H.R. 471 119th Congress House

Fix Our Forests Act

Official title: To expedite under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and improve forest management activities on National Forest System lands, on public lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, and on Tribal lands to return resilience to overgrown, fire-prone forested lands, and for other purposes.

Introduced: January 16, 2025 Introduced by: Bruce Westerman Republican · Arkansas See on congress.gov

Public Lands and Natural Resources Administrative law and regulatory proceduresAgricultural practices and innovationsAlternative and renewable resourcesBuilding construction

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CaliforniaClimate change and greenhouse gasesCommunity life and organizationComputers and information technologyCongressional oversightData collection, sharing, protectionDepartment of AgricultureDepartment of the InteriorEcologyEmergency planning and evacuationEnvironmental assessment, monitoring, researchExecutive agency funding and structureFederal officialsFiresFirst responders and emergency personnelForests, forestry, treesGeography and mappingGovernment information and archivesGovernment studies and investigationsHazardous wastes and toxic substancesHorticulture and plantsIndian lands and resources rightsIntergovernmental relationsInternet, web applications, social mediaJudicial procedure and administrationJudicial review and appealsLand use and conservationLicensing and registrationsMotor fuelsNevadaPublic contracts and procurementPublic participation and lobbyingPublic-private cooperationResearch and developmentRoads and highwaysRural conditions and developmentSoil pollutionState and local financeState and local government operationsSupply chainTechnology transfer and commercializationWater use and supplyWatershedsWilderness and natural areas, wildlife refuges, wild rivers, habitatsWildlife conservation and habitat protection

Everywhere this bill has been 19 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

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.

Jan 28, 2025

Received in the Senate.

Jan 23, 2025

The House adopted the amendments en gros as agreed to by the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union.

Jan 23, 2025

Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H346-347)

Jan 23, 2025

POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on H.R. 471, the Chair put the question on passage of the bill and by voice vote, announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Peters demanded the yeas and nays and the Chair postponed further proceedings until a time to be announced.

Jan 23, 2025

The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.

Jan 23, 2025

The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 471.

Jan 23, 2025

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 53, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Carbajal amendment No. 2.

Jan 23, 2025

DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 53, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Perry amendment No. 1.

Jan 23, 2025

GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 471.

Jan 23, 2025

The Speaker designated the Honorable Dale W. Strong to act as Chairman of the Committee.

Jan 23, 2025

House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 53 and Rule XVIII.

Jan 23, 2025

Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 471 and S. 5. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 471 under a structured rule with one hour of general debate and one motion to recommit. Also, the resolution provides for consideration of S. 5 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate and one motion to commit.

Jan 23, 2025

Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 53. (consideration: CR H312-335)

Jan 23, 2025

Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 279 - 141 (Roll no. 25). (text: CR H321-333)

Jan 23, 2025

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

Jan 21, 2025

Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 53 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 471 and S. 5. The resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 471 under a structured rule with one hour of general debate and one motion to recommit. Also, the resolution provides for consideration of S. 5 under a closed rule with one hour of general debate and one motion to commit.

Jan 16, 2025

Referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture, and Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Jan 16, 2025

Introduced in House

Votes taken on this bill 1

Date	Chamber	What was voted on	Result	Yes–No
Jan 23, 2025	House · vote #25	On Passage	Passed	279–141	See who voted →

Amendments to this bill 2

Amendments propose changes to this bill. Members vote on amendments separately before the final bill vote. An agreed amendment becomes part of the bill; a failed amendment does not.

2 agreed to

Amendment	Sponsor	Purpose	Status	Latest action
HAMDT 3	Carbajal, Salud O.	An amendment numbered 2 printed in House Report 119-1 to allow the U.S. Forest Service to approve the removal…	Agreed to	Jan 23, 2025
HAMDT 2	Perry, Scott	An amendment numbered 1 printed in House Report 119-1 to strike carbon sequestration and ecosystem services p…	Agreed to	Jan 23, 2025

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What's happening now March 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.

Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

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.

Hearings & markups 1

Hearings to examine options to reduce catastrophic wildfire, including H.R.471, to expedite under the National Environm…
Meeting Mar 6, 2025 · 11:00 AM EST · Conservation, Forestry, Natural Resources, and Biotechnology Subcommittee

Related & companion bills 4

Bill text 2 versions

Engrossed in House Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

Committees of jurisdiction 5

Agriculture Committee
House of Representatives
Natural Resources Committee
House of Representatives
Science, Space, and Technology Committee
House of Representatives
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee
Senate
Conservation, Forestry, Natural Resources, and Biotechnology Subcommittee
Senate · subcommittee of Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee

Lobbying activity 704

Registered lobbyists who named this bill in their disclosure filings. Source: federal Lobbying Disclosure Act filings.

AMERICAN PROPERTY CASUALTY INSURANCE ASSOCIATION FKA PROPERTY CASUALTY INSURERS ASSOC. OF AMERICA
for AMERICAN PROPERTY CASUALTY INSURANCE ASSOCIATION · District of Columbia · 3rd Quarter 2025 (July 1 - Sep 30)
NAVIGATORS GLOBAL LLC (FORMERLY DC NAVIGATORS, LLC)
for BUILDSTRONG AMERICA, INC. · District of Columbia · 3rd Quarter 2026 (July 1 - Sep 30)
UNITED AERIAL FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION
for UNITED AERIAL FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION · District of Columbia · 3rd Quarter 2026 (July 1 - Sep 30)
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS
for INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIRE FIGHTERS · District of Columbia · 3rd Quarter 2026 (July 1 - Sep 30)
HIGH STREET STRATEGIES LLC
for ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY INNOVATION CENTER · Maryland · 3rd Quarter 2026 (July 1 - Sep 30)
MIKE WILLIAMS CAPITOL STRATEGIES LLC (F/K/A MW CAPITOL STRATEGIES LLC)
for ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION · Montana · 3rd Quarter 2026 (July 1 - Sep 30)

Bodies those filers lobbied

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
685 filings
SENATE
683 filings
Agriculture, Dept of (USDA)
250 filings
U.S. Forest Service
168 filings
Interior, Dept of (DOI)
160 filings
Treasury, Dept of
125 filings
Energy, Dept of
114 filings
White House Office
114 filings

A filing lists the bills it worked on and the parts of government it contacted in separate sections, so these are the bodies those filers named anywhere in the filing, not a per-bill breakdown.

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Cosponsors 56