Sponsors (4)
The bill creates a Utah-focused forest health and wildfire prevention Institute and enables university partnerships, but it leaves funding and implementation details unspecified and may increase federal administrative burdens.
Utah residents, local land managers, and local governments gain a Utah-based Institute that provides local research and technical assistance on forest health and wildfire prevention.
Colleges, community colleges, and universities in Utah can formally partner with the Institute, expanding in-state educational, research, and training opportunities related to forestry and wildfire mitigation.
State and local governments in Utah may face delays and uncertainty implementing the Institute because the bill does not specify dedicated funding or implementation deadlines.
Taxpayers and federal employees could see increased administrative burdens or costs because adding a statutory Institute may expand USDA responsibilities without offsetting resources.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Adds Utah to the list of States covered by the Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention Institutes and allows cooperation with Utah higher-education institutions.
Adds Utah to the federal list of States covered by the Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention Institutes and updates the law to allow those Institutes to cooperate with Utah colleges and universities. Also establishes a short title for the Act. The change expands the geographic scope of the existing Institute program but does not authorize new funding or set deadlines or administrative rules.
Introduced February 6, 2025 by Mike Kennedy · Last progress December 16, 2025