D)
      • (i) to promote basic smoke management practices and other best practices to protect the public from wildfire smoke;
      • (ii) to disseminate information about basic smoke management practices;
      • (iii) to educate landowners that use prescribed fire about the importance of—
      • using basic smoke management practices; and
      • including basic smoke management practices as a component of a prescribed fire plan; and
      • (iv) to share with the public information, in coordination with other public health agencies, about measures that individuals can take to protect themselves from wildfire smoke; and
      • to develop guidance and tools to streamline the demonstration of a clear causal relationship between prescribed fire smoke and a related exceedance of a national ambient air quality standard.
  • (3) Programs and research
    • To address the public health and safety risk of the expanded use of prescribed fire under this subtitle, the Secretaries, in coordination with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall conduct research to improve or develop—
      • wildfire smoke prediction models;
      • smoke impact display tools for the public and decisionmakers;
      • appropriate, cost-effective, and consistent strategies to mitigate the impacts of smoke from prescribed fire on nearby communities;
      • consistent nationally and scientifically supported messages regarding personal protection equipment for the public; and
      • prescribed fire activity tracking and emission inventory systems for planning and post-treatment accountability.
• (b) Development of landscape-Scale Federal prescribed fire plans
  • (1) Inclusion of landscape-scale prescribed fire plans
    • The Secretary concerned, with respect to units of the National Forest System and Bureau of Land Management districts with existing prescribed fire programs—
      • not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, shall determine which of those units or districts have landscape-scale prescribed fire plans;
      • not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, shall—
        • (i) determine whether each plan described in subparagraph (A) requires revision; and
        • (ii) establish a schedule for the revision of each plan described in subparagraph (A) that requires revision; and
      • may develop landscape-scale prescribed fire plans for any units or districts that do not have landscape-scale prescribed fire plans, as determined appropriate by the Secretary concerned.
  • (2) Environmental compliance
    • In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall—
      • comply with—
        • (i) the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (); 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.
        • (ii) the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (); 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.
        • (iii) division A of subtitle III of title 54, United States Code; and
        • (iv) any other applicable laws; and
      • consider the site-specific environmental consequences of the landscape-scale prescribed fire decisions under this subsection.
  • (3) Collaborative development
    • In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall collaborate with diverse actors from academia, the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management research and development offices, nongovernmental organizations, cultural fire practitioners, and other entities, as determined appropriate by the Secretary concerned.
  • (4) Reports
    • Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary concerned shall submit to Congress a report describing the progress of the Secretary concerned in carrying out this subsection.

Sec. 135. Cooperative agreements and contracts for prescribed fire.

• (a) Agreements and contracts
  • (1) Definition of eligible entity
    • In this subsection, the term eligible entity means a State, an Indian Tribe, a unit of local government, a fire district, a nongovernmental organization, and a private entity.
  • (2) Authorization
    • The Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior may each enter into a cooperative agreement or contract with an eligible entity, for a period of not longer than 10 years, that authorizes the eligible entity—
      • to coordinate, plan, or conduct a prescribed fire on Federal land; or
      • to conduct a prescribed fire training event.
  • (3) Subcontracts
    • A State, Indian Tribe, county, or eligible entity that enters into a cooperative agreement or contract under paragraph (1) may enter into a subcontract, in accordance with applicable contracting procedures of the State, Indian Tribe, county, or eligible entity—
      • to conduct a prescribed fire on Federal land; or
      • to conduct a prescribed fire training event pursuant to that cooperative agreement or contract.
  • (4) Applicable law
    • A prescribed fire conducted pursuant to this subsection shall be carried out on a project-by-project basis under existing authorities of the applicable Federal agency responsible for the management of the applicable Federal land.
  • (5) Preservation of decision authority
    • An eligible entity may not carry out a project under this subsection pursuant to a cooperative agreement or contract without the prior written approval of each Secretary that entered into the cooperative agreement or contract.
• (b) Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 amendments
  • The Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 (; 118 Stat. 868) is amended by adding at the end the following: Public Law 108–278
    • (a) In general
      • The Secretary may enter into a contract or agreement with an Indian Tribe under this Act that provides for prescribed burns on Federal land pursuant to this section.
    • (b) Scope
      • Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a contract or agreement entered into under this section may—
        • use a burn plan that, on approval by the Secretary, allows multiple prescribed burns to be conducted in accordance with the burn plan to eliminate the need for individual burn plans for each prescribed burn and enable forest managers to have the flexibility to conduct prescribed burns when conditions allow; and
        • include terms that—
          • authorize the Secretary to delegate their authority to an Indian Tribe to plan, coordinate, and execute prescribed burns on the behalf of the Secretary within the scope of the burn plan including applying the National Wildfire Coordinating Group standards for prescribed fire planning and implementation, to the extent authorized by Federal law;
          • any applicable Federal standard that requires a certain number of personnel to be on-hand during prescribed burns may be satisfied by regional Federal, State, or Tribal resources and personnel; and
          • where appropriate, the Secretary shall work with other Federal agencies and Tribal, State, and local governments to coordinate and communicate the shared objectives of the prescribed burn and ensure activities comply with applicable law and regulations.
• (c) Cooperative Funds and Deposits Act amendments
  • Public Law 94–148 (commonly known as the ) is amended— Cooperative Funds and Deposits Act
    • in the first sentence of the first section (), by inserting after ; and 16 U.S.C. 565a–1
    • in section 2 (), by inserting after . 16 U.S.C. 565a–2

Sec. 136. Facilitating responsible use of prescribed fire.

The Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall—

• use all available resources to ensure prescribed burns conducted by the Forest Service are extinguished; and
• update the prescribed burn policies of the Forest Service to reflect the findings and recommendations included in the report of the Forest Service entitled and dated September 2022. National Prescribed Fire Program Review

TITLE II—Protecting communities in wildland-urban interface

Subtitle A—Community wildfire risk reduction

Sec. 201. Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Program.

