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United StatesHouse Bill 3889HR 3889

National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025

Public Lands and Natural Resources
  1. house
  2. senate
  3. president

Last progress June 10, 2025 (8 months ago)

Introduced on June 10, 2025 by Kim Schrier

Sponsors (3)

House Votes

Pending Committee
June 10, 2025 (8 months ago)

Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Senate Votes

Vote Data Not Available

Presidential Signature

Signature Data Not Available

Text Versions

Text as it was Introduced in House
June 10, 2025
View

Amendments

No Amendments

Related Legislation

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OregonsenatorRonald Lee Wyden
S-2015 · Bill

National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025

  1. senate

AI Insights

Analyzed 4 of 4 sections

Summary

Authorizes the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to use up to 15% of certain hazardous fuels funds to expand and support landscape-scale prescribed fire across Federal lands, with a range of eligible activities (planning, NEPA review, training, monitoring, grants, and collaborative programs). It sets a national goal of increasing Federal prescribed-fire acres by at least 10% each year for 10 years, creates authorities for long-term cooperative agreements and workforce/hiring and training actions, clarifies liability and air-quality coordination, and requires annual reporting and implementation reports to Congress. The law defines key terms, limits and caps on projects and funding, protections for Tribal resources and critical habitat, procedures for project nomination and selection, and deadlines for State reporting (including a December 31 submission deadline to remain eligible). It also directs research, public education, and support for smoke and public-health tools while allowing financial assistance to States for reporting costs when funds are available.

Key Points

  • Authorizes Agriculture and Interior to use up to 15% of certain hazardous fuels funds to expand prescribed fire on Federal lands.
  • Defines "prescribed fire" (excluding pile burning) and requires landscape-scale plans and protections for Tribal resources and critical habitat.
  • house
  • president
  • Updated 2 days ago

    Last progress June 10, 2025 (8 months ago)

    Establishes a national target to increase Federal prescribed-fire acres by at least 10% each year for 10 years.
  • Creates authorities for cooperative agreements, long-term contracts, grants, and a Collaborative Prescribed Fire Program to fund non-Federal partners.
  • Supports workforce expansion (training centers, hiring pathways, hazard pay/task forces) and liability guidance to lower barriers for partners.
  • Requires air-quality coordination, smoke research, public-health tools, and a national prescribed-fire education program.
  • Imposes annual reporting requirements to a national database and conditions State eligibility for funds on timely reporting (December 31 deadline).
  • Sets project and funding caps, prioritization criteria, and environmental review requirements for selected projects.
  • Directs annual implementation reports to specified congressional committees beginning within one year of enactment.
  • Categories & Tags

    Funding
    $10M authorized
    Agencies
    USDA
    BLM
    Department of Agriculture (Secretary of Agriculture)
    Department of the Interior (Secretary of the Interior)
    Regional Foresters / State Directors
    +5 more
    Subjects
    prescribed fire
    wildlife management
    reporting
    definitions
    federal land management
    environmental review (NEPA)
    +4 more
    Affected Groups
    Federal agencies (executive branch)
    Indian Tribes (governments)
    Fire and rescue officials
    Local communities
    +3 more

    Provisions

    80 items

    Defines “congressional committees” to mean: (A) the Senate Committees on Energy and Natural Resources; Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; and Appropriations; and (B) the House Committees on Natural Resources; Agriculture; and Appropriations.

    definition
    Affects: Senate and House congressional committees listed in the provision

    Defines “Federal land” to mean: (A) land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary; and (B) National Forest System land.

    definition
    Affects: Land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary; National Forest System land

    Defines “landscape-scale prescribed fire plan” as a decision document prepared pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 that (A) covers a National Forest System unit, a Bureau of Land Management district, or a subunit thereof; (B) analyzes site-specific environmental consequences of prescribed fire on that land; and (C) obviates the need for subsequent NEPA decisions for the covered unit, district, or subunit.

    definition
    Affects: National Forest System units; Bureau of Land Management districts; subunits thereof

    Defines “National Forest System” by reference to section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)).

    definition
    Affects: National Forest System (as defined in cited statute)

    Specifies that the term “National Forest System” does not include the national grasslands or land utilization projects administered under title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.).

    definition
    Affects: National grasslands; land utilization projects administered under title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act

    Impact Analysis

    Who is affected and how:

    • Federal land managers and agencies (Department of Agriculture/Forest Service and Department of the Interior/Bureau of Land Management and other bureaus) will receive new authority and funding flexibility to plan and conduct more prescribed burns, and must manage increased reporting and coordination requirements.
    • Tribal governments and Tribal cultural resources are directly considered in project planning and selection; Tribes may receive grants, cooperative agreements, and increased partnering opportunities while protections for Tribal resources are required.
    • State and local agencies and non-Federal partners (burn cooperatives, NGOs, ranchers, and local fire districts) will be eligible for grants, cooperative agreements, training, and liability protections, lowering barriers to participation but also creating obligations for documentation and reporting to access funds.
    • Firefighters, prescribed-fire practitioners, and the broader wildland fire workforce will benefit from expanded training, hiring pathways, hazard pay options, and workforce development, improving capacity for safe burns.
    • Local communities near treated landscapes may benefit from reduced catastrophic wildfire risk over time, but may experience more controlled smoke events; the legislation requires air-quality coordination, smoke research, and public education to manage health impacts.
    • States bear additional reporting responsibilities tied to funding eligibility; the Act authorizes financial assistance for reporting costs when available, but states may need to allocate staff/time to comply.
    • Environmental regulators and public-health agencies will need to coordinate on smoke management, exceptional event demonstrations, and monitoring to balance air-quality standards and prescribed-fire objectives.

    Overall effects:

    • The Act aims to accelerate use of prescribed fire as a prevention and forest-health tool by reallocating a portion of hazardous fuels funds, investing in workforce and partnerships, and reducing administrative and liability barriers. Benefits include increased capacity to treat landscapes and potentially lower severe wildfire risk; tradeoffs include managing smoke impacts, ensuring environmental review and resource protections, and shifting some hazardous fuels funds into prescribed fire activities.