Sponsors (2)
The bill sharply speeds and scales hazardous-fuels treatments and utility vegetation work to reduce wildfire and outage risks and fund local restoration, at the cost of reduced environmental review, public oversight, and some tribal and revenue protections that raise risks to species, habitat, and community interests.
Homeowners, utilities, and rural communities near and around forests will see faster and larger hazardous-fuels treatments (including projects up to 10,000 acres) that lower near-term wildfire risk to homes and communities.
Electric utilities, grid operators, and nearby residents can get quicker, more consistent vegetation removal (e.g., within 50 feet of transmission lines) and faster administrative approval timelines, improving grid reliability and reducing outage- and ignition-risk.
Federal land managers (Forest Service/BLM), state and local partners will be able to implement restoration and hazardous-fuels work faster because categorical exclusions and streamlined procedures reduce NEPA/administrative delays.
People in and near treated public lands, and the plants and wildlife there, face elevated risk because categorical exclusions and ESA/NEPA exemptions reduce environmental review and species protections.
Large expedited projects (up to 10,000 acres) increase the chance that water, air quality, habitat, and local ecosystems will be harmed because projects may proceed without full environmental review.
Residents, local governments, and conservation groups will have reduced opportunities for public input and limited judicial or administrative review of agency decisions, weakening oversight and community voice.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Expedites hazardous-fuel reduction and vegetation management via new NEPA categorical exclusions, larger acreage caps, changed timber-receipt rules, and narrowed ESA reconsultation triggers.
Official title: To improve the ability of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to carry out forest management activities that reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 13, 2026 by Mike Kennedy · Last progress February 13, 2026
Expedites hazardous-fuel reduction, vegetation management, and certain restoration projects on National Forest System and other federal lands by creating new NEPA categorical exclusions, raising acreage caps for streamlined authorities, and changing how some revenues and project approvals are handled. It narrows some triggers for ESA reconsultation, revises Good Neighbor Authority receipts rules (including treatment of timber-sale receipts), and authorizes faster removal/disposal of hazardous trees and forest products when extreme risks exist.