This bill extends and expands a program that helps Native American tribes protect their forests and rangelands from wildfires, disease, and other threats. Right now, the federal government can pay tribes to do land management work, but only on federal lands that sit right next to tribal lands. This bill makes the program much more flexible.

The main changes are: tribes can now work on federal lands that have special meaning to them historically or culturally, even if those lands aren't directly adjacent to their property; Alaska Native corporations can now participate in the program for the first time; and tribes can actually do protective work directly on their own tribal lands, not just on nearby federal lands. The bill also extends the program's funding through 2031 and updates how the government reports on the program's progress to Congress.

In practical terms, this means tribes have more tools and flexibility to fight wildfires and manage forest health across a wider area, protecting both their own lands and nearby federal forests that could threaten them. It recognizes that wildfire and forest disease don't respect property boundaries, so tribes need to be able to work across a larger landscape to keep their communities safe.

Tribal Forest Protection Act Amendments Act of 2025

Murkowski, Lisa

Tribal Forest Protection Act Amendments Act of 2025This bill reauthorizes through FY2031 the Tribal Forest Protection Act (TFPA) and expands the lands and activities eligible for inclusion in the TFPA.Currently under the TFPA, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) may enter into contracts and agreements with Indian tribes for tribes to carry out land management projects on federal lands. These projects are designed to protect Indian forest lands and rangelands from wildfire, disease, and other threats coming from federal lands. However, the&nbsp;TFPA is currently limited to projects on federal lands that border or are adjacent to Indian forest lands and rangelands under the jurisdiction of the tribe.This bill removes certain limitations of the TFPA, first by expanding the definition of Indian forest land or rangeland to include land in Alaska&nbsp;that is held by Alaska Native corporations, thereby allowing these corporations to participate in TFPA projects.Additionally, the bill removes the requirement that&nbsp;TFPA projects must occur on federal lands that border or are adjacent to Indian forest lands or rangelands. The bill instead requires the federal land involved&nbsp;to have a special geographic, historical, or cultural significance to the tribe.The bill allows TFPA projects to be carried out directly on Indian forest lands and rangelands. (Currently, the TFPA only applies to work conducted on federal lands and not on tribal&nbsp;lands.)The bill also updates a requirement for Interior and USDA to report to Congress on TFPA activities.