[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 395 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 395
To amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to expedite
wildfire prevention projects to reduce the risk of wildfire on certain
high-risk Federal land, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 4, 2025
Ms. Lummis (for herself, Mr. Barrasso, and Mr. Sheehy) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Environment and Public Works
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to expedite
wildfire prevention projects to reduce the risk of wildfire on certain
high-risk Federal 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 ``Emergency Fuel Reduction Act of
2025''.
SEC. 2. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to expedite wildfire prevention projects to reduce the
risk of wildfire on certain high-risk Federal land adjacent to
communities, private property, and critical infrastructure;
(2) to improve forest and wildland health; and
(3) to promote the recovery of threatened or endangered
species or other species under consideration to be listed under
the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.),
including the sage-grouse species, the habitat of which is
negatively impacted by wildland fire.
SEC. 3. EXPEDITED REVIEW OF PROJECTS ON FEDERAL LAND.
Section 104 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16
U.S.C. 6514) is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsections (e) through (h) as
subsections (f) through (i), respectively;
(2) in subsection (c)(1)(C)(i), by striking ``subsection
(f)'' and inserting ``subsection (g)''; and
(3) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
``(e) Categorical Exclusion of Certain Projects.--
``(1) In general.--An authorized hazardous fuel reduction
project shall be categorically excluded from the requirements
of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C.
4321 et seq.) if the authorized hazardous fuel reduction
project--
``(A) involves the removal of--
``(i) insect-infected trees;
``(ii) dead or dying trees;
``(iii) trees presenting a threat to public
safety; or
``(iv) other hazardous fuels threatening--
``(I) utility or communications
infrastructure;
``(II) municipal water supply
systems;
``(III) campgrounds;
``(IV) roadsides;
``(V) schools; or
``(VI) other infrastructure;
``(B) is conducted on Federal land on which the
Secretary determines that conditions, such as the risk
of wildfire, an insect or disease epidemic, or the
presence of invasive species, pose a risk to adjacent
non-Federal land; or
``(C) treats 10,000 acres or less of Federal land
that--
``(i) is at particular risk for wildfire;
``(ii) contains threatened and endangered
species habitat; or
``(iii) provides conservation benefits to--
``(I) a species that is not listed
as an endangered species or a
threatened species under section 4 of
the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16
U.S.C. 1533), but is under
consideration to be so listed;
``(II) a State-listed species; or
``(III) a special concern species.
``(2) Applicability.--This subsection shall not apply to
Federal land--
``(A) that is a component of the National
Wilderness Preservation System;
``(B) on which the removal of vegetation is
specifically prohibited by Federal law; or
``(C) that is within a National Monument as of the
date of enactment of the Emergency Fuel Reduction Act
of 2025.''.
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