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119 HR 471 IH: Fix Our Forests Act 
 U.S. House of Representatives 
 2025-01-16 
 text/xml 
 EN 
 Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. 
 
 
 
 I 
 119th CONGRESS 1st Session 
 H. R. 471 
 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
 
 January 16, 2025 
 Mr. Westerman (for himself, Mr. Peters , Mr. Tiffany , Mr. Panetta , Mr. Stauber , Mr. Whitesides , Mr. Collins , Mr. Vasquez , Mrs. Kim , Mr. Costa , Mr. Zinke , Mr. Harder of California , Mr. Johnson of South Dakota , Mr. Bera , Mrs. Kiggans of Virginia , Mr. Garamendi , Ms. Maloy , Mr. Thompson of California , Mr. Begich , Mr. Correa , Mr. Crank , Mr. Golden of Maine , Mr. Ezell , Mr. Mullin , Mr. Hurd of Colorado , Ms. Lee of Nevada , Mr. Valadao , Mr. Gray , Mr. Barr , Mr. Hoyer , Mr. Carter of Georgia , Ms. Pettersen , Mr. Joyce of Pennsylvania , Mr. Obernolte , Mr. Walberg , Mr. LaMalfa , Mr. Gosar , Ms. Boebert , Mr. McClintock , Mr. Issa , Mr. Fong , Ms. Hageman , Mr. Fry , and Mr. Amodei of Nevada ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources , and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture , and Science, Space, and Technology , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
 
 A BILL 
 To expedite under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and improve forest management activities on National Forest System lands, on public lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, and on Tribal lands to return resilience to overgrown, fire-prone forested lands, and for other purposes. 
 
 
 1. Short title; table of contents 
 (a) Short title This Act may be cited as the Fix Our Forests Act . (b) Table of contents The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 
 
 Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
 Sec. 2. Definitions. 
 Title I—Landscape-Scale Restoration 
 Subtitle A—Addressing Emergency Wildfire Risks in High Priority Firesheds 
 Sec. 101. Designation of fireshed management areas. 
 Sec. 102. Fireshed center. 
 Sec. 103. Fireshed registry. 
 Sec. 104. Shared stewardship. 
 Sec. 105. Fireshed assessments. 
 Sec. 106. Emergency fireshed management. 
 Sec. 107. Sunset. 
 Subtitle B—Expanding Collaborative Tools to Reduce Wildfire Risk and Improve Forest Health 
 Sec. 111. Modification of the treatment of certain revenue and payments under good neighbor agreements. 
 Sec. 112. Fixing stewardship end result contracting. 
 Sec. 113. Intra-agency strike teams. 
 Sec. 114. Locally-led restoration. 
 Sec. 115. Joint Chiefs landscape restoration partnership program. 
 Sec. 116. Collaborative forest landscape restoration program. 
 Sec. 117. Utilizing grazing for wildfire risk reduction. 
 Sec. 118. Water source protection program. 
 Sec. 119. Watershed condition framework technical corrections. 
 Subtitle C—Litigation Reform 
 Sec. 121. Commonsense litigation reform. 
 Sec. 122. Consultation on forest plans. 
 Title II—Protecting Communities in the Wildland-Urban Interface 
 Sec. 201. Community wildfire risk reduction program. 
 Sec. 202. Community wildfire defense research program. 
 Sec. 203. Vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and maintenance relating to electric transmission and distribution facility rights-of-way. 
 Sec. 204. Categorical exclusion for electric utility lines rights-of-way. 
 Sec. 205. Seeds of success. 
 Sec. 206. Program to support priority reforestation and restoration projects of Department of the Interior. 
 Sec. 207. Fire department repayment. 
 Title III—Transparency, Technology, and Partnerships 
 Subtitle A—Transparency and Technology 
 Sec. 301. Biochar innovations and opportunities for conservation, health, and advancements in research. 
 Sec. 302. Accurate hazardous fuels reduction reports. 
 Sec. 303. Public-private wildfire technology deployment and demonstration partnership. 
 Sec. 304. GAO study on Forest Service policies. 
 Sec. 305. Forest Service Western headquarters study. 
 Sec. 306. Keeping forest plans current and monitored. 
 Sec. 307. Container Aerial Firefighting System (CAFFS). 
 Sec. 308. Study on pine beetle infestation. 
 Subtitle B—White Oak Resilience 
 Sec. 311. White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition. 
 Sec. 312. Forest Service pilot program. 
 Sec. 313. Department of the Interior white oak review and restoration. 
 Sec. 314. White oak regeneration and upland oak habitat. 
 Sec. 315. Tree nursery shortages. 
 Sec. 316. White oak research. 
 Sec. 317. USDA formal initiative. 
 Sec. 318. Authorities. 
 Title IV—Ensuring Casualty Assistance for our Firefighters 
 Sec. 401. Wildland Fire Management Casualty Assistance Program. 
 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Director The term Director means the Director of the Fireshed Center appointed under section 102. 
 (2) Fireshed The term fireshed means a landscape-scale area that faces similar wildfire threat where a response strategy could influence the wildfire outcome. (3) Fireshed management project The term fireshed management project means a project under section 106. 
 (4) Fireshed Registry The term Fireshed Registry means the fireshed registry established under section 103. (5) Forest plan The term forest plan means— 
 (A) a land use plan prepared by the Bureau of Land Management for public lands pursuant to section 202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ( 43 U.S.C. 1712 ); (B) a land and resource management plan prepared by the Forest Service for a unit of the National Forest System pursuant to section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 ( 16 U.S.C. 1604 ); or 
 (C) a forest management plan (as defined in section 304 of the National Indian Forests Resources Management Act ( 25 U.S.C. 3104 )) with respect to Indian forest land or rangeland. (6) Governor The term Governor means the Governor or any other appropriate executive official of an affected State or Indian Tribe or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. 
 (7) Hazardous fuels management activities The term hazardous fuels management activities means any vegetation management activities (or combination thereof) that reduce the risk of wildfire, including mechanical thinning, mastication, prescribed burning, cultural burning (as determined by the applicable Indian Tribe), timber harvest, and grazing. (8) HFRA terms The terms at-risk community , community wildfire protection plan , and wildland-urban interface have the meanings given such terms, respectively, in section 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6511 ). 
 (9) Indian forest land or rangeland The term Indian forest land or rangeland means land that— (A) is held in trust by, or with a restriction against alienation by, the United States for an Indian Tribe or a member of an Indian Tribe; and 
 (B) 
 (i) 
 (I) is Indian forest land (as defined in section 304 of the National Indian Forest Resources Management Act ( 25 U.S.C. 3103 )); or (II) has a cover of grasses, brush, or any similar vegetation; or 
 (ii) formerly had a forest cover or vegetative cover that is capable of restoration. (10) Indian Tribe The term Indian Tribe has the meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act ( 25 U.S.C. 5304 ). 
 (11) National Forest System lands The term National Forest System lands has the meaning given the term in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 ( 16 U.S.C. 1609 ). (12) Public lands The term public lands has the meaning given that term in section 103 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ( 43 U.S.C. 1702 ), except that the term includes Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands and Oregon and California Railroad Grant lands. 
 (13) Relevant Congressional Committees The term relevant Congressional Committees means— (A) the Committees on Natural Resources and Agriculture of the House of Representatives; and 
 (B) the Committees on Energy and Natural Resources and Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate. (14) Responsible official The term responsible official means an employee of the Department of the Interior or Forest Service who has the authority to make and implement a decision on a proposed action. 
 (15) Secretaries The term Secretaries means each of— (A) the Secretary of the Interior; and 
 (B) the Secretary of Agriculture. (16) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture. 
 (17) Secretary concerned The term Secretary concerned means— (A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to National Forest System lands; and 
 (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to public lands. (18) Special District The term special district means a political subdivision of a State that— 
 (A) has significant budgetary autonomy or control; (B) was created by or pursuant to the laws of the State for the purpose of performing a limited and specific governmental or proprietary function; and 
 (C) is distinct from any other local government unit within the State. (19) State The term State means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, and each territory of the United States. 
 I Landscape-Scale Restoration 
 A Addressing Emergency Wildfire Risks in High Priority Firesheds 
 101. Designation of fireshed management areas 
 (a) Designation of fireshed management areas 
 (1) Initial designations For the period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and ending on the date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, there are designated fireshed management areas, which— (A) shall be comprised of individual landscape-scale firesheds identified as being a high risk fireshed in the Wildfire Crisis Strategy published by the Forest Service in January 2022; 
 (B) shall be comprised of individual landscape-scale firesheds identified by the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, as being in the top 20 percent of the 7,688 firesheds published by the Rocky Mountain Research Station of the Forest Service in 2019 for wildfire exposure based on the following criteria— (i) wildfire exposure and corresponding risk to communities, including risk to life and structures; 
 (ii) wildfire exposure and corresponding risk to municipal watersheds, including tribal water supplies and systems; and (iii) risk of forest conversion due to wildfire; 
 (C) shall not overlap with any other fireshed management areas; (D) may contain Federal and non-Federal land, including Indian forest lands or rangelands; and 
 (E) where the Secretary concerned shall carry out fireshed management projects. (2) Further fireshed management area designations (A) In general On the date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act and every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, shall submit to the relevant Congressional Committees an updated map of firesheds based on the Fireshed Registry maintained under section 103. 
 (B) Designation Not later than 60 days after submitting an updated fireshed map under subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall, based on such map, designate additional fireshed management areas that are identified as being in the top 20 percent of firesheds at risk of wildfire exposure based on the criteria specified in subparagraphs (B), (C), (D), and (E) of paragraph (1). (b) Applicability of NEPA The designation of fireshed management areas under this section shall not be subject to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ). 
 102. Fireshed center 
 (a) Establishment 
 (1) In general The Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, and the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, shall jointly establish an interagency center, to be known as the Fireshed Center (hereinafter referred to as the Center ) to carry out the purposes in subsection (b). (2) Composition (A) Divisions The Center shall be comprised of the following divisions: 
