Accurate hazardous fuels reduction reports

(a) Definitions In this section: (1) Federal land The term Federal land means any land under the jurisdiction of— (A) the Secretary; or (B) the Secretary of the Interior. (2) Hazardous fuels reduction activity (A) In general The term hazardous fuels reduction activity means any vegetation management activity to reduce the risk of wildfire, including mechanical treatments, grazing, and prescribed burning. (B) Exclusion The term hazardous fuels reduction activity does not include the provision or execution of a contract to carry out an activity described in subparagraph (A). (b) Materials submitted in support of President’s budget (1) In general Beginning with the first fiscal year that begins after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary concerned shall include in the materials submitted to Congress in support of the President’s budget pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, a report describing the number of acres of Federal land on which the Secretary concerned carried out hazardous fuels reduction activities during the preceding fiscal year, as determined using— (A) the methodology of the Secretary concerned in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act; and (B) the methodology described in paragraph (2). (2) Requirements For purposes of a report required under paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall— (A) in determining the number of acres of Federal land on which the Secretary concerned carried out hazardous fuels reduction activities during the period covered by the report— (i) record acres of Federal land on which hazardous fuels reduction activities were completed during that period; and (ii) record each acre described in clause (i) once in the report, regardless of whether multiple hazardous fuels reduction activities were carried out on that acre during the applicable period; and (B) with respect to the acres of Federal land recorded in the report, include information relating to— (i) which acres are located in the wildland-urban interface; (ii) the level of wildfire risk (high, moderate, or low) of the acres on the first and last day of the period covered by the report; (iii) the types of hazardous fuels reduction activities completed with respect to the acres, including a description of whether those hazardous fuels reduction activities were conducted— (I) in a wildfire managed for resource benefits; or (II) through a planned hazardous fuels reduction project; (iv) the cost per-acre of the hazardous fuels reduction activities carried out during the period covered by the report; (v) the region or System unit in which the acres are located; and (vi) the effectiveness of the hazardous fuels reduction activities with respect to reducing the risk of wildfire. (3) Transparency The Secretary concerned shall make each report submitted under paragraph (1) publicly available on the website of the Department of Agriculture or the Department of the Interior, as applicable. (c) Accurate data collection (1) In general Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall implement standardized procedures for tracking data relating to hazardous fuels reduction activities carried out by the Secretary concerned. (2) Elements The standardized procedures required under paragraph (1) shall include— (A) regular, standardized data reviews of the accuracy and timely input of data used to track hazardous fuels reduction activities; (B) verification methods that validate whether those data accurately correlate to the hazardous fuels reduction activities carried out by the Secretary concerned; (C) an analysis of the short- and long-term effectiveness of the hazardous fuels reduction activities on reducing the risk of wildfire; and (D) for hazardous fuels reduction activities that occur partially within the wildland-urban interface, methods to distinguish which acres are located within the wildland-urban interface and which acres are located outside the wildland-urban interface. (3) Report Not later than 14 days after implementing the standardized procedures required under paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall submit to Congress a report that describes— (A) the standardized procedures; and (B) any programmatic or policy recommendations to Congress to address limitations in tracking data relating to hazardous fuels reduction activities under this subsection. (d) GAO study Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall— (1) conduct a study regarding the implementation of this section, including any limitations with respect to— (A) reporting hazardous fuels reduction activities under subsection (b); or (B) tracking data relating to hazardous fuels reduction activities under subsection (c); and (2) submit to Congress a report that describes the results of the study under paragraph (1). (e) No additional funds authorized (1) In general No additional funds are authorized to carry out this section. (2) Subject to appropriations The activities authorized by this section are subject to the availability of appropriations made in advance for those purposes.

(a) Definitions In this section: (1) Federal land The term Federal land means any land under the jurisdiction of— (A) the Secretary; or (B) the Secretary of the Interior. (2) Hazardous fuels reduction activity (A) In general The term hazardous fuels reduction activity means any vegetation management activity to reduce the risk of wildfire, including mechanical treatments, grazing, and prescribed burning. (B) Exclusion The term hazardous fuels reduction activity does not include the provision or execution of a contract to carry out an activity described in subparagraph (A). (b) Materials submitted in support of President’s budget (1) In general Beginning with the first fiscal year that begins after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary concerned shall include in the materials submitted to Congress in support of the President’s budget pursuant to section 1105 of title 31, United States Code, a report describing the number of acres of Federal land on which the Secretary concerned carried out hazardous fuels reduction activities during the preceding fiscal year, as determined using— (A) the methodology of the Secretary concerned in effect on the day before the date of enactment of this Act; and (B) the methodology described in paragraph (2). (2) Requirements For purposes of a report required under paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall— (A) in determining the number of acres of Federal land on which the Secretary concerned carried out hazardous fuels reduction activities during the period covered by the report— (i) record acres of Federal land on which hazardous fuels reduction activities were completed during that period; and (ii) record each acre described in clause (i) once in the report, regardless of whether multiple hazardous fuels reduction activities were carried out on that acre during the applicable period; and (B) with respect to the acres of Federal land recorded in the report, include information relating to— (i) which acres are located in the wildland-urban interface; (ii) the level of wildfire risk (high, moderate, or low) of the acres on the first and last day of the period covered by the report; (iii) the types of hazardous fuels reduction activities completed with respect to the acres, including a description of whether those hazardous fuels reduction activities were conducted— (I) in a wildfire managed for resource benefits; or (II) through a planned hazardous fuels reduction project; (iv) the cost per-acre of the hazardous fuels reduction activities carried out during the period covered by the report; (v) the region or System unit in which the acres are located; and (vi) the effectiveness of the hazardous fuels reduction activities with respect to reducing the risk of wildfire. (3) Transparency The Secretary concerned shall make each report submitted under paragraph (1) publicly available on the website of the Department of Agriculture or the Department of the Interior, as applicable. (c) Accurate data collection (1) In general Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall implement standardized procedures for tracking data relating to hazardous fuels reduction activities carried out by the Secretary concerned. (2) Elements The standardized procedures required under paragraph (1) shall include— (A) regular, standardized data reviews of the accuracy and timely input of data used to track hazardous fuels reduction activities; (B) verification methods that validate whether those data accurately correlate to the hazardous fuels reduction activities carried out by the Secretary concerned; (C) an analysis of the short- and long-term effectiveness of the hazardous fuels reduction activities on reducing the risk of wildfire; and (D) for hazardous fuels reduction activities that occur partially within the wildland-urban interface, methods to distinguish which acres are located within the wildland-urban interface and which acres are located outside the wildland-urban interface. (3) Report Not later than 14 days after implementing the standardized procedures required under paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall submit to Congress a report that describes— (A) the standardized procedures; and (B) any programmatic or policy recommendations to Congress to address limitations in tracking data relating to hazardous fuels reduction activities under this subsection. (d) GAO study Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall— (1) conduct a study regarding the implementation of this section, including any limitations with respect to— (A) reporting hazardous fuels reduction activities under subsection (b); or (B) tracking data relating to hazardous fuels reduction activities under subsection (c); and (2) submit to Congress a report that describes the results of the study under paragraph (1). (e) No additional funds authorized (1) In general No additional funds are authorized to carry out this section. (2) Subject to appropriations The activities authorized by this section are subject to the availability of appropriations made in advance for those purposes.