Small-diameter Timber and Underutilized Material Act of 2023

This bill allows for the free removal of small-diameter trees (under 8 inches thick) from designated wildfire risk areas on federal lands managed by agencies like the Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management. It prohibits federal land managers from charging fees for permits, processing, or the trees themselves during removal, and bans requiring volume measurements or appraisals for these trees. The law mandates designating eligible fire hazard areas as "free-use" zones for this purpose and applies only to contracts entered after the bill's enactment. It directly affects federal land managers and entities removing small trees to reduce wildfire risks in specified zones.