• (a) Establishment
  • Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall jointly establish an interagency program, to be known as the (referred to in this section as the ), which shall consist of at least 1 representative from each of the following: Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Program Program
    • The Office of Wildland Fire of the Department of the Interior.
    • The National Park Service.
    • The Bureau of Land Management.
    • The United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
    • The Bureau of Indian Affairs.
    • The Forest Service.
    • The Federal Emergency Management Agency.
    • The United States Fire Administration.
    • The National Institute of Standards and Technology.
    • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
• (b) Purpose
  • The purpose of the Program is to support interagency coordination in reducing the risk of, and the damages resulting from, wildland fires in communities (including Tribal communities) in the wildland-urban interface through—
    • advancing research and science in wildland fire resilience, land management, and risk reduction in the built environment, including support for non-Federal research partnerships;
    • supporting the development of fire-resistant building methods, codes, and standards for community wildland fire risk reduction, including by promoting ignition-resistant construction, defensible space, and other measures demonstrated to effectively reduce wildland fire risks, as informed by the best available science;
    • supporting adoption by Indian Tribes and local governmental entities of fire-resistant building methods, codes, and standards;
    • supporting efforts by Indian Tribes and local governmental entities to address the effects of wildland fire on those communities, including property damages, air quality, and water quality;
    • encouraging public-private partnerships to conduct hazardous fuels management activities in the wildland-urban interface, including creating or improving defensible space around structures;
    • providing technical and financial assistance targeted towards communities (including Tribal communities) through streamlined and unified technical assistance and grant management mechanisms, including the portal and uniform grant application established under subsection (c)—
      • to encourage critical risk-reduction measures on private property with high wildland fire risk exposure in those communities; and
      • to mitigate costs for, and improve capacity among, those communities;
    • reducing risk in the built environment by encouraging increased mitigation measures, such as the use of ignition-resistant construction and retrofitting materials;
    • coordinating budgets among the agencies described in subsection (a) to identify gaps and reduce overlap;
    • supporting the integration of wildland fire risk reduction measure and technical assistance into existing Federal programs, where practicable; and
    • advancing the development of early wildfire detection and warning systems for rapid response and community alerts.
• (c) Portal and uniform grant application
  • (1) In general
    • As part of the Program, the Secretaries and the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall establish a portal through which a person may submit a single, uniform application for any of the following:
      • A community wildfire defense grant under section 40803(f) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (). 16 U.S.C. 6592(f)
      • An emergency management performance grant under section 662 of the Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006 (). 6 U.S.C. 762
      • A grant under section 33 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (). 15 U.S.C. 2229
      • A grant under section 34 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 (). 15 U.S.C. 2229a
      • Financial or technical assistance or a grant under section 203, 205, 404, 406, or 420 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (, 5135, 5170c, 5172, 5187). 42 U.S.C. 5133
  • (2) Simplification of application
    • In establishing the portal and application under paragraph (1), the Secretaries and the Administrator shall seek to reduce the complexity and length of the application process for the forms of assistance described in paragraph (1).
  • (3) Technical assistance
    • The Secretaries shall provide technical assistance to communities or persons seeking to apply for financial assistance through the portal using the application established under paragraph (1).
• (d) Duties
  • In carrying out this section, the representatives described in subsection (a) shall—
    • meet not less frequently than once per year;
    • ensure coordination, as appropriate, with other Federal agencies not identified in that subsection; and
    • seek to gather feedback, as appropriate, from States, Indian Tribes, local governments, academic or research institutions, private entities, and such other entities as the Secretaries determine to be appropriate, to improve the function and operation of the Program.
• (e) Coordination
  • The Secretaries shall seek to ensure that States and Indian Tribes are invited and represented in meetings and other activities under this section.
• (f) Report
  • Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall jointly submit to the relevant committees of Congress a report that—
    • describes and itemizes the total amount of funding relating to community wildfire risk reduction that was obligated during the 2 preceding fiscal years by the agencies described in subsection (a);
    • describes the activities carried out under the Program since the date of enactment of this Act;
    • describes any feedback incorporated from non-Federal stakeholders to improve the function and operation of the Program; and
    • includes an evaluation of the Program in achieving the purposes described in subsection (b).
• (g) Sunset
  • The Program terminates on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Sec. 202. Community Wildfire Defense Research Program.

• (a) In general
  • The Secretaries, acting jointly, shall expand the Joint Fire Science Program to include a performance-driven research and development program, to be known as the (referred to in this section as the ), for the purpose of testing and advancing innovative designs to establish or improve the wildfire resistance of structures and communities. Community Wildfire Defense Research Program Program
• (b) Program priorities
  • In carrying out the Program, the Secretaries shall evaluate opportunities to establish wildfire-resistant structures and communities through—
    • different affordable building materials, including mass timber;
    • home hardening, including policies to incentivize and incorporate defensible space;
    • subdivision design and other land-use planning and design;
    • landscape architecture; and
    • other wildfire-resistant designs, as determined by the Secretary.
• (c) Community wildfire defense innovation prize
  • (1) In general
    • In carrying out the Program, the Secretaries shall carry out a competition through which a person may submit to the Secretaries innovative designs for the establishment or improvement of an ignition-resistant structure or fire-adapted community.
  • (2) Prize
    • Subject to the availability of appropriations made in advance for that purpose, the Secretaries may award a prize under the competition described in paragraph (1), based on criteria established by the Secretaries and in accordance with paragraph (3).
  • (3) Scale
    • In awarding a prize under paragraph (2), the Secretaries shall prioritize for an award designs with the greatest potential to scale to existing infrastructure.
• (d) Collaboration and nonduplication
  • In carrying out the Program, the Secretaries shall ensure collaboration and nonduplication of activities with the Building Technologies Office of the Department of Energy.
• (e) Sunset
  • The Program terminates on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Sec. 203. Community wildfire defense accountability.

Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, and not less frequently than once every 2 years thereafter, the Secretaries, acting through the United States Fire Administration, shall submit to the relevant committees of Congress an assessment of the Community Wildfire Risk Reduction Program established under section 201(a) that—

• assesses the management, coordination, implementation, and effectiveness of program activities;
• suggests improvements for improving the coordination and engagement of the program with States, Indian Tribes, units of local government, and at-risk communities;
• assesses trends and developments in science and engineering relating to wildfire risk reduction in the built environment, land use planning, and vegetation management that could be used to improve the effectiveness or efficiency of the program;
• provides recommendations to improve the ability of the program to provide financial or technical assistance to States, Indian Tribes, units of local government, and at-risk communities;
• identifies opportunities to modify existing requirements for Federal assistance or programs that support community wildfire risk reduction to improve the delivery, effectiveness, or availability of those assistance or programs; and
• includes policy and program recommendations to improve that program, as determined by the United States Fire Administration.

Sec. 204. Community wildfire defense grant program improvements.

Section 40803(f) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act () is amended— 16 U.S.C. 6592(f)

• to carry out projects including—
  • (i) landscape and hazardous fuels reduction treatments;
  • (ii) the retrofit, modification, or maintenance of a structure to improve resistance to fire;
  • (iii) creating defensible space around structures to improve resistance to fire;
  • (iv) hardening infrastructure, including evacuation routes, to improve resistance to fire;
  • (v) any other project described in a community wildfire protection plan that is not more than 10 years old; and
  • (vi) deployment of wildfire technologies determined to be successful under section 303 of the .
• by striking paragraph (1)(B), and inserting the following:
• in paragraph (2)—
  • in subparagraph (B), by striking or at the end;
  • in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and
    • located in a fireshed management area (as defined in section 2 of the ).
  • by adding at the end the following:
• in paragraph (3)—
  • in subparagraph (C)(i), by striking ; and
    • (D) Limitation on administrative expenses
      • Not more than 7 percent of funds obligated under this section may be used for administrative expenses incurred by the Secretary of Agriculture or an at-risk community.
  • by adding at the end the following:

Sec. 205. Updated definition of at-risk community.

