Natural Resources to mull wildfire, forestry bills

A subcommittee will consider legislation to speed communications work on wildfire-impacted land.

June 09, 2025

A House Natural Resources subcommittee will take testimony on four wildfire- and forestry-related bills Tuesday, including a measure to speed communications-related projects on land hit by natural disasters.

The communications bill, called the “Wildfire Communications Resiliency Act,” H.R. 1655, would exempt certain infrastructure projects from reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act if they’re carried out within five years of a declared disaster such as wildfire.

Rep. Cliff Bentz (R-Ore.) is the lead sponsor on the bill, a reintroduction of a measure last proposed in 2023.

Lawmakers on the Subcommittee on Federal Lands will also hear about a bill to establish a wildfire research institute in Utah, sponsored by Rep. Mike Kennedy (R-Utah).

The institute proposed for Utah State University would be in addition to institutes already established in Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado through the Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention Act of 2004. That legislation is H.R. 1045, the “Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act of 2025.”

Sens. Mike Lee and John Curtis of Utah, both Republicans, have a companion bill in the Senate.

Another bill on the agenda is H.R. 3187, a measure by Rep. French Hill (R-Ark.) to convey a vacant Forest Service building and surrounding land to Perry County, Arkansas.

The Forest Service has no plans to use the building or the surrounding land, which is less than an acre, according to French’s office. In a news release, French’s office said the property will be used for the University of Arkansas Extension Service, the county conservation district and 4-H programs.

The last bill for the hearing is the “Tribal Self-Determination and Co-Management in Forestry Act of 2025,” H.R. 3444, by Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), to give tribes a greater voice in management of federal lands.

Among other provisions, Huffman’s bill would authorize the Forest Service to enter into long-term co-management contracts with tribal governments for forest planning, ecological management, research and recreation.

The bill would also require the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs to develop tribal co-management plans in coordination with the secretary’s Tribal Advisory Committee. The bill has six co-sponsors, all Democrats.

In a news release, Huffman said the bill “would help build a foundation for shared stewardship that respects Tribal sovereignty, improves forest health, and strengthens our communities against climate-driven disasters.”


By:  Marc Heller
Source: Politico Pro