 (i) Technology and Engineering. (ii) Data Services. 
 (iii) Analysis and Prediction. (iv) Education and Consultation. 
 (B) Representatives The Center shall be comprised of at least one career representative from each of the following: (i) The Forest Service. 
 (ii) The Bureau of Land Management. (iii) The National Park Service. 
 (iv) The Bureau of Indian Affairs. (v) The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 
 (vi) The U.S. Geological Survey. (vii) The Department of Defense. 
 (viii) The Department of Homeland Security. (ix) The Department of Energy. 
 (x) The Federal Emergency Management Agency. (xi) The National Science Foundation. 
 (xii) The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (xiii) The National Aeronautics and Space Administration. 
 (xiv) The National Institute of Standards and Technology. (xv) The United States Fire Administration. 
 (C) Appointments Each representative of a Department, Agency, or other entity specified in subparagraph (B) shall be appointed by the head of that Department, Agency, or other entity, as applicable. (3) Director The representatives appointed under paragraph (2) shall, by majority vote, appoint a Director of the Center, who— 
 (A) shall be an employee of the U.S. Geological Survey or the Forest Service; (B) shall serve an initial term of not more than 7 years; 
 (C) may serve one additional term of not more than 7 years after the initial term described in subparagraph (B); and (D) shall be responsible for the management and operation of the Center. 
 (4) Associate directors In consultation with the representatives appointed under paragraph (2), the Director may appoint such Associate Directors as the Director determines necessary. (5) Additional representation The Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, and the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey, may jointly appoint additional representatives of Federal agencies, States, Indian Tribes, or local governments to the Center, as the Secretaries determine necessary. 
 (b) Purposes The purposes of the Center are to— (1) comprehensively assess and predict, using data tools (including artificial intelligence) and other decision support products, fire and smoke in the wildland and built environment interface across jurisdictions to inform— 
 (A) land and fuels management; (B) community (including at-risk communities identified in fireshed assessments conducted under section 105) and built environment risk reduction, including the support and development of community wildfire protection plans and evacuation decisions; and 
 (C) public health risk reduction related to wildland fire and smoke, including air quality monitoring and forecasting and smoke prediction models; (D) fire response and management, including the pre-positioning of wildfire suppression personnel and assets based on real-time risk; and 
 (E) post-fire recovery activities, including activities related to vegetation recovery, debris flows and flooding, watershed recovery and protection, and ecosystem health; (2) provide data aggregation, real-time land and fuels management services, and science-based decision support services to inform the purposes specified in subparagraph (A) through (E) of paragraph (1); 
 (3) reduce fragmentation and duplication across Federal land management agencies with respect to predictive service and decision support functions related to wildland fire and smoke, including through the provision of data aggregation described in paragraph (2); (4) promote coordination and sharing of data regarding wildland fire and smoke decision making (including through the provision of data aggregation described in paragraph (2)) to each of the entities specified in subparagraphs (A) through (F) of paragraph (8); 
 (5) streamline procurement processes for technologies (including technologies identified under the pilot program established under section 303) and cybersecurity systems related to addressing wildland fire and smoke for the purposes of scaling such technologies and systems across Federal agencies; (6) amplify and distribute existing, and develop as necessary, publicly accessible data, models, technologies (including mapping technologies), assessments, and National Weather Service fire weather forecasts to support short- and long-term planning regarding wildland fire and smoke risk reduction and post-fire recovery while avoiding duplicative efforts, as determined by the Director; 
 (7) maintain the Fireshed Registry established under section 103; and (8) disseminate data tools (including artificial intelligence) and other decision support products, for use in manners consistent with the purposes described paragraphs (1) through (7), to the following: 
 (A) Federal agencies. (B) Indian Tribes. 
 (C) State and local governments. (D) Academic or research institutions. 
 (E) Wildland firefighting entities, including applicable incident management teams and geographic coordination centers. (F) Other entities, including public, private, and nonprofit entities, with expertise in land management, air quality, water management, or public health, as determined appropriate by the Director. 
 (c) Memoranda of understanding The Center may enter into memoranda of understanding, contracts, or other agreements with State governments, Indian Tribes, local governments, academic or research institutions, and private entities to improve the information and operations of the Center. (d) Administrative support, technical services, and staff support (1) USGS support The Secretary of the Interior shall make personnel of the U.S. Geological Survey available to the Center for such administrative support, technical services, and development and dissemination of data as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out this section. 
 (2) USFS support The Secretary shall make personnel of the Forest Service available to the Center for such administrative support, technical services, and the development and dissemination of information related to fireshed management and the Fireshed Registry as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out this section. (3) Funding Notwithstanding section 708 of title VII of division E of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 ( Public Law 117–328 ), the Secretary of the Interior and Secretary may enter into agreements to share the management and operational costs of the Center. 
 (e) Rule of construction Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the ownership of any data sources. 103. Fireshed registry (a) Fireshed registry The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Fireshed Center appointed under section 102, shall maintain a Fireshed Registry on a publicly accessible website that provides interactive geospatial data on individual firesheds, including information on— 
 (1) wildfire exposure delineated by ownership, including rights-of-way for utilities and other public or private purposes; (2) any hazardous fuels management activities that have occurred within an individual fireshed in the past 10 years; 
 (3) wildfire exposure with respect to such fireshed delineated by— (A) wildfire exposure and corresponding risk to communities, including risk to life and structures; 
 (B) wildfire exposure and corresponding risk to municipal watersheds, including tribal water supplies and systems; and (C) risk of forest conversion due to wildfire; 
 (4) the percentage of the fireshed that has burned in wildfires in the past 10 years, including, to the extent practicable, delineations of acres that have burned at a high severity; (5) spatial patterns of wildfire exposure, including plausible extreme fire events; and 
 (6) any hazardous fuels management activities planned for the fireshed, including fireshed management projects. (b) Community Wildfire Protection Plans The Director shall make data from the Fireshed Registry available to local communities developing or updating community wildfire protection plans. 
 (c) Requirement to maintain As part of the website containing the Fireshed Registry, the Director shall— (1) publish fireshed assessments created under section 105; and 
 (2) maintain a searchable database to track— (A) the status of Federal environmental reviews, permits, and authorizations for fireshed management projects, including— 
 (i) a comprehensive permitting timetable; (ii) the status of the compliance of each lead agency, cooperating agency, and participating agency with the permitting timetable with respect to such fireshed management projects; 
 (iii) any modifications of the permitting timetable required under clause (i), including an explanation as to why the permitting timetable was modified; and (iv) information about project-related public meetings, public hearings, and public comment periods, which shall be presented in English and the predominant language of the community or communities most affected by the project, as that information becomes available; 
 (B) the projected cost of such fireshed management projects; and (C) in the case of completed fireshed management projects, the effectiveness of such projects in reducing the wildfire exposure within an applicable fireshed, including wildfire exposure described in subparagraphs (A) through (C) of subsection (a)(3). 
 (d) Reliance on existing assessments In carrying out this section, the Director may rely on assessments completed or data gather through existing partnerships, to the extent practicable. 104. Shared stewardship (a) Joint agreements Not later than 90 days after receiving a written request from a Governor of a State or an Indian Tribe, the Secretary concerned shall enter into a shared stewardship agreement (or similar agreement) with such Governor or Indian Tribe to jointly— 