Section 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 () is amended by striking paragraph (1) and inserting the following: 16 U.S.C. 6511

• (1) At-risk community
  • The term at-risk community means an area that is composed of—
    • an interface community (as defined in the notice entitled (66 Fed. Reg. 753 (January 4, 2001)) issued by the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior in accordance with title IV of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2001 (114 Stat. 1009)); Wildland Urban Interface Communities Within the Vicinity of Federal Lands That Are at High Risk From Wildfire
    • a group of homes and other structures with basic infrastructure and services (such as utilities and collectively maintained transportation routes) at risk from wildfire, as recognized in a fireshed, State, Tribal, local, regional, territorial, or national wildfire risk assessment; or
    • a group of homes and other structures with basic infrastructure and services (such as utilities and collectively maintained transportation routes) located inside, or within 5 miles of, a Wildfire Crisis Strategy landscape, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture.

Subtitle B—Vegetation management, reforestation, and local fire suppression

Sec. 211. Vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and maintenance relating to electric transmission and distribution facility rights-of-way.

• (a) Hazard trees within 150 feet of electric power line
  • Section 512(a)(1)(B) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 () is amended— 43 U.S.C. 1772(a)(1)(B)
    • in the matter preceding clause (i), by striking likely to—and inserting likely—;
    • in clause (i), by inserting after the clause designation; and
    • in clause (ii), by striking come within 10and inserting to come within 150.
• (b) Consultation with private landowners
  • Section 512(c)(3)(E) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 () is amended— 43 U.S.C. 1772(c)(3)(E)
    • in clause (i), by striking and at the end;
    • in clause (ii), by striking the period and inserting ; and; and
      • (iii) consulting with a private landowner with respect to any hazard trees identified for removal from land owned by the private landowner.
    • by adding at the end the following:
• (c) Review and approval process
  • Section 512(c)(4)(A) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 () is amended by striking clause (iv) and inserting the following: 43 U.S.C. 1772(c)(4)(A)
    • (iv) ensures that—
    • a plan submitted without a modification under clause (iii) shall be automatically approved by the date that is 120 days after the date of submission; and
    • for a plan submitted with a modification under clause (iii), if the plan is not approved by the date that is 120 days after the date of submission, the Secretary concerned shall develop and submit to the owner and operator a letter describing—
    • a detailed timeline (to conclude by the date that is 165 days after the date of submission of the plan) for completing review of the plan;
    • any identified deficiencies in the plan and specific opportunities for the owner or operator to address each deficiency; and
    • any other relevant information, as determined by the Secretary concerned.
• (d) Technical corrections
  • Section 512 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 () is amended— 43 U.S.C. 1772
    • in the section heading, by striking and inserting ; and
    • in subsection (c)(4)(A)(ii), by striking and at the end.
• (e) Vegetation management plan review
  • Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall submit to the relevant committees of Congress a report describing, with respect to vegetation management plans submitted under section 512 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ()— 43 U.S.C. 1772
    • the extent to which those vegetation management plans under are reviewed and approved within the 120-day period required under subsection (c)(4)(A)(iv) of that section;
    • for any vegetation management plan not reviewed and approved by the applicable deadline described in paragraph (1), the reason for any delay in review or approval; and
    • for any vegetation management plan submitted for review and approval for which the Secretary concerned requested a modification, the timeline for reviewing the modification on resubmission.

Sec. 212. Fire-safe electrical corridors.

Section 512 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 () is amended— 43 U.S.C. 1772

• by redesignating subsections (j) and (k) as subsections (k) and (l), respectively; and
  • (j) Permits and agreements with owners and operators of electric transmission or distribution facilities
    • (1) In general
      • In any special use permit or easement on National Forest System land or land under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management provided to the owner or operator of an electric transmission or distribution facility, the Secretary concerned may provide permission to cut and remove trees or other vegetation from within the vicinity of the electric transmission or distribution facility without requiring a separate timber sale, if that cutting and removal is consistent with—
        • the applicable plan;
        • the applicable land and resource management plan or land use plan; and
        • other applicable environmental laws (including regulations).
    • (2) Use of proceeds
      • A special use permit or easement that includes permission for cutting and removal described in paragraph (1) shall include a requirement that, if the owner or operator of the electric transmission or distribution facility sells any portion of the material removed under the permit or easement, the owner or operator shall provide to the Secretary concerned any proceeds received from the sale, less any transportation costs incurred in the sale.
    • (3) Effect
      • Nothing in paragraph (2) shall require the sale of any material removed under a permit or easement that includes permission for cutting and removal described in paragraph (1).
• by inserting after subsection (i) the following:

Sec. 213. Categorical exclusion for high-priority hazard trees.

• (a) Definitions
  • In this section:
    • The term high-priority hazard tree means a standing tree that—
• (b) Categorical exclusion
  • (1) In general
    • Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall develop a categorical exclusion (as defined in 111 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ()) for high-priority hazard tree activities. 42 U.S.C. 4336e
  • (2) Administration
    • In developing and administering the categorical exclusion under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall—
      • comply with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (); and 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.
      • apply the extraordinary circumstances procedures under section 220.6 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (or successor regulations), in determining whether to use the categorical exclusion.
  • (3) Project size limitation
    • A project carried out using the categorical exclusion developed under paragraph (1) may not exceed 6,000 acres.

Sec. 214. Seeds of Success strategy.

• (a) Establishment
  • Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall jointly develop and implement a strategy, to be known as the , to enhance the domestic supply chain of seeds. Seeds of Success strategy
• (b) Elements
  • The strategy developed under subsection (a) shall include a plan for each of the following:
    • Facilitating sustained interagency coordination in, and a comprehensive approach to, native plant materials development and restoration.
    • Promoting the re-seeding of native or fire-resistant vegetation post-wildfire, particularly in the wildland-urban interface.
    • Creating and consolidating information relating to native or fire-resistant vegetation and sharing that information with Indian Tribes and State and local governments.
    • Building regional programs and partnerships to promote the development of materials made from plants native to the United States and restore those plants to their respective, native habitats within the United States, giving priority to the building of those programs and partnerships in regions of the Bureau of Land Management where the partnerships and programs do not exist on the date of enactment of this Act.
    • Expanding workforce and infrastructure capacity to locally collect, process, and store seed as necessary to implement revegetation and reforestation projects on priority land (as defined in section 215(b)(1)).
    • Expanding the warehouse system of the Bureau of Land Management, particularly the cold storage capacity of the system.
    • Shortening the timeline for the approval of permits to collect seeds on public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
    • Coordinating with the other Federal agencies, States, Indian Tribes, and private entities, as appropriate, for the purpose of seed collection.
• (c) Report
  • The Secretaries shall submit to the relevant committees of Congress the strategy developed under subsection (a).
• (d) Coordination
  • In implementing the strategy developed under subsection (a), the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management, shall coordinate with the heads of other applicable Federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, for the purpose of collecting seeds from land under the jurisdiction under those Federal agencies.

