# Plain Language Summary: National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025

This bill is about controlled burns on public lands. Prescribed fires are intentional, carefully managed fires that government agencies like the Forest Service use to reduce the buildup of dead trees, brush, and other flammable material in forests. The goal is to prevent catastrophic wildfires and improve forest health. This bill aims to make it easier and faster for federal agencies to conduct these controlled burns on national forests and other public lands they manage.

The main thing this bill does is remove some of the bureaucratic obstacles that currently slow down prescribed fire projects. Right now, agencies have to go through lengthy environmental reviews and planning processes before they can burn even a small area. This bill streamlines those requirements so agencies can get burns done more quickly when conditions are right. It also provides more funding and resources specifically for prescribed fire programs, and it encourages coordination between federal agencies, state governments, and local communities to plan and execute burns together.

Who does this affect? Primarily people who live near or use national forests and public lands, especially in areas prone to wildfires. Faster prescribed burning could mean fewer catastrophic wildfires in the future, which protects homes, communities, and air quality. It also affects forest workers and contractors who conduct these burns, as more prescribed fire activity means more work opportunities. Additionally, it impacts outdoor enthusiasts, timber companies, and anyone concerned about forest management and wildfire prevention.

The practical result is that you might see more controlled smoke in certain areas during fire season as agencies ramp up prescribed burning, but the long-term benefit would be healthier forests and reduced risk of massive, uncontrollable wildfires that destroy communities and create dangerous air quality.

National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025

Wyden, Ron

National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025<ul></ul>This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior to increase the number and size of prescribed fires conducted on federal lands.For 10 years, Interior and USDA must annually conduct prescribed fires on federal land so that the total acreage where prescribed fires are conducted is 10% greater than the previous fiscal year.&nbsp;Interior and USDA must establish a collaborative prescribed fire program to provide financial assistance to eligible entities to conduct prescribed fires in priority landscapes.Interior and USDA may enter into cooperative agreements or contracts with states, Indian tribes, counties, municipal governments, fire districts, nongovernmental organizations, or private entities to coordinate prescribed fires on federal land.Interior and USDA must expand employment opportunities for prescribed fire practitioners, including by expanding hazard pay, supporting underrepresented groups, and establishing additional training centers.&nbsp;To address the public health and safety risk of the expanded use of prescribed fire, the Environmental Protection Agency must coordinate with state, tribal, and local air quality agencies to support the environmental review of wildland fires.