The LEAF Act (Local Employment Access for our Forests Act) changes how the federal government awards contracts for wildfire prevention work on public lands. Right now, the Forest Service can hire any contractor they want for projects like clearing dead trees, thinning forests, or creating firebreaks. This bill says the Forest Service should give preference to local contractors whenever possible.

A "local contractor" is defined as a company that either has its main office in the state where the work is happening and will employ at least 26% of its workers from that state, or operates within 60 miles of where it's based. The bill covers all kinds of forest management work aimed at reducing wildfire risk—everything from prescribed burns and tree removal to treating diseased trees and maintaining forest health.

The Forest Service will have to track how often they hire local contractors and report to Congress annually about the number of contracts awarded, how much money went to local businesses, and what impact this has on local jobs and contractor availability. If they award a contract to someone who isn't a local contractor, they have to explain why. This is designed to help rural communities benefit economically from the forest management work that protects their areas from catastrophic wildfires.