 (1) promote the reduction of wildfire exposure, based on the criteria in section 101(a)(1)(B), in fireshed management areas across jurisdictional boundaries; and (2) conduct fireshed assessments under section 105. 
 (b) Additional fireshed management areas With respect to a shared stewardship agreement (or similar agreement) with a Governor of a State or an Indian Tribe entered into under subsection (a), the Secretary concerned, if requested by such Governor or Indian Tribe, may— (1) designate additional fireshed management areas under such agreement; and 
 (2) update such agreement to address new wildfire threats. 105. Fireshed assessments (a) Fireshed assessments (1) In general Not later than 90 days after the date on which the Secretary concerned enters into an agreement with a Governor of a State or an Indian Tribe under section 104, the Secretary concerned and such Governor or Indian Tribe shall, with respect to the fireshed management areas designated in such State, jointly conduct a fireshed assessment that— 
 (A) identifies— (i) using the best available science, wildfire exposure risks within each such fireshed management area, including scenario planning and wildfire hazard mapping and models; and 
 (ii) each at-risk community within each fireshed management area; (B) identifies potential fireshed management projects to be carried out in such fireshed management areas, giving priority— 
 (i) primarily, to projects with the purpose of reducing— (I) wildfire exposure and corresponding risk to communities, including risk to life and structures; 
 (II) wildfire exposure and corresponding risk to municipal watersheds, including tribal water supplies and systems; (III) risk of forest conversion due to wildfire; or 
 (IV) any combination of purposes described in subclauses (I) through (III); and (ii) secondarily, to projects with the purpose of protecting— 
 (I) critical infrastructure, including utility infrastructure; (II) wildlife habitats, including habitat for species listed under the Endangered Species Act ( 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. ); 
 (III) the built environment, including residential and commercial buildings; (IV) resources of an Indian Tribe, as defined by the Indian Tribe; or 
 (V) any combination of purposes described in subclauses (I) through (IV); (C) includes— 
 (i) a strategy for reducing the threat of wildfire to at-risk communities in the wildland-urban interface on both Federal and non-Federal land; (ii) a timeline for the implementation of fireshed management projects; 
 (iii) long-term benchmark goals for the completion of fireshed management projects in the highest wildfire exposure areas so that such projects contribute to the development and maintenance of healthy and resilient landscapes; (iv) policies to ensure fireshed management projects comply with applicable forest plans and incorporate the best available science; and 
 (v) a strategy for reducing the threat of wildfire to improve the effectiveness of wildland firefighting, particularly the effectiveness of fuels treatments that would improve wildland firefighter safety during wildfires; (D) shall be regularly updated based on the best available science, as determined by the Secretary concerned; and 
 (E) shall be publicly available on a website maintained by the Secretary concerned. (2) Local government participation Upon the written request of a local government, the Secretary concerned and the Governor of the State in which the local government is located may allow such local government to participate in producing the fireshed assessment under paragraph (1) for such State. 
 (3) Information improvement 
 (A) Memoranda of understanding In carrying out a fireshed assessment under this subsection, the Secretary concerned may enter into memoranda of understanding with other Federal agencies or departments (including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), States, Indian Tribes, private entities, or research or educational institutions to improve, with respect to such assessment, the use and integration of— (i) advanced remote sensing and geospatial technologies; 
 (ii) statistical modeling and analysis; or (iii) any other technology or combination of technologies and analyses that the Secretary concerned determines will benefit the quality of information of such an assessment. 
 (B) Best available science In using the best available science for the fireshed assessments completed under subsection (a)(1), the Secretary concerned and Governor shall, to the maximum extent practicable, incorporate— (i) traditional ecological knowledge from Indian Tribes; 
 (ii) data from State forest action plans and State wildfire risk assessments; (iii) data from the Fireshed Registry maintained under section 103; and 
 (iv) data from other Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments or agencies. (b) Applicability of NEPA Fireshed assessments conducted under this section shall not be subject to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ). 
 106. Emergency fireshed management 
 (a) Fireshed management projects 
 (1) In general The Secretary concerned, acting through a responsible official, shall carry out fireshed management projects in fireshed management areas designated under section 101 in accordance with this section. (2) Fireshed management projects The responsible official shall carry out the following forest and vegetation management activities as fireshed management projects under this section: 
 (A) Conducting hazardous fuels management activities. (B) Creating fuel breaks and fire breaks. 
 (C) Removing hazard trees, dead trees, dying trees, or trees at risk of dying, as determined by the responsible official. (D) Developing, approving, or conducting routine maintenance under a vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and maintenance plan submitted under section 512(c)(1) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ( 43 U.S.C. 1772(c)(1) ). 
 (E) Removing trees to address overstocking or crowding in a forest stand, consistent with the appropriate basal area of the forest stand as determined by the responsible official. (F) Using chemical or re-seeding and planting treatments to address insects and disease and control vegetation competition or invasive species. 
 (G) Any activities recommended by an applicable fireshed assessment carried out under section 105. (H) Any activities recommended by an applicable community wildfire protection plan. 
 (I) Any combination of activities described in this paragraph. (3) Emergency fireshed management (A) In general For any fireshed management area designated under section 101, the following shall have the force and effect of law: 
 (i) Section 220.4(b) of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act), with respect to lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary. (ii) Section 46.150 of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act), with respect to lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior. 
 (iii) Section 402.05 of title 50, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act). (iv) Section 800.12 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this Act). 
 (B) Utilization of existing streamlined authorities in fireshed management areas 
 (i) In general Fireshed management projects carried out under this section shall be considered authorized projects under the following categorical exclusions: (I) Section 603(a) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6591b(a) ). 
 (II) Section 605(a) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6591d(a) ). (III) Section 606(b) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6591e(b) ). 
 (IV) Section 40806(b) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ( 16 U.S.C. 6592b(b) ). (V) Section 4(c)(4) of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act ( Public Law 106–506 ; 114 Stat. 2353). 
 (ii) Additional emergency actions Subsection (d) of section 40807 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ( 16 U.S.C. 6592c ) shall apply to fireshed management projects under this section in the same manner as such subsection applies to authorized emergency actions (as defined in subsection (a) of such section 40807) under such section 40807. (iii) Use of expedited authorities In carrying out a fireshed management project, the Secretary shall apply a categorical exclusion under clause (i)— 
 (I) in a manner consistent with the statute establishing such categorical exclusion; and (II) in any area— 
 (aa) designated as suitable for timber production within the applicable forest plan; or (bb) where timber harvest activities are not prohibited. 
 (iv) Fiscal Responsibility Act requirements In carrying out this section, the Secretary concerned shall ensure compliance with the amendments made to the National Environmental Policy Act ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ) by the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 ( Public Law 118–5 ). (v) Use of other authorities To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary concerned shall use the authorities provided under this section in combination with other authorities to carry out fireshed management projects, including— 
 (I) good neighbor agreements entered into under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 ( 16 U.S.C. 2113a ) (as amended by this Act); (II) stewardship contracting projects entered into under section 604 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6591c ) (as amended by this Act); 
 (III) self-determination contracts and self-governance compact agreements entered into under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act ( 25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq. ); and (IV) agreements entered into under the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 ( 25 U.S.C. 3115a et seq. ). 
 (b) Expansion 
 (1) HFRA amendments The Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 is amended— (A) in section 3 ( 16 U.S.C. 6502 ), by inserting at the end the following: 
 
