Wildfire Prevention Act of 2025

This bill would establish new forest management requirements for federal lands, including annual goals to increase mechanical thinning and prescribed fire treatments by at least 40% by fiscal year 2029. The legislation proposes standardized data tracking for fuel reduction activities, a strategy for using livestock grazing to reduce wildfire risk, and a pilot program to test new wildfire prevention and detection technologies. Additionally, the bill would mandate expedited environmental reviews for high-risk areas and grant local governments and Indian tribes the right to intervene in lawsuits regarding certain wildfire mitigation or timber harvesting projects.

This bill affects the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Department of the Interior, which must implement new forest management goals, data tracking procedures, and technology pilot programs. Local governments and Indian tribes are also affected, as the bill grants them the right to intervene in lawsuits regarding specific federal land projects related to wildfire risk or timber harvesting. Additionally, the legislation impacts the livestock industry through the development of a strategy to use grazing as a wildfire risk reduction tool.

• Establishment of annual forest management goals. The bill sets targets for the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to increase the acreage of federal lands treated through mechanical thinning and prescribed fires. By fiscal year 2029, these activities must increase by at least 40% compared to the annual average from fiscal years 2019 through 2023.
• Standardized data tracking and grazing strategies. Federal agencies are directed to implement uniform procedures for tracking hazardous fuels reduction data. Additionally, the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management must develop a strategy to utilize livestock grazing as a method for reducing wildfire risk on federal lands.
• Wildfire technology pilot program. The Forest Service and the Department of the Interior are required to create a deployment and test bed pilot program. This program focuses on developing and testing technologies for the prevention, detection, communication, and mitigation of wildfires.
• Expedited environmental reviews and legal intervention rights. The bill mandates the use of existing authorities to fast-track environmental reviews for lands at high risk of wildfire, insects, or disease. It also grants local governments and Indian tribes the right to intervene in lawsuits regarding federal projects aimed at risk reduction or timber harvesting revenue.

The bill establishes a phased implementation for forest management goals, requiring the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to increase mechanically thinned and prescribed fire acreage by at least 40% by fiscal year 2029.

The bill mandates the use of existing authorities for expedited environmental review for forest land at high risk from wildfire, insects, or disease. It also requires the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to establish wildfire management goals based on average acreage treated during fiscal years 2019 through 2023.

The bill aims to reduce wildfire risk on federal lands by establishing forest management requirements, including specific annual goals for increasing mechanical thinning and prescribed fire treatments. It also seeks to improve wildfire prevention and response through standardized data tracking, the deployment of new technologies, and expedited environmental reviews for high-risk areas.