Sec. 215. Program to support priority reforestation and restoration projects.

• (a) Reforestation reports submitted to additional committees
  • Section 70303 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ( note; ) is amended, in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking inserting after . 16 U.S.C. 1601; Public Law 117–58
• (b) Interior reforestation program
  • (1) Definitions
    • In this subsection:
    • (A) Covered institution of higher education
      • The term covered institution of higher education means a land-grant college or university, including—
        • (i) an 1862 Institution (as defined in section 2 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 ()); 7 U.S.C. 7601
        • (ii) an 1890 Institution (as defined in that section);
        • (iii) an institution that is eligible to receive funding under (commonly known as the ); and McIntire-Stennis Act of 1962 Public Law 87–788
        • (iv) a 1994 Institution (as defined in section 532 of the Equity in Educational Land-Grant Status Act of 1994 ( note; )). 7 U.S.C. 301; Public Law 103–382
    • (B) Natural regeneration; reforestation; unplanned event
      • The terms , , and have the meanings given those terms in section 3(e)(4)(A) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (). natural regeneration,reforestation,unplanned event 16 U.S.C. 1601(e)(4)(A)
    • (C) Priority land
      • The term priority land means historically forested land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned that, due to an unplanned event—
        • (i) requires reforestation to meet the objectives described in an applicable land use plan; and
        • (ii) is unlikely to experience natural regeneration.
  • (2) Program establishment
    • Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall establish a program to implement reforestation projects on priority land identified under paragraph (4)(A), in accordance with this section.
  • (3) Support
    • In carrying out the program established under paragraph (2), the Secretary may enter into—
      • cooperative agreements in accordance with processes established by the Secretary; and
      • contracts, including contracts entered into pursuant to the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (). 25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq.
  • (4) Annual identification of priority projects
    • Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of the Interior shall—
      • identify priority land within the United States;
      • establish a list of reforestation projects on priority land for the upcoming year, which may include activities to ensure adequate and appropriate seed and seedling availability to further the objectives of other priority projects; and
      • estimate the costs necessary to implement the list established under subparagraph (B).
  • (5) Consultation
    • In carrying out the program under this subsection, the Secretary shall consult or coordinate with, as appropriate—
      • applicable State and local governments;
      • applicable Indian Tribes;
      • covered institutions of higher education;
      • Federal agencies that administer Federal land that adjoins, or is adjacent to, land that is the subject of a project identified under paragraph (4)(B); and
      • other stakeholders, at the discretion of the Secretary.
  • (6) Annual report
    • Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for each of the following 6 years, the Secretary of the Interior shall submit to the relevant committees of Congress, the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report that includes the following, with respect to the period covered by the report:
      • An accounting of all priority land.
      • A list of projects identified under paragraph (4)(B).
      • An accounting of any progress made on projects identified in any previous report under this paragraph.
      • An accounting of each contract and cooperative agreement established under the program under this subsection.
      • The amounts necessary to be appropriated, in addition to amounts available from other sources, to implement reforestation projects on all priority land by not later than 10 years after the date of submission of the report.
  • (7) Nonduplication
    • In carrying out this section, the Secretary of the Interior shall collaborate with the Secretary and the Secretary of Defense to ensure the nonduplication of activities carried out under section 214.

Sec. 216. Reforestation, nurseries, and genetic resources support.

• (a) Definitions
  • In this section:
    • The term eligible recipient means—
    • The term nursery means a tree or native plant nursery.
    • The term seed orchard means a tree or native plant seed orchard.
    • The term State means—
• (b) Partnerships, collaboration, and other assistance in support of nurseries and seed orchards
  • The Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall—
    • partner with Federal and State agencies, Indian Tribes, institutions of higher education, and private nurseries to provide training, technical assistance, and research to nursery and tree establishment programs that support natural regeneration, reforestation, agroforestry, and afforestation;
    • promote information-sharing to improve technical knowledge and practices and understand demands, climate change impacts, and other issues as necessary to address all facets of the reforestation supply chain;
    • provide technical and financial assistance to international nursery and tree establishment programs through the Forest Service International Programs, the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry;
    • collaborate with other relevant Federal departments and agencies, including the Foreign Agricultural Service, the United States Agency for International Development, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and international organizations, including the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, to provide technical and financial assistance relating to nurseries and reforestation;
    • coordinate the efforts of the Department of Agriculture—
      • to address the challenges associated with the reforestation supply chain; and
      • to leverage economic development assistance for work with private nurseries; and
    • expand reforestation supply chains through science and research, seed collection and storage, and nursery infrastructure and operations.
• (c) Nursery and seed orchard grants
  • (1) In general
    • Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish or expand an existing program to provide grants to eligible recipients to support nurseries and seed orchards.
  • (2) Eligible projects
    • An eligible recipient that receives a grant under paragraph (1) shall carry out a project that comprises 1 or more of the following activities:
      • The development, expansion, enhancement, or improvement of nursery production capacity or other infrastructure—
        • (i) to improve seed collection and storage;
        • (ii) to increase seedling production, storage, and distribution; or
        • (iii) to enhance seedling survival and properly manage tree genetic resources.
      • The establishment or expansion of a nursery or seed orchard, including by acquiring equipment for a nursery or seed orchard.
      • The development or implementation of quality control measures at nurseries or seed orchards.
      • The promotion of workforce development within any facet of the reforestation pipeline.
      • Such other activities as the Secretary determines to be appropriate.

Sec. 217. Fire department repayment.

• (a) Establishment of standard operating procedures
  • Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall—
    • establish standard operating procedures relating to payment timelines for fire suppression cost-share agreements established under section 2 of the Act of May 27, 1955 () (commonly known as the ); and Reciprocal Fire Protection Act 42 U.S.C. 1856a
    • with respect to each fire suppression cost-share agreement in operation on that date—
      • review the agreement; and
      • modify the agreement as necessary to comply with the standard operating procedures established under paragraph (1).
• (b) Alignment of agreements
  • The standard operating procedures under subsection (a)(1) shall include a requirement that each fire suppression cost-share agreement shall be aligned with each cooperative fire protection agreement applicable to the entity subject to the fire suppression cost-share agreement.
• (c) Payments
  • With respect to payments made pursuant to a fire suppression cost-share agreement, the standard operating procedures under subsection (a)(1) shall require that the Federal paying entity shall reimburse a local fire department or a State wildland firefighter agency if that entity submits to the Federal paying entity an invoice in accordance with applicable cost settlement procedures.
• (d) Sense of Congress
  • It is the sense of Congress that the Secretaries should carry out reciprocal fire suppression cost-share agreement repayments to local fire suppression organizations and State wildland firefighting agencies as soon as practicable, but not later than 1 year, after the date on which the applicable fire suppression occurs.

TITLE III—Transparency, technology, and partnerships

Subtitle A—Transparency and technology

Sec. 301. Biochar innovations and opportunities for conservation, health, and advancements in research.

