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This bill would speed up forest thinning and other restoration work on certain national forest lands that are at risk from wildfire, insects, and disease. It tells the Agriculture Secretary to use faster environmental review steps for some projects, especially in areas already identified as needing treatment. The bill also gives these risk-reduction projects higher priority over other forest planning goals in those areas, with some limits. In addition, it changes how money from timber sales is handled under state-federal “Good Neighbor” agreements so that the money stays with the state governor and is used first for restoration work and then for other similar projects in the state.
- For some projects in insect- and disease-risk areas, the Forest Service would have to use a quicker review process, including a categorical exclusion in certain places where timber harvest is allowed.
- For other projects, the bill still requires environmental reviews, but it directs the agency to focus on reducing wildfire and insect damage as a top priority in these treatment areas.
- The bill says these faster rules do not apply to wilderness areas, and they generally do not apply to inventoried roadless areas unless the project is allowed under existing roadless rules.
- The Agriculture Secretary would have to publish yearly public data showing how many acres were treated under these fuel reduction and forest health projects.
- Under Good Neighbor agreements, money from timber sales would be kept by the state governor and used for approved restoration services under that agreement first, then for other restoration work under similar agreements in the state if money is left over.
Official Summaries
Expediting Forest Restoration and Recovery Act of 2025
This bill excludes from environmental review certain projects that reduce the risk of damage to National Forests from wildfires or insect infestations. It also makes permanent the authority for states to retain and use revenues from good neighbor agreement timber sales for certain restoration services.
The bill exempts such projects from federal environmental review requirements if the projects are carried out in (1) insect and disease treatment areas where timber harvest activities are allowed; or (2) areas in Fire Regime Group IV, which are areas that typically burn every 35-200 years with high severity. However, the exemption does not apply to National Wilderness Preservation System lands or certain roadless areas.
The Forest Service must conduct an environmental review for such a project if it is carried out in (1) an area where significant resource concerns exist; or (2) an insect and disease treatment area larger than a certain size.
In the case of environmental reviews of other projects addressing wildfires or insect infestations, the Forest Service only must describe (1) the proposed agency action, and (2) the alternative of no agency action.
In insect and disease treatment areas, the Forest Service must prioritize reducing the risks of insect infestations and wildfires over other objectives in forest plans.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 449 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 449
To amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to require the
Secretary of Agriculture to expedite hazardous fuel or insect and
disease risk reduction projects on certain National Forest System land,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 6 (legislative day, February 5), 2025
Mr. Thune (for himself and Mr. Risch) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture,
Nutrition, and Forestry
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to require the
Secretary of Agriculture to expedite hazardous fuel or insect and
disease risk reduction projects on certain National Forest System land,
and for other purposes.
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 ``Expediting Forest Restoration and
Recovery Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. APPLICATION BY FOREST SERVICE OF AUTHORITIES TO EXPEDITE
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSES IN CARRYING OUT HAZARDOUS FUEL AND
INSECT AND DISEASE RISK REDUCTION PROJECTS.
Section 104 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16
U.S.C. 6514) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(i) Application by Forest Service of Authorities To Expedite
Environmental Analyses in Carrying Out Hazardous Fuel and Insect and
Disease Risk Reduction Projects.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Insect and disease treatment area.--The term
`insect and disease treatment area' means an area
that--
``(i) is designated by the Secretary as an
insect and disease treatment area under this
title; or
``(ii) is designated as at-risk or a hazard
on the most recent National Insect and Disease
Risk Map published by the Forest Service.
``(B) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' has the
meaning given the term in section 101(14)(A).
``(2) Use of authorities.--In carrying out a hazardous fuel
or insect and disease risk reduction project authorized under
this Act in an insect and disease treatment area, the Secretary
shall--
``(A) apply the categorical exclusion established
by section 603 if the project is carried out in an
insect and disease treatment area--
``(i) designated as suitable for timber
production within the applicable forest plan;
or
``(ii) where timber harvest activities are
not prohibited;
``(B) conduct applicable environmental assessments
and environmental impact statements in accordance with
this section if the project is carried out in--
``(i) an insect and disease treatment
area--
``(I) outside of an area described
in subparagraph (A); or
``(II) where other significant
resource concerns exist, as determined
exclusively by the Secretary; or
``(ii) an insect and disease treatment area
equivalent to not less than a Hydrologic Unit
code 5 watershed, as defined by the United
States Geological Survey; and
``(C) notwithstanding subsection (d), in the case
of any other hazardous fuel or insect and disease risk
reduction project, in the environmental assessment or
environmental impact statement prepared under
subsection (b), study, develop, and describe--
``(i) the proposed agency action; and
``(ii) the alternative of no action.
``(3) Priority for reducing risks of insect infestation and
wildfire.--Except where established as a mandatory standard
that constrains project and activity decisionmaking in a
resource management plan (as defined in section 101(13)(A)) in
effect on the date of enactment of this Act, in the case of an
insect and disease treatment area, the Secretary shall
prioritize reducing the risks of insect and disease infestation
and wildfire over other planning objectives.
``(4) Inclusion of fire regime group iv.--Notwithstanding
section 603(c)(2)(B), the Secretary shall apply the categorical
exclusion described in paragraph (2)(A) to areas in Fire Regime
Group IV.
``(5) Excluded areas.--This subsection shall not apply to--
``(A) a component of the National Wilderness
Preservation System; or
``(B) an inventoried roadless area, except in the
case of an activity that is permitted under--
``(i) the final rule of the Secretary
entitled `Special Areas; Roadless Area
Conservation' (66 Fed. Reg. 3244 (January 12,
2001)); or
``(ii) a State-specific roadless area
conservation rule.
``(6) Reports.--The Secretary shall annually make publicly
available data describing the acreage treated under hazardous
fuel or insect and disease risk reduction projects in insect
and disease treatment areas during the previous year.''.
SEC. 3. GOOD NEIGHBOR AUTHORITY.
Section 8206(b)(2) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C.
2113a(b)(2)) is amended by striking subparagraph (C) and inserting the
following:
``(C) Treatment of revenue.--Funds received from
the sale of timber by a Governor of a State under a
good neighbor agreement shall be retained and used by
the Governor--
``(i) to carry out authorized restoration
services under that good neighbor agreement;
and
``(ii) if funds remain after carrying out
authorized restoration services under clause
(i), to carry out authorized restoration
services within the State under other good
neighbor agreements.''.
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