Environment (Forestry)

in committee · United States · House Jan 31, 2025

HR 903: Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2025

HR 903, the Smoke and Heat Ready Communities Act of 2025, creates federal grant programs to help communities prepare for wildfire smoke and extreme heat events. It funds air pollution control agencies to monitor air quality, deploy monitoring equipment, equip public buildings with air filtration, and distribute protective gear like N95 masks. The bill also establishes university research centers to study health impacts and develop community response strategies, and provides competitive grants for local governments, tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations to create collaborative community plans. These programs target communities most vulnerable to poor air quality from wildfire smoke and extreme heat, with priority given to areas impacted by these events.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentFunds air quality monitoring, community response to wildfire smoke/heat (climate impacts), and protective gear, directly addressing environmental health protection.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Air Quality Forestry

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in committee · United States · Senate Dec 2, 2025

S 1341: Sarvis Creek Wilderness Completion Act

This bill designates approximately 6,817 acres in Routt National Forest as part of the Sarvis Creek Wilderness, adding it to the existing wilderness area established by the 1993 Colorado Wilderness Act. It directly affects the land itself by protecting it from development like logging or mining, while clarifying that tribal treaty rights and traditional cultural uses remain unaffected. The bill includes administrative provisions allowing the Forest Service to manage fire, insects, and disease within the area and permits tribes access for religious and cultural purposes under existing law. This is a procedural land designation bill with no direct impact on people beyond the protected land management and tribal access terms.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentDesignates wilderness area, protects land from logging/mining, conserves natural resources per bill summary95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Forestry Public Lands

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passed · United States · House Mar 17, 2026

HR 528: Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act

Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025 This bill directs the Department of the Interior to carry out a program for post-disaster reforestation and restoration.  Interior must identify covered lands requiring reforestation and restoration following unplanned disturbances that are unlikely to experience natural regeneration without assistance. Covered land means (1) any federal land or interest in land administered by the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Forest Service, or the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and (2) any Indian Forest Land or Rangeland. Interior must propose a list that prioritizes projects for reforestation and restoration for each fiscal year. Interior may (1) carry out priority projects through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements; and (2) support any grant contract or cooperative agreement that may be necessary to ensure adequate and appropriate seed and seedling availability to further the objectives of priority projects.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill mandates federal reforestation/restoration after disasters, conserving natural resources and supporting environmental protection through active land restoration.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Natural Disasters Public Lands

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in committee · United States · House Jul 15, 2025

HR 4412: Joint Chiefs Reauthorization Act of 2025

This bill amends the Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership program to expand its scope and improve coordination. It adds wildfire recovery and soil/water resource enhancement as eligible project purposes, requires the Natural Resources Conservation Service to coordinate with the Forest Service on science and management plans, and extends the program's authorization through 2031. The changes apply directly to federal agencies administering the program, including the Natural Resources Conservation Service and Forest Service, and affect projects managed under the partnership. Key provisions include updated wildfire risk assessments and alignment with state forest action plans. The bill makes concrete adjustments to existing program rules without creating new funding or altering core program eligibility.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentExpands program to include wildfire recovery and soil/water resource enhancement, requires interagency coordination for environmental management, and extends authorization through 2031.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Forestry

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passed · United States · House Oct 27, 2025

HR 1612: Flatside Wilderness Additions Act

HR 1612, the Flatside Wilderness Additions Act, designates approximately 2,212 acres of land in the Ouachita National Forest as part of the Flatside Wilderness, renaming it the "Flatside-Bethune Wilderness." This bill amends the 1984 Arkansas Wilderness Act to formally add this specific area to the protected wilderness designation. The bill clarifies that the Secretary of Agriculture retains existing authority under the Wilderness Act to address fire, insects, and diseases in the newly designated area, without altering current management practices.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill designates 2,212 acres as protected wilderness, conserving natural resources and strengthening environmental protection under the Wilderness Act.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry

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in committee · United States · House Mar 28, 2025