• (a) Definitions
  • In this section:
    • The term biochar means carbonized biomass produced by converting feedstock through reductive thermal processing for a nonfuel use.
    • The term eligible entity means—
    • The term eligible institution means a land-grant college or university, including—
    • The term feedstock means excess biomass in the form of plant matter or materials that serves as the raw material for the production of biochar.
    • The term Secretaries means—
• (b) Demonstration projects
  • (1) Establishment
    • (A) In general
      • Subject to the availability of appropriations made in advance for that purpose, not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall establish a program under which the Secretaries shall enter into partnerships with eligible entities to carry out demonstration projects to support the development and commercialization of biochar in accordance with this subsection.
    • (B) Location
      • In carrying out the program established under subparagraph (A), the Secretaries shall, to the maximum extent practicable, enter into partnerships with eligible entities in a manner that ensures that—
        • (i) at least 1 demonstration project is carried out in each region of the Forest Service; and
        • (ii) at least 1 demonstration project is carried out in each region of the Bureau of Land Management.
  • (2) Proposals
    • To be eligible to enter into a partnership under paragraph (1)(A), an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretaries a proposal at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretaries may require.
  • (3) Priority
    • In selecting proposals under paragraph (2), the Secretaries shall give priority to entering into partnerships with eligible entities that submit proposals to carry out biochar demonstration projects that—
      • have the most potential to improve forest health and resiliency;
      • have the most potential to create new jobs and contribute to local economies, particularly in rural areas;
      • have the most potential to demonstrate—
        • (i) new and innovative uses of biochar;
        • (ii) market viability for cost-effective biochar-based products;
        • (iii) the restorative benefits of biochar with respect to forest health and resiliency, including forest soils and watersheds; or
        • (iv) any combination of the purposes described in clauses (i) through (iii);
      • are located in areas that have a high need for biochar production, as determined by the Secretaries, due to—
        • (i) nearby land identified as having high, very high, or extreme risk of wildfire;
        • (ii) availability of sufficient quantities of feedstocks; or
        • (iii) a high level of demand for biochar or other commercial byproducts of biochar; or
      • satisfy any combination of the purposes described in subparagraphs (A) through (D).
  • (4) Use of funds
    • In carrying out the program established under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretaries may enter into partnerships and provide funding to the partnerships to carry out demonstration projects—
      • to acquire and test various feedstocks and the efficacy of those feedstocks;
      • to develop and optimize commercially and technologically viable biochar production units, including mobile and permanent units;
      • to demonstrate—
        • (i) the production of biochar from forest residue; and
        • (ii) the use of biochar to restore forest health and resiliency;
      • to build, expand, or establish biochar facilities;
      • to conduct research relating to new and innovative uses of biochar;
      • to demonstrate cost-effective market opportunities for biochar and biochar-based products;
      • to carry out any other activities the Secretaries determine to be appropriate; or
      • to achieve any combination of the purposes described in subparagraphs (A) through (G).
  • (5) Feedstock requirements
    • To the maximum extent practicable, an eligible entity that carries out a biochar demonstration project under this subsection shall derive not less than 50 percent of the feedstock used under the project from forest thinning and management activities, including mill residues, conducted on National Forest System land or public land.
  • (6) Review
    • (A) In general
      • The Secretaries shall conduct regionally specific research, including economic analyses and lifecycle assessments, relating to any biochar produced from a demonstration project carried out under the program established under paragraph (1)(A), including—
        • (i) the effects of that biochar on—
        • forest health and resiliency;
        • carbon capture and sequestration, including increasing soil carbon in the short-term and long-term;
        • productivity, reduced input costs, and water retention in agricultural practices;
        • the health of soil and grasslands used for grazing activities, including grazing activities on National Forest System land and public land; and
        • environmental remediation activities, including abandoned mine land remediation;
        • (ii) the effectiveness of biochar as a coproduct of biofuels or in biochemicals; and
        • (iii) the effectiveness of other potential uses of biochar to determine if any such use is technologically and commercially viable.
    • (B) Coordination
      • The Secretaries, to the maximum extent practicable, shall provide data, analyses, and other relevant information collected under subparagraph (A) to recipients of grants under subsection (c).
  • (7) Limitation on funding for establishing biochar facilities
    • The amount provided by the Secretaries under this subsection to an eligible entity for establishing a biochar facility may not exceed 35 percent of the total capital cost of establishing that facility.
• (c) Biochar research and development grant program
  • (1) Establishment
    • The Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, shall establish, or expand an existing, applied biochar research and development grant program to provide to eligible institutions grants, on a competitive basis, to carry out the activities described in paragraph (3).
  • (2) Applications
    • To be eligible to receive a grant under this subsection, an eligible institution shall submit to the Secretary of the Interior a proposal at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary of the Interior may require.
  • (3) Use of funds
    • An eligible institution that receives a grant under this subsection shall use the grant funds to conduct applied research relating to—
      • the effect of biochar on forest health and resiliency, taking into account variations in biochar, soil, climate, and other factors;
      • the effect of biochar on soil health and water retention, taking into account variations in biochar, soil, climate, and other factors;
      • the long-term carbon sequestration potential of biochar;
      • best management practices with respect to biochar and biochar-based products that maximize—
        • (i) carbon sequestration benefits; and
        • (ii) the commercial viability and application of those products in forestry, agriculture, environmental remediation, water quality improvement, and any other similar uses, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior;
      • the regional uses of biochar to increase productivity and profitability, including—
        • (i) uses in agriculture and environmental remediation; and
        • (ii) use as a coproduct in fuel production;
      • new and innovative uses for biochar byproducts; and
      • opportunities to expand markets for biochar and create related jobs, particularly in rural areas.
• (d) Reports
  • (1) Report to Congress
    • Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries shall submit to Congress a report that—
      • includes policy and program recommendations to improve the widespread use of biochar;
      • identifies any area of research needed to advance biochar commercialization; and
      • identifies barriers to advancing biochar commercialization, including permitting and siting considerations.
  • (2) Materials submitted in support of President’s budget
    • Beginning with the second fiscal year that begins after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter until the date described in subsection (e), the Secretaries shall include in the materials submitted to Congress in support of the President’s budget pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, a report describing, for the fiscal year covered by the report, the status of—
      • each demonstration project carried out under subsection (b); and
      • each research and development grant provided under subsection (c).
• (e) Sunset
  • The authority to carry out this section terminates on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Sec. 302. Accurate hazardous fuels reduction reports.