 (3) Local Government The term local government means a county, municipality, or special district. (4) Special District The term special district means a political subdivision of a State that— 
 (A) has significant budgetary autonomy or control; (B) was created by or pursuant to the laws of the State for the purpose of performing a limited and specific governmental or proprietary function; and 
 (C) is distinct from any other local government unit within the State. . (B) in section 603(c)(1) ( 16 U.S.C. 6591b(c)(1) ), by striking 3000 acres and inserting 10,000 acres ; 
 (C) in section 603(c)(2)(B) ( 16 U.S.C. 6591b(c)(2)(B) ), by striking Fire Regime Groups I, II, or III and inserting Fire Regime I, Fire Regime II, Fire Regime III, Fire Regime IV, or Fire Regime V ; (D) in section 605(c)(1) ( 16 U.S.C. 6591d(c)(1) ), by striking 3000 acres and inserting 10,000 acres ; and 
 (E) in section 606(g) ( 16 U.S.C. 6591e(g) ), by striking 4,500 acres and inserting 10,000 acres . (2) Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act amendment Section 40806(d)(1) of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ( 16 U.S.C. 6592b(d)(1) ), by striking 3,000 acres and inserting 10,000 acres . 
 (3) Lake Tahoe Restoration Act amendments Section 4(c)(4)(C) of the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act ( Public Law 106–506 ; 114 Stat. 2353) is amended— (A) by striking Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit ; and 
 (B) by inserting applicable to the area before the period at the end. 107. Sunset The authority under this subtitle shall terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act. 
 B Expanding Collaborative Tools to Reduce Wildfire Risk and Improve Forest Health 
 111. Modification of the treatment of certain revenue and payments under good neighbor agreements 
 (a) Good neighbor authority Section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 ( 16 U.S.C. 2113a ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)(6), by striking or Indian tribe ; 
 (2) in subsection (a), by inserting the following: (11) Special District The term special district means a political subdivision of a State that— 
 (A) has significant budgetary autonomy or control; (B) was created by or pursuant to the laws of the State for the purpose of performing a limited and specific governmental or proprietary function; and 
 (C) is distinct from any other local government unit within the State. . (3) in subsection (b)— 
 (A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting , Indian Tribe, special district, after Governor ; (B) in paragraph (2)(C)— 
 (i) in clause (i)— (I) by inserting special district, after Indian Tribe, each place it appears; 
 (II) in subclause (I)— (aa) by striking on ; and 
 (bb) by striking ; and and inserting a semicolon; (III) in subclause (II)(bb), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
 (IV) by adding at the end the following: (III) to construct new permanent roads on Federal lands that are— 
 (aa) necessary to implement authorized restoration activities; and (bb) approved by the Federal agency through an environmental analysis or categorical exclusion decision; 
 (IV) to complete new permanent road construction to replace and decommission an existing permanent road that is adversely impacting forest, rangeland, or watershed health; and (V) if there are funds remaining after carrying out subclauses (I) through (IV), to carry out authorized restoration services under other good neighbor agreements and for the administration of a good neighbor authority program by a Governor, Indian tribe, special district, or county. ; and 
 (ii) in clause (ii), by striking 2028 and inserting 2030 ; and (C) in paragraph (3), by inserting , Indian Tribe, special district, after Governor ; and 
 (D) by striking paragraph (4). (b) Conforming amendments Section 8206(a) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 ( 16 U.S.C. 2113a(a) ) is amended— 
 (1) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting , Indian Tribe, special district, after Governor ; and (2) in paragraph (5), by inserting , Indian Tribe, special district, after Governor . 
 (c) Effective date The amendments made by this section apply to any project initiated pursuant to a good neighbor agreement (as defined in section 8206(a) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 ( 16 U.S.C. 2113a(a) ))— (1) before the date of enactment of this Act, if the project was initiated after the date of enactment of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 ( Public Law 115–334 ; 132 Stat. 4490); or 
 (2) on or after the date of enactment of this Act. 112. Fixing stewardship end result contracting Section 604 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6591c ) is amended— 
 (1) in subsection (b), by inserting , including retaining and expanding existing forest products infrastructure before the period at the end; (2) in subsection (d)(3)(B), by striking 10 years and inserting 20 years ; and 
 (3) in subsection (h), by adding at the end the following: (4) Special rule for long-term stewardship contracts (A) In general A long-term agreement or contract entered into with an entity under subsection (b) by the Chief or the Director shall provide that in the case of the cancellation or termination by the Chief or the Director of such long-term agreement or contract, the Chief or the Director, as applicable, shall provide 10 percent of the agreement or contract amount to such entity as cancellation or termination costs. 
 (B) Definition of long-term agreement or contract In this paragraph, the term long-term agreement or contract means an agreement or contract under subsection (b)— (i) with a term of more than 5 years; and 
 (ii) entered into on or after the date of the enactment of this paragraph. . 113. Intra-agency strike teams (a) Establishment The Secretary concerned shall establish intra-agency strike teams to assist the Secretary concerned with— 
 (1) any reviews, including analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ), consultations under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 ( 16 U.S.C. 470 et seq. ), and consultations under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. ), with the intent to accelerate and streamline interagency consultation processes; (2) the implementation of any necessary site preparation work in advance of or as part of a fireshed management project; 
 (3) the implementation of fireshed management projects under such section; and (4) any combination of purposes under paragraphs (1) through (3). 
 (b) Members The Secretary concerned may appoint not more than 10 individuals to serve on an intra-agency strike team comprised of— (1) employees of the Department under the jurisdiction of the Secretary concerned; 
 (2) employees of a different Federal agency, with the consent of that agency’s Secretary; (3) private contractors from any nonprofit organization, State government, Indian Tribe, local government, quasi-governmental agency, academic institution, or private organization; and 
 (4) volunteers from any nonprofit organization, State government, Indian Tribe, local government, quasi-governmental agency, academic institution, or private organization. (c) Sunset The authority provided under this section shall terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of enactment of this Act. 
 114. Locally-led restoration 
 (a) Threshold adjustment Section 14(d) of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 ( 16 U.S.C. 472a(d) ) is amended by— (1) striking $10,000 and inserting $55,000 ; and 
 (2) by adding at the end the following: Beginning on January 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the amount in the first sentence of this subsection shall be adjusted by the Secretary for changes in the Consumer Price Index of All Urban Consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor. . (b) Fireshed management projects Beginning on the date that is 30 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall solicit bids under section 14 of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 ( 16 U.S.C. 472a(d) ) for fireshed management projects under section 106. 
 115. Joint Chiefs landscape restoration partnership program Section 40808 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act ( 16 U.S.C. 6592d ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)(2)— 
 (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking or at the end; (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; and 
 (C) by adding at the end the following: (D) to recover from wildfires; or 
 (E) to enhance soil, water, and related natural resources. ; (2) in subsection (d)(1)— 
 (A) in subparagraph (A), by inserting and post-wildfire impacts after wildfire risk ; and (B) in subparagraph (F), by inserting , as identified in the corresponding State forest action plan or similar priority plan (such as a State wildlife or water plan) before the semicolon; 
 (3) in subsection (g)(2), by inserting and at least once every 2 fiscal years thereafter after and 2023 ; and (4) in subsection (h)(1), by striking and 2023 and inserting through 2030 . 
 116. Collaborative forest landscape restoration program Section 4003 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 ( 16 U.S.C. 7303 ) is amended— (1) in subsection (b)(3)— 
 (A) in subparagraph (D), by striking species; and inserting species or pathogens; ; (B) in subparagraph (G), by striking and at the end; 
 (C) in subparagraph (H), by adding and after the semicolon at the end; and (D) by adding at the end the following: 
 