HR 1943: Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act of 2025

This bill establishes special base pay rates for wildland firefighters employed by the Forest Service or Department of the Interior, increasing their base pay by specific percentages (from 1.5% to 42%) based on their grade. It creates "incident response premium pay" at 450% of hourly rate for firefighters deployed to respond to qualifying wildfire incidents, with a yearly maximum of $9,000. The bill also provides for paid rest and recuperation leave following wildfire incident response. These provisions replace temporary pay increases that were previously authorized under other legislation and directly affect wildland firefighters who perform duties related to wildland fires.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill increases firefighter pay and response incentives for wildfire incidents, directly supporting effective wildfire management and protection of natural resources from environmental damage.80% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentIncreases base pay (1.5%-42%) and premium pay (450% of hourly rate) for wildland firefighters, plus paid rest leave, directly advancing worker compensation and benefits.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry

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passed · United States · House Mar 19, 2026

HR 556: Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act

HR 556, the Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act, prevents federal agencies from banning lead ammunition or tackle on public lands and waters managed for hunting or fishing. It directly affects hunters and anglers using federal lands (like national wildlife refuges, public forests, and BLM lands) by blocking nationwide restrictions on lead products. The bill allows limited exceptions only for specific locations where wildlife decline is directly linked to lead use, and the restriction must align with state law or get approval from the state wildlife agency. This changes how federal land managers can regulate lead, requiring state coordination for any local restrictions.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBlocks federal bans on lead ammunition/tackle, preventing pollution control measures that would reduce lead contamination in ecosystems, thus weakening environmental protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Public Lands Wildlife

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in committee · United States · House Aug 1, 2025

HR 4853: Saving the Forest Service's Workforce Act

This bill prevents the Forest Service from initiating or implementing layoffs until after full-year funding for fiscal year 2026 is secured. It specifically stops reductions in force and involuntary separations for most Forest Service employees (including competitive service, excepted service, and senior executive roles), except for misconduct, poor performance, or delinquency. The moratorium applies to all personnel actions under the Secretary of Agriculture’s authority until FY2026 appropriations are enacted. This directly affects Forest Service workers and ensures their job stability during the budget process.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill mandates full-year funding before layoffs, protecting Forest Service workforce funding and preventing defunding of government programs.90% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentPrevents layoffs in Forest Service, an agency responsible for managing national forests and conservation, maintaining capacity for environmental protection efforts.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentPrevents layoffs for Forest Service workers, protecting job security and workforce stability per bill's moratorium on involuntary separations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Public Employees

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in committee · United States · House Jan 8, 2026

HR 435: Direct Hire To Fight Fires

HR 435 ("Direct Hire To Fight Fires") creates a direct hiring authority for wildland firefighting and support positions within the Forest Service and Department of the Interior, allowing agencies to bypass standard federal hiring rules for specific roles like Forestry Technicians (GS-0462) and Aircraft Operations (GS-2181). It requires agencies to streamline hiring processes to reduce time-to-hire, eliminate redundancies, and improve retention, while mandating annual public reports detailing staffing needs, vacancies by state, and progress on hiring goals. The bill directly affects federal wildland firefighters and support staff in both agencies, focusing on accelerating recruitment for critical firefighting roles. Agencies must implement these changes within one year of enactment and publish reports annually.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill streamlines hiring for wildland firefighting, protecting forests and natural resources from wildfire damage, a core environmental concern.80% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry

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in committee · United States · House Jun 10, 2025

HR 3889: National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025

The National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025 aims to increase the use of prescribed fire (intentionally set, controlled burns) on federal lands to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health. The bill allows federal land management agencies to use up to 15% of their hazardous fuels management funds for prescribed fire projects, requires a 10% annual increase in acres treated with prescribed fire, and establishes a Collaborative Prescribed Fire Program to fund large-scale, landscape-level projects. It streamlines environmental reviews through landscape-scale planning, addresses liability protections for fire managers, and mandates annual reporting on prescribed fire activities. The bill directly affects federal land management agencies (Interior and Agriculture), states, tribes, and local entities working on fire management.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill promotes prescribed fire to reduce wildfire risk and improve forest health, directly advancing conservation and ecosystem protection through funded projects.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Forestry Natural Disasters Public Lands

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