H.R. 471 · Where this bill is now
In the Senate
Passed the House Jan 23, 2025. Received Jan 28, 2025; no Senate vote yet
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryChanges how federal forests manage wildfire risk
This bill shifts how the U.S. Forest Service manages forests on federal land to focus on reducing wildfire threats. It creates a new Fireshed Center to track and predict fire risks, speeds up the approval process for forest management projects, and makes it easier to carry out activities like forest restoration and watershed protection without lengthy environmental reviews. The bill also supports communities working to reduce wildfire danger and provides assistance to wildland firefighters.
How it affects you
People who live near federal forests or in wildfire-prone communities may see faster forest management work aimed at reducing fire risk. The bill doesn't directly change much for most Americans, but it does affect how quickly the federal government can act on forest projects and how those projects are reviewed for environmental impact.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Jan 16, 2025)
Fix Our Forests Act
This bill establishes requirements for managing forests on federal land, including requirements concerning reducing wildfire threats, expediting the review of certain forest management projects, and implementing forest management projects and other activities.
Specifically, the bill (1) designates certain firesheds at high risk for wildfires as fireshed management areas; (2) directs the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Geological Survey to jointly establish an interagency Fireshed Center that is responsible for duties related to assessing and predicting fire, including maintaining a fireshed registry on a publicly accessible website that provides interactive geospatial data on individual firesheds; and (3) makes other requirements related to reducing wildfire.
Next, the bill expedites the review of certain forest management projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and exempts certain activities from NEPA review. It also establishes intra-agency strike teams to accelerate the review and any interagency consultation processes under NEPA, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the National Historic Preservation Act. It also limits consultation requirements concerning threatened and endangered species under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 and the Federal Land Management and Policy Act of 1976. Finally, it limits litigation involving fireshed management projects and limits remedies that courts may provide.
Additionally, the bill supports reducing community wildfire risks, carrying out forest restoration and stewardship activities (including watershed protection and restoration), conducting biochar demonstration projects, advancing technologies to address forest wildfires, and assisting wildland firefighters and their families.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 471
AN ACT
Fix Our Forests Act
Sponsor: Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR-4) · Introduced Jan 16, 2025 · Public Lands and Natural Resources · 2 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Mar 6, 2025: “Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Subcommittee on Conservation, Forestry, Natural Resources, and Biotechnology. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 119-27.”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Passage · Jan 23, 2025
Passage Passed 279–141
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 64 | 141 | 10 |
| Republicans | 215 | 0 | 3 |
64 members voted against most of their party: 64 Democrats voted Yes.
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.