Sponsors (5)
The bill delivers large, sustained federal investment and new grant authorities to accelerate science‑based forest, watershed, and wildfire‑resilience work—creating jobs, tribes' involvement, and measurable outcomes—but does so at substantial taxpayer cost and with risks of uneven distribution, administrative complexity, reduced congressional control over some donated funds, and potential limits on certain fuel‑reduction tactics.
State, local, Tribal governments and nonprofits can receive new federal grants to plan and implement restoration, watershed, and resilience projects, increasing funding available for community and landscape-scale work.
The bill authorizes a very large, sustained funding pool (including $60 billion total and at least $20 billion for Federal land) to support long-term restoration and resilience projects.
Communities in high‑risk wildfire areas will be prioritized for hazardous-fuels reduction, wildfire‑resistant home and community projects, and measurable restoration that lowers fire risk to homes and neighborhoods.
Taxpayers face a large federal cost (the bill authorizes roughly $60 billion), which could increase the deficit or require cuts or new revenues elsewhere.
Directing at least $20 billion to Federal land may reduce the pool available for non‑Federal (community or private-land) projects, leaving some local resilience needs less funded.
Broad cross-references to many existing authorities and allowing use of existing authorities increase the risk of duplication, legal disputes, and administrative complexity that can delay projects and raise costs.
Based on analysis of 8 sections of legislative text.
Creates a $60B fund to finance restoration, watershed, and wildfire‑resilience grants and partnership projects on Federal and non‑Federal land.
Introduced February 20, 2025 by Michael F. Bennet · Last progress February 20, 2025
Creates a large, dedicated federal fund to pay for landscape restoration, watershed work, and wildfire‑resilience projects on both Federal and non‑Federal land. It splits $60 billion into a $20 billion grant pool for states, tribes, local governments, nonprofits and other eligible entities, and a $40 billion partnership pool for direct projects led by the Forest Service and partners; at least half of the partnership money must be used on Federal land. Sets up a Restoration Fund Advisory Council to guide spending, requires reporting and Inspector General oversight, allows flexible matching and pay‑for‑performance contracts, and limits some activities (for example, bans new permanent roads and most actions in wilderness or old‑growth stands). The law emphasizes workforce, community involvement, wildfire risk reduction, and measurable restoration outcomes.