 (I) address standardized monitoring questions and indicators; ; (2) in subsection (c)(3)(A)— 
 (A) in clause (i), by striking and at the end; (B) in clause (ii), by adding and at the end; and 
 (C) by adding at the end the following: (iii) include a plan to provide support to collaborative processes established pursuant to subsection (b)(2); ; 
 (3) in subsection (d)— (A) in paragraph (2)— 
 (i) in subparagraph (E), by striking and at the end; (ii) in subparagraph (F), by striking the period at the end and inserting ; and ; and 
 (iii) by adding at the end the following: (G) proposals that seek to use innovative implementation mechanisms, including good neighbor agreements entered into under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 ( 16 U.S.C. 2113a ); 
 (H) proposals that seek to remove or treat insects or diseases, including the removal of trees killed by, or infested with, bark beetles in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming; (I) proposals that seek to facilitate the sale of firewood and Christmas trees on lands under the jurisdiction of the Secretary or the Secretary of the Interior; 
 (J) proposals that seek to reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire or increase ecological restoration activities— (i) within areas across land ownerships, including State, Tribal, and private land; and 
 (ii) within the wildland-urban interface (as defined in section 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6511 )); and (K) proposals that seek to enhance watershed health and drinking water sources. ; and 
 (B) in paragraph (3)— (i) by amending subparagraph (A) to read as follows: 
 
