Bill > HR178

This bill requires the Secretary of Agriculture, through the U.S. Forest Service, to take aggressive and immediate action to suppress wildfires on certain National Forest System lands during high-risk drought and fire conditions. Specifically, the bill mandates that the Forest Service must use all available resources to extinguish wildfires within 24 hours of detection, immediately suppress any prescribed fires that exceed their intended boundaries, and only use fire as a management tool when strictly compliant with existing laws and regulations. The bill defines "covered National Forest System lands" as areas experiencing severe to exceptional drought (as rated by the U.S. Drought Monitor), areas at the highest national wildland fire preparedness level, or areas located in firesheds (geographic areas with high wildfire risk) ranked in the top 10 percent of exposure. The Secretary may only initiate backfires or burnout operations when ordered by the incident commander or when necessary to protect firefighter safety, and must use all resources to control and extinguish such fires. The bill also explicitly states that the Forest Service should not interfere with state or local firefighting agencies' suppression efforts on these lands.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/178/all-info