II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4945 

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a pilot program for 

the establishment and use of a pre-fire-suppression stand density index, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 22, 2022 

Mr. LEE introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to 

the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a pilot 

program for the establishment and use of a pre-firesuppression stand density index, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Catastrophic Wildfire 

5 Prevention Act of 2022’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PILOT PROGRAM. 

7 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

8 (1) AREA OF THE NATIONAL FOREST SYS9 TEM.—The term ‘‘area of the National Forest SysVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:23 Oct 04, 2022 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4945.IS S4945

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1 tem’’ means all or a portion of a unit of the Na2 tional Forest System that is located west of the 

3 100th meridian. 

4 (2) PILOT PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘pilot pro5 gram’’ means the pilot program established under 

6 subsection (b). 

7 (3) PRE-FIRE-SUPPRESSION STAND DENSITY

8 INDEX.—The term ‘‘pre-fire-suppression stand den9 sity index’’ means an estimate of the naturally oc10 curring or ecologically balanced stand density index 

11 of a forest, as developed from historical surveys or 

12 appropriate scientific inference, before fire suppres13 sion regimens became common practice. 

14 (4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

15 the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 

16 Chief of the Forest Service. 

17 (5) STAND DENSITY INDEX.—The term ‘‘stand 

18 density index’’ means an expression of relative stand 

19 density based on the predictable relationship be20 tween average tree size and trees per unit area in 

21 dense stands. 

22 (6) TREATMENT.—The term ‘‘treatment’’ 

23 means— 

24 (A) a mechanical treatment of hazardous 

25 fuels; 


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1 (B) a stewardship end-result contracting 

2 project; 

3 (C) restoration services; or 

4 (D) timber harvesting. 

5 (b) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish 

6 a pilot program under which the Secretary shall— 

7 (1) collaborate with State or local forest man8 agement agencies— 

9 (A) to identify areas of the National For10 est System for potential selection under para11 graph (3) for inclusion in the pilot program; 

12 and 

13 (B) to research and establish a pre-fire14 suppression stand density index for each area of 

15 the National Forest System identified under 

16 subparagraph (A); 

17 (2) evaluate how closely each pre-fire-suppres18 sion stand density index established under para19 graph (1)(B) reflects current forest conditions and 

20 current published resource management objectives 

21 established by the Secretary for the applicable area 

22 of the National Forest System; and 

23 (3) select, in consultation with State or local 

24 forest management agencies, not fewer than 8 areas 

25 of the National Forest System identified under paraVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:23 Oct 04, 2022 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S4945.IS S4945

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1 graph (1)(A) with respect to which the area and 

2 neighboring communities may benefit from using a 

3 pre-fire-suppression stand density index as a bench4 mark for treatments by— 

5 (A) reducing the chances of catastrophic 

6 wildfire; 

7 (B) increasing forest health; 

8 (C) increasing forest resilience; 

9 (D) increasing ecological diversity; or 

10 (E) improving such other criteria as the 

11 Secretary, in consultation with State or local 

12 forest management agencies, determine to be 

13 appropriate. 

14 (c) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 2 years after 

15 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 

16 begin to conduct treatments on areas of the National For17 est System selected under subsection (b)(3), and update 

18 applicable land and resource management plans to include 

19 objectives and benchmarks, in accordance with the appli20 cable pre-fire-suppression stand density index established 

21 under subsection (b)(1)(B). 

22 (d) SELECTION OF AREAS.—In selecting areas of the 

23 National Forest System for inclusion in the pilot program 

24 under subsection (b)(3) and conducting treatments under 

25 subsection (c), the Secretary shall— 


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1 (1) give priority to an area— 

2 (A) within the wildland-urban interface (as 

3 defined in section 101 of the Healthy Forests 

4 Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511)); 

5 (B) constituting a community watershed; 

6 (C) vulnerable to erosion; 

7 (D) hosting multiple-use activities; 

8 (E) critical to supporting wildlife or plant 

9 species health; or 

10 (F) with respect to which a treatment is 

11 necessary to prevent catastrophic wildfire; and 

12 (2) select a geographically diverse sample of 

13 areas of the National Forest System, which shall in14 clude not fewer than 3 areas of the National Forest 

15 System in the southwest United States. 

16 (e) FUNDING.—The Secretary shall carry out this 

17 section using funds otherwise made available to the Sec18 retary for fuels reduction treatments. 

Æ 


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