 (A) 4 proposals in any 1 region of the National Forest System to be funded during any fiscal year; and ; (ii) by striking subparagraph (B); and 
 (iii) by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (B); and (4) in subsection (f)(6), by striking 2019 through 2023 and inserting 2025 through 2030 . 
 117. Utilizing grazing for wildfire risk reduction The Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, in coordination with holders of permits to graze livestock on Federal land, shall develop a strategy to increase opportunities to utilize livestock grazing as a wildfire risk reduction strategy, including— (1) completion of reviews (as required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (U.S.C. 4321 et seq.)) to allow permitted grazing on vacant grazing allotments during instances of drought, wildfire, or other natural disasters that disrupt grazing on allotments already permitted; 
 (2) use of targeted grazing; (3) increased use of temporary permits to promote targeted fuels reduction and reduction of invasive annual grasses; 
 (4) increased use of grazing as a postfire recovery and restoration strategy, where appropriate; and (5) use of all applicable authorities under the law. 
 118. Water source protection program Section 303 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6542(g)(4)(B) ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a)— 
 (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (7) as paragraphs (2) through (8), respectively; (B) by inserting before paragraph (2), as so redesignated, the following: 
 
 (1) Adjacent land The term adjacent land means non-Federal land, including State, local, and private land, that is adjacent to, and within the same watershed as, National Forest System land on which a watershed protection and restoration project is carried out under this section. ; and (C) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated— 
 (i) by redesignating subparagraphs (G) and (H) as subparagraphs (K) and (L), respectively; and (ii) by inserting after subparagraph (F) the following: 
 
