S. 449 · 119th Congress
Expediting Forest Restoration and Recovery Act of 2025
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ThuneSponsor2 cosponsors · 2 R
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This bill excludes from environmental review certain projects that reduce the risk of damage to National Forests from wildfires or insect infestations. It also makes permanent the authority for states to retain and use revenues from good neighbor agreement timber sales for certain restoration services.
What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in Senate · Feb 6, 2025
Expediting Forest Restoration and Recovery Act of 2025
This bill excludes from environmental review certain projects that reduce the risk of damage to National Forests from wildfires or insect infestations. It also makes permanent the authority for states to retain and use revenues from good neighbor agreement timber sales for certain restoration services.
The bill exempts such projects from federal environmental review requirements if the projects are carried out in (1) insect and disease treatment areas where timber harvest activities are allowed; or (2) areas in Fire Regime Group IV, which are areas that typically burn every 35-200 years with high severity. However, the exemption does not apply to National Wilderness Preservation System lands or certain roadless areas.
The Forest Service must conduct an environmental review for such a project if it is carried out in (1) an area where significant resource concerns exist; or (2) an insect and disease treatment area larger than a certain size.
In the case of environmental reviews of other projects addressing wildfires or insect infestations, the Forest Service only must describe (1) the proposed agency action, and (2) the alternative of no agency action.
In insect and disease treatment areas, the Forest Service must prioritize reducing the risks of insect infestations and wildfires over other objectives in forest plans.
Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov
About this bill and sources
Official title: Expediting Forest Restoration and Recovery Act of 2025
Latest action (Feb 6, 2025): Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry. (text: CR S794)
Policy area: Environmental Protection · Origin: Senate · Introduced: Feb 6, 2025
Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)
No recorded floor vote found.