# Plain Language Summary of the CARR Act

The CARR Act (Combustion Avoidance along Rural Roads Act) is designed to speed up wildfire prevention work on federal lands by removing certain environmental review requirements. Specifically, it allows the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service to conduct wildfire mitigation activities—like thinning trees, removing dead wood, and controlled burns—without having to follow two major environmental laws: the National Environmental Policy Act and the Endangered Species Act. These laws normally require agencies to study environmental impacts and check whether projects might harm endangered species before proceeding.

The bill limits this exemption to work happening within 300 feet of roads on federal land. The idea behind this is that vegetation near roads poses a particular fire risk because wildfires can spread quickly along roadsides and threaten communities. By removing the environmental review process for these specific areas, supporters argue the government can act faster to reduce fuel loads and prevent catastrophic wildfires.

However, this creates a significant trade-off. Environmental groups worry that bypassing these protections could harm wildlife habitats and endangered species without proper study. The exemption means no environmental impact assessments would be required, and no consultation with wildlife experts would be mandatory before work begins. For people living near federal lands, this could mean faster fire prevention efforts in their area, but potentially with less public input and environmental oversight than would normally occur. The practical effect depends largely on how aggressively agencies use this new authority and whether they choose to conduct environmental reviews voluntarily even when not required to do so.

CARR Act

LaMalfa, Doug

Combustion Avoidance along Rural Roads Act or the CARR Act This bill exempts wildfire mitigation activities conducted within 300 feet of a road from all laws governing environmental review of proposed agency actions or protection of endangered or threatened species. Mitigation activities are those that are conducted by Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture on federal land that is administered by the National Park System, the Bureau of Land Management, or the Forest Service. Mitigation activities include forest thinning, hazardous fuel reduction, prescribed burning, and vegetation management.