• (a) Definitions
  • In this section:
    • The term Federal land means any land under the jurisdiction of—
• (b) Materials submitted in support of President’s budget
  • (1) In general
    • Beginning with the first fiscal year that begins after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary concerned shall include in the materials submitted to Congress in support of the President’s budget pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, a report describing the number of acres of Federal land on which the Secretary concerned carried out hazardous fuels reduction activities during the preceding fiscal year, as determined using—
      • the methodology of the Secretary concerned in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act; and
      • the methodology described in paragraph (2).
  • (2) Requirements
    • For purposes of a report required under paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall—
      • in determining the number of acres of Federal land on which the Secretary concerned carried out hazardous fuels reduction activities during the period covered by the report—
        • (i) record acres of Federal land on which hazardous fuels reduction activities were completed during that period; and
        • (ii) record each acre described in clause (i) once in the report, regardless of whether multiple hazardous fuels reduction activities were carried out on that acre during the applicable period; and
      • with respect to the acres of Federal land recorded in the report, include information relating to—
        • (i) which acres are located in the wildland-urban interface;
        • (ii) the level of wildfire risk (high, moderate, or low) of the acres on the first and last day of the period covered by the report;
        • (iii) the types of hazardous fuels reduction activities completed with respect to the acres, including a description of whether those hazardous fuels reduction activities were conducted—
        • in a wildfire managed for resource benefits; or
        • through a planned hazardous fuels reduction project;
        • (iv) the cost per-acre of the hazardous fuels reduction activities carried out during the period covered by the report;
        • (v) the region or System unit in which the acres are located; and
        • (vi) the effectiveness of the hazardous fuels reduction activities with respect to reducing the risk of wildfire.
  • (3) Transparency
    • The Secretary concerned shall make each report submitted under paragraph (1) publicly available on the website of the Department of Agriculture or the Department of the Interior, as applicable.
• (c) Accurate data collection
  • (1) In general
    • Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall implement standardized procedures for tracking data relating to hazardous fuels reduction activities carried out by the Secretary concerned.
  • (2) Elements
    • The standardized procedures required under paragraph (1) shall include—
      • regular, standardized data reviews of the accuracy and timely input of data used to track hazardous fuels reduction activities;
      • verification methods that validate whether those data accurately correlate to the hazardous fuels reduction activities carried out by the Secretary concerned;
      • an analysis of the short- and long-term effectiveness of the hazardous fuels reduction activities on reducing the risk of wildfire; and
      • for hazardous fuels reduction activities that occur partially within the wildland-urban interface, methods to distinguish which acres are located within the wildland-urban interface and which acres are located outside the wildland-urban interface.
  • (3) Report
    • Not later than 14 days after implementing the standardized procedures required under paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall submit to Congress a report that describes—
      • the standardized procedures; and
      • any programmatic or policy recommendations to Congress to address limitations in tracking data relating to hazardous fuels reduction activities under this subsection.
• (d) GAO study
  • Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall—
    • conduct a study regarding the implementation of this section, including any limitations with respect to—
      • reporting hazardous fuels reduction activities under subsection (b); or
      • tracking data relating to hazardous fuels reduction activities under subsection (c); and
    • submit to Congress a report that describes the results of the study under paragraph (1).
• (e) No additional funds authorized
  • (1) In general
    • No additional funds are authorized to carry out this section.
    • In general
  • (2) Subject to appropriations
    • The activities authorized by this section are subject to the availability of appropriations made in advance for those purposes.

Sec. 303. Public-private wildfire technology deployment and demonstration partnership.

• (a) Definitions
  • In this section:
    • The term covered agency means—
    • The term covered entity means—
    • The term Pilot Program means the deployment and demonstration pilot program established under subsection (b).
    • The term Secretaries means the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior, acting jointly.
• (b) Establishment
  • Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretaries, in coordination with the heads of the covered agencies, shall establish a deployment and demonstration pilot program for new and innovative wildfire prevention, detection, communication, and mitigation technologies.
• (c) Functions
  • In carrying out the Pilot Program, the Secretaries shall—
    • incorporate the Pilot Program into the National Wildfire Coordinating Group;
    • in consultation with the heads of the covered agencies, identify and advance the demonstration and deployment of key technology priority areas with respect to the deployment of wildfire prevention, detection, communication, and mitigation technologies, including—
      • hazardous fuels reduction activities or treatments;
      • dispatch communications;
      • remote sensing, detection, and tracking;
      • safety equipment;
      • common operating pictures or operational dashboards; and
      • interoperable commercial data; and
    • connect each covered entity selected to participate in the Pilot Program with the appropriate covered agency to coordinate real-time and on-the-ground testing of technology during wildfire mitigation activities and training.
• (d) Applications
  • To be eligible to participate in the Pilot Program, a covered entity shall submit to the Secretaries an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretaries may require, including a proposal to demonstrate technologies specific to key technology priority areas identified under subsection (c)(2).
• (e) Prioritization of emerging technologies
  • In selecting covered entities to participate in the Pilot Program, the Secretaries shall give priority to covered entities that—
    • have participated in the Fire Weather Testbed of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; or
    • propose in the application under subsection (d) to develop and apply emerging technologies for wildfire mitigation, including artificial intelligence, quantum sensing, computing and quantum-hybrid applications, satellite detection, augmented reality, 5G private networks, and device-to-device communications supporting nomadic mesh networks and detection.
• (f) Outreach
  • The Secretaries, in coordination with the heads of the covered agencies, shall make publicly available the key technology priority areas identified under subsection (c)(2) and invite covered entities to apply under subsection (d) to deploy and demonstrate technologies to address those priority areas.
• (g) Reports and recommendations
  • Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter for the duration of the Pilot Program, the Secretaries shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology of the House of Representatives, and the relevant committees of Congress a report that includes the following with respect to the Pilot Program:
    • A list of participating covered entities.
    • A brief description of the technologies deployed and demonstrated by each such covered entity.
    • An estimate of the cost of acquiring the each such technology and applying the technology at scale.
    • Outreach efforts by covered agencies to covered entities developing wildfire technologies.
    • Assessments of, and recommendations relating to, new technologies with potential adoption and application at-scale in the wildfire prevention, detection, communication, and mitigation efforts of Federal land management agencies (as defined in section 802 of the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act ()). 16 U.S.C. 6801
    • A description of the relationship and coordination between the Pilot Program and the activities of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, including the Fire Weather Testbed.
• (h) Sunset
  • The Pilot Program terminates on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Sec. 304. GAO study on Forest Service policies.

Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall—

• conduct a study evaluating—
  • the effectiveness of Forest Service wildland firefighting operations;
  • transparency and accountability measures in the budget and accounting process of the Forest Service; and
  • the suitability and feasibility of establishing a new Federal agency with responsibility for responding to, and suppressing, wildfires on Federal land; and
• submit to Congress a report that describes the results of the study under paragraph (1).

Sec. 305. Keeping forest plans current and monitored.

