119-s395

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 395 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

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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