Sponsors
Introduced February 21, 2025 by Jason Crow · Last progress February 21, 2025
The bill channels substantial federal funding and new authorities to accelerate landscape restoration, wildfire risk reduction, and workforce development—benefiting communities and ecosystems—but raises tradeoffs around higher federal costs, potential favoritism toward federal projects and large contractors, administrative burdens, and governance/accountability concerns.
Federal, state, Tribal, local governments and communities gain large, dedicated funding (~$60B total, including at least $20B for federal lands and a $20B grant program) to finance restoration, resilience, and watershed projects.
Homeowners, rural communities, and downstream water users get targeted projects that reduce wildfire risk, restore habitat, and improve water quality and watershed resilience.
State, Tribal, and local agencies, plus nonprofits, receive grants and support that can create or sustain local jobs and expand the outdoor workforce through project funding and training.
Taxpayers and the federal budget bear substantially higher costs (roughly $60B in Treasury funds), which could widen the deficit or crowd out other priorities.
Non‑Federal community projects, small local implementers, and some rural stakeholders may be disadvantaged because at least $20B is directed to Federal lands and program features (pay‑for‑performance, matching expectations) can favor larger contractors and better‑resourced partners.
Congressional control and traditional appropriations oversight could be reduced because non‑Federal contributions may be used without further appropriation and flexible eligibility/matching rules could blur funding boundaries.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Creates a $60B Outdoor and Watershed Restoration Fund to finance grants and partnership projects for forest, rangeland, watershed, and wildfire resilience on federal and non‑federal lands.
Creates a new Outdoor and Watershed Restoration Fund with $60 billion to support large-scale forest, rangeland, watershed, and wildfire resilience work across Federal and non‑Federal lands. It sets up a grant program, a partnership program led by the Forest Service to designate priority landscapes, and an advisory council to guide investments, with reporting and Inspector General oversight requirements.