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This bill would make it easier for federal agencies to carry out wildfire prevention work on federal lands for 10 years. The covered work, called hazardous fuel reduction, includes removing or reducing plants and dead material that can burn easily, as well as creating fuel breaks and firebreaks. During that 10-year period, this work would not have to go through some of the usual environmental review and protection rules that often slow projects down. The bill also changes how air quality data from these projects is treated, so smoke or pollution from the fuel reduction work would not be used against an area when deciding whether air quality rules were broken.
- The bill applies only to hazardous fuel reduction activities on federal land and lasts for 10 years after it becomes law.
- These projects would not be treated as a major federal action under the National Environmental Policy Act, which normally requires environmental review.
- The work could also move forward without following certain requirements tied to endangered species protection, historic preservation, and protections for migratory birds.
- If the EPA says a fuel reduction project has a big effect on air quality, the bill would require the agency to leave out air-quality monitoring data caused directly by that project when deciding whether a pollution standard was exceeded.
Official Summaries
Green Tape Elimination Act of 2025
This bill exempts hazardous fuel reduction activities on federal lands from certain environmental and historic preservation regulations. Hazardous fuel means any vegetative material that is susceptible to burning, such as trees and grasses. Hazardous fuel reduction activities include installing firebreaks, using prescribed fire, and removing the hazardous fuels.
First, the bill states that hazardous fuel reduction activities are not to be considered a major federal action under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) for 10 years. NEPA requires agencies to identify and evaluate the impacts of major federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment prior to finalizing certain decisions. Thus, the bill exempts such actions from environmental review under NEPA during that time period.
Next, the bill exempts hazardous fuel reduction activities from the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the National Historic Preservation Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Migratory Bird Conservation Act for 10 years.
The bill also directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to exclude certain air quality data when determining whether there are exceedances or violations of the national ambient air quality standard for air pollutants. In the event a hazardous fuel reduction activity has a significant impact on air quality, the EPA must exclude that data when making such determination.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 731 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 731
To exempt hazardous fuel reduction activities from certain
environmental requirements for a 10-year period.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 24, 2025
Mr. Issa (for himself, Mr. Bacon, and Mr. LaMalfa) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural
Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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 exempt hazardous fuel reduction activities from certain
environmental requirements for a 10-year period.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Green Tape Elimination Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. EXEMPTION OF HAZARDOUS FUEL REDUCTION ACTIVITIES FROM CERTAIN
ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS.
(a) In General.--During the 10-year period beginning on the date of
the enactment of this section, a hazardous fuel reduction activity
carried out on Federal land--
(1) shall not be considered a major Federal action for the
purposes of section 102(2)(C) of the National Environmental
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)); and
(2) may be carried out without regard to the provisions of
law specified in subsection (b).
(b) Provisions of Law Specified.--The provisions of law specified
in this subsection are all Federal laws, regulations, and legal
requirements of, deriving from, or related to the subject of the
following laws:
(1) The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et
seq.).
(2) Division A of subtitle III of title 54, United States
Code (commonly referred to as the ``National Historic
Preservation Act'').
(3) The Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.).
(4) The Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 715 et
seq.).
(c) Clean Air Act Amendment.--Section 319 of the Clean Air Act (42
U.S.C. 7619) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Certain Air Quality Monitoring Data Excluded.--In the event a
hazardous fuel reduction activity (as that term is defined in section
2(d) of the Green Tape Elimination Act of 2025) is carried out that the
Administrator determines has a significant impact on air quality, the
Administrator shall exclude air quality monitoring data that is
directly due to such hazardous fuel reduction activity from use in
determinations by the Administrator with respect to exceedances or
violations of the national ambient air quality standard for any air
pollutant.''.
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Hazardous fuel.--The term ``hazardous fuel'' means any
vegetative material that is susceptible to burning, including--
(A) trees;
(B) grasses;
(C) shrubs;
(D) sagebrush;
(E) chaparral; and
(F) any dead vegetative material on or near the
ground.
(2) Hazardous fuel reduction activity.--The term
``hazardous fuel reduction activity'' means an activity the
purpose of which is--
(A) the installation of--
(i) a natural or manmade change in fuel
characteristics that affects fire behavior such
that a fire can be more readily controlled
(commonly known as a ``fuel break''); or
(ii) a natural or constructed barrier used
to stop or check a fire or to provide a control
line from which to work to stop or check a fire
(commonly known as a ``firebreak''); or
(B) to reduce hazardous fuels, including--
(i) prescribed fire;
(ii) wildland fire use; and
(iii) the use of mechanical methods such as
crushing, tractor and hand piling, thinning,
pruning, cutting, or otherwise removing
hazardous fuels.
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