• (a) In general
  • The Secretary shall—
    • to the maximum extent practicable and subject to the availability of appropriations—
      • ensure that each forest plan for a unit of the National Forest System is in compliance with the applicable requirements of section 6(f)(5)(A) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (); and 16 U.S.C. 1604(f)(5)(A)
      • prioritize revising any forest plan not in compliance with that section;
    • not be considered to be in violation of section 6(f)(5)(A) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 () solely because more than 15 years have passed without revision of the plan for a unit of the National Forest System; 16 U.S.C. 1604(f)(5)(A)
    • not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, submit to the relevant committees of Congress a notice describing the date on which each forest plan referred to in paragraph (1)(A) was most recently revised, amended, or modified;
    • seek to publish a new, complete version of any forest plan that the Secretary has been directed by court order to amend, revise, or modify by not later than 60 days after the date of the amendment, revision, or modification, subject to the availability of appropriations made in advance for that purpose; and
    • maintain a central, publicly accessible website with links to—
      • the most recently available forest plan adopted, amended, or modified by a court order as a single document; and
      • the most recently published forest plan monitoring report for the unit.
• (b) Good faith updates
  • If the Secretary fails to act expeditiously and in good faith using available funding to revise, amend, or modify a plan for a unit of the National Forest System as required by an applicable law or court order—
    • subsection (a) shall be void with respect to the plan; and
    • a court of competent jurisdiction may order completion of the plan on an accelerated basis.
• (c) Report
  • Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the relevant committees of Congress a report summarizing the implementation of this section.
• (d) Sunset
  • The authority under this section terminates on September 30, 2031.

Sec. 306. Container Aerial Firefighting System.

• (a) Evaluation
  • Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the National Interagency Aviation Committee and the Interagency Airtanker Board, shall jointly conduct an evaluation of the container aerial firefighting system to assess the use of that system to mitigate and suppress wildfires.
• (b) Report
  • Not later than 120 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the National Interagency Aviation Committee and the Interagency Airtanker Board, shall jointly submit to the relevant committees of Congress a report that describes the results of the evaluation under subsection (a).

Sec. 307. Study on pine beetle infestation.

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall—

• carry out a study relating to the causes and effects of, and solutions for, the infestation of pine beetles in the Northeastern region of the United States; and
• submit to the relevant committees of Congress a report that describes the results of the study under paragraph (1).

Subtitle B—White oak resilience

Sec. 311. White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition.

• (a) In general
  • There is established a coalition, to be known as the (referred to in this section as the )— White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition Coalition
    • as a voluntary collaborative group of Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments and private and nongovernmental organizations the purpose of which is to carry out the duties described in subsection (b); and
    • in accordance with the charter entitled adopted by the White Oak Initiative Board of Directors on March 21, 2023 (or a successor charter). White Oak Initiative Coalition Charter
• (b) Duties
  • In addition to the duties specified in the charter referred to in subsection (a)(2), the duties of the Coalition are—
    • to coordinate Federal, State, Tribal, local, private, and nongovernmental activities for the restoration of white oak trees in the United States; and
    • to make program and policy recommendations, consistent with applicable forest management plans, with respect to—
      • changes necessary to address Federal and State policies that impede activities to improve the health, resiliency, and natural regeneration of white oak trees;
      • adopting or modifying Federal and State policies to increase the pace and scale of white oak regeneration and the resiliency of white oak trees;
      • options to enhance communication, coordination, and collaboration among forest land owners, particularly with respect to cross-boundary projects, to improve the health, resiliency, and natural regeneration of white oak trees;
      • research gaps that should be addressed to improve the best available science on white oaks;
      • outreach to forest landowners the land of which possesses white oak trees or white oak regeneration potential, as determined by the Coalition; and
      • options and policies necessary to improve the quality and quantity of white oak trees in tree nurseries.
• (c) Administrative, staffing, and technical support
  • The Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior shall make available to the Coalition such personnel for administrative support, technical services, and the development and dissemination of educational materials as those Secretaries determine to be necessary to carry out this section.
• (d) Private funding
  • Subject to the availability of appropriations made in advance for that purpose, the Secretary may make funds available to the Coalition to carry out this section from the account established pursuant to section 1241(f) of the Food Security Act of 1985 (). 16 U.S.C. 3841(f)

Sec. 312. Forest Service pilot program.

• (a) In general
  • The Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall establish and carry out 5 pilot projects in units of the National Forest System to restore white oak trees in those units through white oak restoration and natural regeneration practices that are consistent with applicable forest management plans.
• (b) Requirement
  • Of the pilot projects carried out under subsection (a), not fewer than 3 shall be carried out on units of the National Forest System that are reserved or withdrawn from the public domain.
• (c) Cooperative agreements
  • The Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements to carry out the pilot projects under this section.
• (d) Sunset
  • The authority under this section terminates on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Sec. 313. Department of the Interior white oak review and restoration.

• (a) Assessment
  • (1) In general
    • The Secretary of the Interior shall carry out an assessment of land under the administrative jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior, including fish and wildlife refuges and abandoned mine land, to evaluate—
      • whether white oak trees are present on the land; and
      • the potential to restore white oak forests on the land.
  • (2) Use of information
    • In carrying out the assessment under paragraph (1), the Secretary of the Interior may use information from sources other than the Department of the Interior, including the White Oak Initiative and the Forest Service.
  • (3) Report
    • Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall submit to Congress, and make publicly available on the website of the Department of the Interior, a report describing the results of the assessment carried out under this subsection.
• (b) Pilot projects
  • After the date of submission of the report under subsection (a)(3), the Secretary of the Interior shall establish and carry out 5 pilot projects in different areas of land described in subsection (a)(1) to restore and naturally regenerate white oak trees.
• (c) Cooperative agreements
  • The Secretary of the Interior may enter into cooperative agreements to carry out the pilot projects under subsection (b).
• (d) Sunset
  • The authority under this section terminates on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Sec. 314. White oak regeneration and upland oak habitat.

• (a) Establishment
  • Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish a nonregulatory program, to be known as the (referred to in this section as the ). White Oak and Upland Oak Habitat Regeneration Program Program
• (b) Purposes
  • The purposes of the Program shall include—
    • coordinating restoration and conservation activities among Federal, State, local, and Tribal entities and conservation partners to address white oak restoration priorities;
    • improving and regenerating white oak and upland oak forests and the wildlife habitat such forests provide;
    • carrying out coordinated restoration and conservation activities that lead to the increased growth of species of white oak in native white oak regions on Federal, State, Tribal, and private land;
    • facilitating strategic planning to maximize the resilience of white oak systems and habitats under changing climate conditions;
    • engaging the public through outreach, education, and citizen involvement to increase capacity and support for coordinated restoration and conservation activities for species of white oak; and
    • increasing scientific capacity to support the planning, monitoring, and research activities necessary to carry out such coordinated restoration and conservation activities.
• (c) Consultation
  • In establishing the Program, the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall consult with—
    • the heads of Federal agencies, including—
      • the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service; and
      • the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service; and
    • the Governor of each State in which restoration efforts will be carried out pursuant to the Program.
• (d) Duties
  • In carrying out the Program, the Secretary shall—
    • draw on the best available science and management plans for species of white oak to identify, prioritize, and implement restoration and conservation activities that will improve the growth of white oak trees in the United States;
    • collaborate and coordinate with the White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition established by section 311(a) to prioritize white oak restoration initiatives;
    • adopt a white oak restoration strategy that—
      • supports the implementation of a shared set of science-based restoration and conservation activities developed in accordance with paragraph (1);
      • targets cost-effective projects with measurable results; and
      • maximizes restoration outcomes with no net gain of Federal full-time equivalent employees; and
    • establish voluntary grant and technical assistance programs in accordance with subsection (e).
• (e) Grants and assistance
  • (1) Definitions
    • In this subsection:
    • Definitions
    • (A) Foundation
      • The term Foundation means the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.
    • (B) Grant program
      • The term grant program means the voluntary grant and technical assistance program established under paragraph (2).
  • (2) Establishment
    • To the extent that funds are available to carry out this section, the Secretary shall establish a voluntary grant and technical assistance program to achieve the purposes of the Program described in subsection (b).
  • (3) Administration
    • (A) In general
      • The Secretary shall offer to enter into a cooperative agreement with the Foundation to manage and administer the grant program.
    • (B) Funding
      • Subject to the availability of appropriations made in advance for that purpose, on entering into a cooperative agreement with the Foundation under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall pay to the Foundation to carry out this subsection for each fiscal year an advance payment of the entire amount for the applicable fiscal year—
        • (i) on October 1 of that fiscal year; or
        • (ii) as soon as practicable thereafter.
  • (4) Application of National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act
    • Amounts received by the Foundation to carry out the grant program shall be subject to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (), excluding section 10(a) of that Act (). 16 U.S.C. 3701 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 3709(a)
• (f) Sunset
  • The authority under this section terminates on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Sec. 315. Tree nursery shortages.

