Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act of 2023

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. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act of 2023 2. Pilot program (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Area of the National Forest System The term area of the National Forest System (2) Pilot program The term pilot program (3) Pre-fire-suppression stand density index The term pre-fire-suppression stand density index (4) Secretary The term Secretary (5) Stand density index The term stand density index (6) Treatment The term treatment (A) a mechanical treatment of hazardous fuels; (B) a stewardship end-result contracting project; (C) restoration services; or (D) timber harvesting. (b) Establishment The Secretary shall establish a pilot program under which the Secretary shall— (1) collaborate with State or local forest management agencies— (A) to identify areas of the National Forest System for potential selection under paragraph (3) for inclusion in the pilot program; and (B) to research and establish a pre-fire-suppression stand density index for each area of the National Forest System identified under subparagraph (A); (2) evaluate how closely each pre-fire-suppression stand density index established under paragraph (1)(B) reflects current forest conditions and current published resource management objectives established by the Secretary for the applicable area of the National Forest System; and (3) select, in consultation with State or local forest management agencies, not fewer than 8 areas of the National Forest System identified under paragraph (1)(A) with respect to which the area and neighboring communities may benefit from using a pre-fire-suppression stand density index as a benchmark for treatments by— (A) reducing the chances of catastrophic wildfire; (B) increasing forest health; (C) increasing forest resilience; (D) increasing ecological diversity; or (E) improving such other criteria as the Secretary, in consultation with State or local forest management agencies, determine to be appropriate. (c) Implementation Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall begin to conduct treatments on areas of the National Forest System selected under subsection (b)(3), and update applicable land and resource management plans to include objectives and benchmarks, in accordance with the applicable pre-fire-suppression stand density index established under subsection (b)(1)(B). (d) Selection of areas In selecting areas of the National Forest System for inclusion in the pilot program under subsection (b)(3) and conducting treatments under subsection (c), the Secretary shall— (1) give priority to an area— (A) within the wildland-urban interface (as defined in section 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6511 (B) constituting a community watershed; (C) vulnerable to erosion; (D) hosting multiple-use activities; (E) critical to supporting wildlife or plant species health; or (F) with respect to which a treatment is necessary to prevent catastrophic wildfire; and (2) select a geographically diverse sample of areas of the National Forest System, which shall include not fewer than 3 areas of the National Forest System in the southwest United States. (e) Funding The Secretary shall carry out this section using funds otherwise made available to the Secretary for fuels reduction treatments.

Summary: Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act of 2023 This bill directs the Forest Service to establish a pilot program to implement treatments and conduct related fire-suppression activities in areas of the National Forest System that are west of the 100th meridian and near communities that may benefit from such treatments and activities.