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119th Congress

H.R. 471

Fix Our Forests Act

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed House
  4. Passed Senate
  5. To President
  6. Became law
Sponsor
Bruce Westerman(R-AR)
Introduced
Jan 16, 2025
Policy area
Public Lands and Natural Resources
Committees
House Committee on Agriculture; House Committee on Natural Resources; House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Official text
Engrossed in House · Congress.gov page

Cosponsors (56)

Original cosponsors (43)

Added later (13)

Summary

Summary by the Congressional Research Service· describes the “Introduced in House” version

Fix Our Forests Act This bill establishes requirements for managing forests on federal land, including requirements concerning reducing wildfire threats, expediting the review of certain forest management projects, and implementing forest management projects and other activities. Specifically, the bill (1) designates certain firesheds at high risk for wildfires as fireshed management areas; (2) directs the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Geological Survey to jointly establish an interagency Fireshed Center that is responsible for duties related to assessing and predicting fire, including maintaining a fireshed registry on a publicly accessible website that provides interactive geospatial data on individual firesheds; and (3) makes other requirements related to reducing wildfire. Next, the bill expedites the review of certain forest management projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and exempts certain activities from NEPA review. It also establishes intra-agency strike teams to accelerate the review and any interagency consultation processes under NEPA, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the National Historic Preservation Act. It also limits consultation requirements concerning threatened and endangered species under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 and the Federal Land Management and Policy Act of 1976. Finally, it limits litigation involving fireshed management projects and limits remedies that courts may provide. Additionally, the bill supports reducing community wildfire risks, carrying out forest restoration and stewardship activities (including watershed protection and restoration), conducting biochar demonstration projects, advancing technologies to address forest wildfires, and assisting wildland firefighters and their families.

Roll-call votes

DateVoteResultYour members
Jan 23, 2025
House #25		On Passage: Fix Our Forests ActPassedSet your home to see

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