I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 168 
To improve the ability of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary 
of the Interior to carry out forest management activities that reduce 
the risk of catastrophic wildfires, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 3, 2025 
Mr. LAMALFA introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Re-
sources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To improve the ability of the Secretary of Agriculture and 
the Secretary of the Interior to carry out forest manage-
ment activities that reduce the risk of catastrophic 
wildfires, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Targeted Operations to Remove Catastrophic Hazards 
Act’’ or the ‘‘TORCH Act’’. 
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(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title. 
TITLE I—HAZARDOUS FUEL REDUCTION ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 101. Categorical exclusion for high priority hazard tree activities. 
Sec. 102. Utilizing timber sales on National Forest System land for extreme 
risk reduction. 
Sec. 103. Utilizing grazing for wildfire risk reduction. 
Sec. 104. Amendments to the Healthy Forest Restoration Act of 2003 to im-
prove wildfire mitigation. 
Sec. 105. Amendment to fuel breaks in forests and other wildland vegetation. 
TITLE II—GOOD NEIGHBOR AUTHORITY 
Sec. 201. Modification of the treatment of certain revenue and payments under 
good neighbor agreements. 
TITLE III—ELECTRICAL UTILITY LINES RIGHTS-OF-WAYS AND 
RELATED VEGETATION MANAGEMENT 
Sec. 301. Vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and main-
tenance relating to electric transmission and distribution facil-
ity rights-of-way. 
Sec. 302. Categorical exclusion for electric utility lines rights-of-way. 
Sec. 303. Permits and agreements with electrical utilities. 
TITLE IV—REFORM OF CERTAIN ADMINISTRATIVE 
REQUIREMENTS 
Sec. 401. Nonapplicability of certain additional consultation requirements of 
the Endangered Species Act of 1973. 
Sec. 402. Amendment to categorical exclusion for collaborative restoration 
projects. 
TITLE I—HAZARDOUS FUEL 
REDUCTION ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 101. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR HIGH PRIORITY 
HAZARD TREE ACTIVITIES. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary 
of Agriculture shall develop a categorical exclusion 
(as defined in section 1508.4 of title 40, Code of 
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Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation)) for 
high priority hazard tree activities. 
(2) ADMINISTRATION.—In developing and ad-
ministering the categorical exclusion under para-
graph (1), the Secretary shall— 
(A) comply with the National Environ-
mental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et 
seq.); and 
(B) apply the extraordinary circumstances 
procedures under section 220.6 of title 36, Code 
of Federal Regulations (or successor regula-
tions), in determining whether to use the cat-
egorical exclusion. 
(b) PROJECT SIZE LIMITATIONS.—A project to carry 
out high priority hazard tree activities to which a categor-
ical exclusion under subsection (a) is applied may not ex-
ceed 3,000 acres. 
(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) HIGH-PRIORITY HAZARD TREE.—The term 
‘‘high-priority hazard tree’’ means a standing tree 
that— 
(A) presents a visible hazard to people or 
Federal property due to conditions such as de-
terioration of or damage to the root system, 
trunk, stem, or limbs of the tree, or the direc-
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tion or lean of the tree, as determined by the 
Secretary; 
(B) is determined by the Secretary to be 
highly likely to fail and, if it failed, would be 
highly likely to cause injury to people or dam-
age to Federal property; and 
(C) is within 300 feet of a National Forest 
System road with a maintenance level of 3, 4, 
or 5, a National Forest System trail, or a devel-
oped recreation site on National Forest System 
lands that is operated and maintained by the 
Secretary. 
(2) HIGH-PRIORITY
HAZARD
TREE
ACTIVI-
TIES.—The term ‘‘high priority hazard tree activi-
ties’’— 
(A) means forest management activities 
that mitigate the risks associated with high-pri-
ority hazard trees, including pruning, felling, 
and disposal of those trees; and 
(B) does not include any activity— 
(i) conducted in a wilderness area or 
wilderness study area; 
(ii) for the construction of a perma-
nent road or permanent trail; 
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(iii) conducted on Federal land on 
which, by Act of Congress or Presidential 
proclamation, the removal of vegetation is 
restricted or prohibited; 
(iv) that would be inconsistent with 
the applicable land and resource manage-
ment plan; or 
(v) 
conducted 
in 
an 
inventoried 
roadless area. 
SEC. 102. UTILIZING TIMBER SALES ON NATIONAL FOREST 
SYSTEM LAND FOR EXTREME RISK REDUC-
TION. 
Section 14 of the National Forest Management Act 
of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (d) by striking ‘‘$10,000’’ and 
inserting ‘‘$50,000’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(j) In the event of extreme risks to a unit of Na-
tional Forest System land, including catastrophic wildfire, 
insect and disease outbreak, wind, hurricane, flood, 
drought, or to avoid impacts from such extreme events, 
the Secretary may, without an appraisal and under such 
rules and regulations prescribed by the Secretary, dispose 
of by sale or otherwise, portions of trees, or forest prod-
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