Bill > HR3637

This bill focuses on two main areas of forest and land management: expanding opportunities for wildfire hazard fuel removal and adjusting timber sale advertising thresholds. In the first section, the bill amends the Healthy Forests Restoration Act to allow private entities to more easily propose stewardship contracting projects for removing vegetation, with new requirements such as ensuring at least 10% of removed vegetation is "salvage" (including wildfire kill, beetle kill, and dead or dying material). The bill mandates that federal agencies (specifically the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management) publicly notice opportunities for project proposals at least annually, respond to proposals within 120 days, and provide detailed explanations if proposals are denied. The bill also establishes that these projects must be conducted on a best-value basis, cannot occur in wilderness areas or roadless areas, and must align with existing forest management plans. Additionally, the bill requires a comprehensive report to Congress after five years detailing the number of project proposals, contracts entered, and acres treated. In the second section, the bill updates the National Forest Management Act by increasing the timber sale advertising threshold from $10,000 to $55,000 and mandating annual adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index, reflecting the intent to account for inflation and make timber sales more economically viable for local entities.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/3637/all-info