 (G) an acequia association; (H) a local, regional, or other public entity that manages stormwater or wastewater resources or other related water infrastructure; 
 (I) a land-grant mercedes; (J) a local, regional, or other private entity that has water delivery authority; ; 
 (2) in subsection (b)— (A) by striking The Secretary shall and inserting the following: 
 
 (1) In general The Secretary shall ; and (B) by adding at the end the following: 
 
 (2) Requirements A watershed protection and restoration project under the Program shall be designed to— (A) protect and restore watershed health, water supply and quality, a municipal or agricultural water supply system, and water-related infrastructure; 
 (B) protect and restore forest health from insect infestation and disease or wildfire; or (C) advance any combination of the purposes described in subparagraphs (A) and (B). 
 (3) Priorities In selecting watershed protection and restoration projects under the Program, the Secretary shall give priority to projects that would— (A) provide risk management benefits associated with: drought; wildfire; post-wildfire conditions; extreme weather; flooding; resilience to climate change; and watershed and fire resilience, including minimizing risks to watershed health, water supply and quality, and water-related infrastructure, including municipal and agricultural water supply systems; 
 (B) support aquatic restoration and conservation efforts that complement existing or planned forest restoration or wildfire risk reduction efforts; or (C) provide quantifiable benefits to water supply or quality and include the use of nature-based solutions, such as restoring wetland and riparian ecosystems. 
 (4) Conditions for projects on adjacent land 
 (A) In general No project or activity may be carried out under this section on adjacent land unless the owner of the adjacent land agrees in writing that the owner is a willing and engaged partner in carrying out that project or activity. (B) Effect Nothing in this section shall be construed to authorize any change in— 
 (i) the ownership of adjacent land on which a project or activity is carried out under this section; or (ii) the management of adjacent land on which a project or activity is carried out under this section, except during the carrying out of that project or activity. ; 
 (3) in subsection (c)— (A) in paragraph (1), by striking with end water users and inserting 
 with end water users to protect and restore the condition of National Forest watersheds and adjacent land that provide water— (A) to the end water users subject to the agreement; or 
 (B) for the benefit of another end water user. ; (B) in paragraph (2)— 
 (i) in subparagraph (C), by striking or at the end; (ii) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as subparagraph (E); and 
 (iii) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the following: (D) a good neighbor agreement entered into under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 ( 16 U.S.C. 2113a ); or ; and 
 (C) by adding at the end the following: (3) Cooperation with non-Federal partners The Secretary shall cooperate with non-Federal partners in carrying out assessments, planning, project design, and project implementation under this section. ; 
 (4) in subsection (d)— (A) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows: 
 
 (2) Requirement A water source management plan shall be— (A) designed to protect and restore ecological integrity (as defined in section 219.19 of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of enactment of this subparagraph)); 
 (B) based on the best available scientific information; and (C) conducted in a manner consistent with the forest plan applicable to the National Forest System land on which the watershed protection and restoration project is carried out. ; and 
 (B) by adding at the end the following: (4) Reducing redundancy An existing watershed plan, such as a watershed protection and restoration action plan developed under section 304(a)(3), or other applicable watershed planning documents as approved by the Secretary may be used as the basis for a water source management plan under this subsection. ; and 
 (5) in subsection (e)(1), by striking primary purpose of and all that follows through the period at the end and inserting primary purpose of advancing any of the purposes described in subsection (b)(2). . 119. Watershed condition framework technical corrections Section 304(a) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6543(a) ) is amended in paragraphs (3) and (5) by striking protection and . 
 C Litigation Reform 
 121. Commonsense litigation reform 
 (a) 

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