Fix Our Forests Act
12/5/2024, 9:05 AMSummary of Bill HR 8790
The Fix Our Forests Act, also known as Bill 118 hr 8790, is a piece of legislation currently being considered by the US Congress. The main goal of this bill is to address the issue of forest management and wildfire prevention in the United States.The Fix Our Forests Act aims to improve the health and resilience of the nation's forests by increasing funding for forest management activities, such as thinning and prescribed burns. This bill also seeks to streamline the permitting process for forest management projects and provide incentives for private landowners to engage in forest management practices.
Additionally, the Fix Our Forests Act includes provisions to address the growing threat of wildfires in the US. This bill allocates funding for wildfire prevention and suppression efforts, as well as for the rehabilitation of forests affected by wildfires. It also aims to improve coordination between federal, state, and local agencies in responding to wildfires. Overall, the Fix Our Forests Act is a comprehensive piece of legislation that seeks to address the challenges facing the nation's forests and improve their health and resilience. If passed, this bill could have a significant impact on forest management and wildfire prevention efforts in the United States.
Congressional Summary of HR 8790
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, conducting biochar demonstration projects, and advancing technologies to address forest wildfires.