• (a) In general
  • Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall—
    • develop and implement a national strategy to increase the capacity of Federal, State, Tribal, and private tree nurseries to address the nationwide shortage of tree seedlings; and
    • coordinate the strategy under paragraph (1) with—
      • the national reforestation strategy of the Forest Service; and
      • each regional implementation plan for National Forests.
• (b) Elements
  • The strategy required under subsection (a) shall—
    • be based on the best available science and data; and
    • identify and address—
      • regional seedling shortages of bareroot and container tree seedlings;
      • regional reforestation opportunities and the seedling supply necessary to fulfill those opportunities;
      • opportunities to enhance seedling diversity and close gaps in seed inventories; and
      • barriers to expanding, enhancing, or creating new infrastructure to increase nursery capacity.

Sec. 316. White oak research.

• (a) Definition of eligible institution
  • In this section, the term eligible institution means an institution of higher education, including an 1862 Institution, an 1890 Institution, and a 1994 Institution (as those terms are defined in section 2 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of 1998 ()). 7 U.S.C. 7601
• (b) Research
  • The Secretary may enter into a memorandum of understanding with an Indian Tribe or an eligible institution to collaboratively conduct research relating to—
    • white oak genes with resistance or tolerance to stress;
    • white oak trees that exhibit vigor for the purpose of increasing survival and growth;
    • establishing a genetically diverse white oak seed bank capable of responding to stressors;
    • providing a sustainable supply of white oak seedlings and genetic resources;
    • improved methods for aligning seed sources with the future climate at planting sites;
    • reforestation of white oak trees through natural and artificial regeneration;
    • improved methods for retaining and increasing white oak trees in forests;
    • improved methods for reforesting abandoned mine land sites; and
    • economic and social aspects of white oak forest management across land ownerships.
• (c) Consultation
  • In carrying out research under subsection (b), an Indian Tribe or eligible institution may consult with such States, nonprofit organizations, and other institutions of higher education and scientific entities as the Indian Tribe or eligible institution determines to be appropriate.
• (d) Sunset
  • The authority under this section terminates on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Sec. 317. USDA formal initiative.

• (a) In general
  • The Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service and in coordination with the Chief of the Forest Service, shall establish a formal initiative on white oak trees—
    • to reestablish white oak forests where appropriate;
    • to improve the management of existing white oak forests to foster natural regeneration of white oak trees;
    • to provide technical assistance to private landowners to reestablish, improve the management of, and naturally regenerate white oak trees;
    • to improve and expand white oak nursery stock; and
    • to adapt and improve white oak seedlings.
• (b) Sunset
  • The authority under this section terminates on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act.

Sec. 318. Use of authorities.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior shall use the authorities provided under this title in combination with other authorities to carry out projects, including—

• good neighbor agreements entered into under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 () (as amended by this Act); and 16 U.S.C. 2113a
• stewardship contracting projects entered into under section 604 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 () (as amended by this Act). 16 U.S.C. 6591c

TITLE IV—Ensuring casualty assistance for firefighters

Sec. 401. Wildland Fire Management Casualty Assistance Program.

• (a) Definitions
  • In this section:
    • The term , with respect to an individual, means a person in the highest category of priority in relation to that individual, as determined in accordance with the following (in descending order of priority): next-of-kin
    • The term program means the Wildland Fire Management Casualty Assistance Program established under subsection (b).
• (b) Establishment
  • Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Interior shall establish a program, to be known as the , to provide assistance to the next-of-kin of— Wildland Fire Management Casualty Assistance Program
    • firefighters who, while in the line of duty—
      • are killed;
      • are critically injured; or
      • suffer illness as a result of an exposure or incident occurring during that line of duty; and
    • wildland fire support personnel who are killed or critically injured in the line of duty.
• (c) Elements
  • The program shall address each of the following:
    • The initial, and any subsequent, notification to the next-of-kin of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel who—
      • are killed in the line of duty; or
      • require hospitalization or treatment at a medical facility due to a line-of-duty injury or illness.
    • The reimbursement of next-of-kin for expenses associated with travel to visit firefighters or wildland fire support personnel who—
      • are killed in the line of duty; or
      • require hospitalization or treatment at a medical facility due to a line-of-duty injury or illness.
    • The qualifications, assignment, training, duties, supervision, and accountability for the performance of casualty assistance responsibilities.
    • The relief or transfer of casualty assistance officers, including notification to survivors of critical injury or illness in the line of duty of the reassignment of those officers to other duties.
    • Centralized short-term and long-term case management procedures for casualty assistance, including rapid access to expert case managers and counselors by—
      • survivors of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel; and
      • casualty assistance officers.
    • The provision, through a computer-accessible website and other means and at no cost to survivors or next-of-kin of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel, of personalized, integrated information relating to Federal benefits and Federal financial assistance available to those survivors and next-of-kin.
    • The provision to survivors and next-of-kin of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel of information relating to mechanisms for registering complaints about, or requests for, additional assistance related to casualty assistance.
    • Liaison with the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Justice, and the Social Security Administration to ensure prompt and accurate resolution of issues relating to benefits administered by those agencies for survivors of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel.
    • Data collection, in consultation with the United States Fire Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, regarding the incidence and quality of casualty assistance provided to survivors and next-of-kin of firefighters or wildland fire support personnel.
• (d) No effect on other line-of-Duty death benefits
  • The program shall not affect any existing authority for line-of-duty death benefits for Federal firefighters or wildland fire support personnel.