Sponsor
Jason Crow
Representative · D-CO
Representative · D-CO
The bill directs substantial federal funding and new authorities to accelerate landscape restoration and wildfire resilience—producing measurable environmental, safety, and job benefits—while raising tradeoffs around federal cost, allocation choices (federal vs. community projects), administrative burdens, and risks that larger actors or industry priorities could capture funds or limit local control.
Federal land managers and state/tribal/local communities: the bill provides a large, dedicated pool of funding (total $60B authorization, including at least $20B for federal lands and $20B for grants) to finance restoration and resilience projects.
Homeowners and communities in wildfire-prone areas: the bill funds targeted hazardous-fuels reduction, home‑ignition‑zone measures, and wildfire‑resistive construction, reducing wildfire risk and improving public safety.
Watershed managers, downstream users, and at‑risk wildlife: the bill prioritizes watershed protection, habitat restoration, and science‑based landscape planning, improving water quality/quantity and measurable environmental outcomes.
Taxpayers and federal budget: the bill authorizes large new outlays (roughly $60B total and at least $20B directed to federal lands), which will increase federal spending and could widen the deficit or crowd out other priorities.
Local communities and non‑Federal projects: directing at least $20B to federal lands and permitting administrative/staffing costs could reduce the share of money available for non‑Federal, local, or tribal on‑the‑ground projects.
Small local implementers and lower-capacity applicants: pay‑for‑performance procurement and emphasis on matching may favor larger contractors and well‑resourced organizations, disadvantaging small businesses and understaffed local groups.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Creates a $60 billion USDA Outdoor and Watershed Restoration Fund to finance grants and landscape partnership projects for forest, watershed, and wildfire resilience.
Official title: To establish an Outdoor Restoration Fund for restoration and resilience projects, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 21, 2025 by Jason Crow · Last progress February 21, 2025
Creates a new Outdoor and Watershed Restoration Fund at USDA with $60 billion to finance large-scale forest, rangeland, watershed, and wildlife habitat restoration and resilience projects on both Federal and non‑Federal land. The bill sets up a Restoration Fund Advisory Council, a grant program for planning/capacity and implementation (including pay‑for‑performance), a Partnership Program for designated high‑priority landscapes, reporting and oversight requirements, and annual IG reports and congressional reports on use and outcomes.