HR3553-119

What This Bill Does

The BRUSH Fires Act directs the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, to study wildfire mitigation in shrubland ecosystems within one year. Covered ecosystems include chaparral, coastal sage scrub, sagebrush, shrub-steppe, xeric shrubland, and other dryland shrub ecosystems where wildfire management is a significant challenge. The study must evaluate hazardous fuels management, strategic fuel breaks, invasive weeds and grasses, native shrub resprouting after fire, Forest Service policies for limiting ember ignitions from the public or man-made structures such as electrical infrastructure, weather and topographic conditions affecting mitigation effectiveness, administrative and budget barriers for wildland fire managers, and partnerships that reduce vulnerability of homes, roadways, and high-risk structures in the wildland-urban interface. The Secretary must coordinate with Forest Service experts such as the Shrub Sciences Laboratory and Maintaining Resilient Dryland Ecosystems program, coordinate with agencies such as Interior where relevant, and publish a report within 90 days after completing the study.

Who Benefits and How

Communities in chaparral and sagebrush regions benefit from a public assessment of which mitigation methods reduce wildfire risk and damage. Homeowners in the wildland-urban interface benefit if the study identifies better practices for reducing ember ignition around homes, roads, and high-risk structures. Forest Service land managers benefit from best-practice findings for hazardous fuels, fuel breaks, invasive species, and native shrub recovery. Wildland firefighters benefit if the report identifies operational and budget barriers that impede mitigation work. State, tribal, and local fire partners benefit from stronger Federal analysis of partnerships with non-Federal entities.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The Forest Service must conduct the study, coordinate across internal research programs, solicit outside expertise where practicable, and publish the report. The Secretary of Agriculture must identify best practices, compare Forest Service policies to those practices, and identify further research needs. Federal wildfire research offices must coordinate to avoid duplicated research. Non-Federal experts may be asked to provide consultation. Congressional committees must review the report and may use it for oversight or appropriations decisions.

Key Provisions

• Requires the Agriculture Secretary to conduct a shrubland wildfire mitigation study within one year.
• Directs the study to evaluate fuel breaks, invasive species control, native shrub recovery, ember ignition, conditions, implementation barriers, and partnerships.
• Requires coordination with Forest Service shrubland and dryland ecosystem expertise and relevant Federal agencies.
• Authorizes consultation with non-Federal public and private wildfire-mitigation experts.
• Requires a public report to Congress within 90 days after the study is complete.