HR178-119

What This Bill Does

This bill makes aggressive wildfire suppression mandatory on covered National Forest System lands. The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, must use all available resources to extinguish wildfires detected on covered lands within 24 hours and must immediately suppress any prescribed fire that exceeds its prescription. The Forest Service may use fire as a resource-management tool only when it is a lawful prescribed fire, and backfires or burnouts during wildfires are limited to orders from the responsible incident commander or situations needed to protect firefighter health and safety. Covered lands are high-risk National Forest lands identified by severe to exceptional drought, National Wildland Fire Preparedness Level 5, or top-10-percent fireshed exposure.

Who Benefits and How

State firefighting agencies benefit because the bill bars the Forest Service from inhibiting their authorized wildfire-suppression efforts on covered federal lands. Local firefighting agencies receive the same protection when they are authorized to respond. Private landowners near National Forest System lands may benefit from faster federal suppression intended to lower property and community risk. Timber companies operating near National Forests may benefit if aggressive suppression reduces the acreage affected by wildfire.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The U.S. Forest Service must meet a demanding 24-hour suppression goal and keep backfires or burnouts under control until extinguished. Federal wildland firefighters face higher operational pressure because the agency must use all available resources on covered lands. Prescribed-fire managers and conservation organizations bear a burden because the bill narrows when managed fire can be used and requires immediate suppression of prescribed fires that exceed prescription.

Key Provisions

• Requires all available Forest Service resources to suppress wildfires on covered National Forest System lands within 24 hours of detection.
• Requires immediate suppression of any prescribed fire that exceeds its prescription.
• Bars the Forest Service from inhibiting authorized state or local firefighting agencies responding on covered lands.
• Limits fire as a resource-management tool to lawful prescribed fires and restricts backfires or burnouts during wildfires.
• Defines covered lands using severe drought ratings, National Wildland Fire Preparedness Level 5, or top-10-percent Forest Service fireshed exposure.