I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3889 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture 
to encourage and expand the use of prescribed fire on land managed 
by the Department of the Interior or the Forest Service, with an empha-
sis on units of the National Forest System in the western and south-
eastern United States, to acknowledge and support the long-standing 
use of cultural burning by Indian Tribes and Indigenous practitioners, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 10, 2025 
Ms. SCHRIER (for herself and Mr. VALADAO) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addi-
tion to the Committees on Agriculture, and Energy and Commerce, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary 
of Agriculture to encourage and expand the use of pre-
scribed fire on land managed by the Department of the 
Interior or the Forest Service, with an emphasis on 
units of the National Forest System in the western and 
southeastern United States, to acknowledge and support 
the long-standing use of cultural burning by Indian 
Tribes and Indigenous practitioners, and for other pur-
poses. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
TITLE I—USE OF FUNDS 
Sec. 101. Definition of prescribed fire. 
Sec. 102. Prescribed fire funding. 
Sec. 103. Policies and practices. 
Sec. 104. Collaborative Prescribed Fire Program. 
TITLE II—FACILITATING IMPLEMENTATION AND OUTREACH 
Sec. 201. Cooperative agreements and contracts. 
Sec. 202. Human resources. 
Sec. 203. Liability of prescribed fire managers. 
Sec. 204. Environmental review. 
Sec. 205. Prescribed fire education program. 
TITLE III—REPORTING 
Sec. 301. Annual reports to National Fire Planning and Operations Database. 
Sec. 302. Annual implementation report. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.—The term 
‘‘congressional committees’’ means— 
(A) the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources, the Committee on Agriculture, Nu-
trition, and Forestry, and the Committee on 
Appropriations of the Senate; and 
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(B) the Committee on Natural Resources, 
the Committee on Agriculture, and the Com-
mittee on Appropriations of the House of Rep-
resentatives. 
(2) FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘Federal land’’ 
means— 
(A) land under the jurisdiction of the Sec-
retary; and 
(B) National Forest System land. 
(3) 
LANDSCAPE-SCALE
PRESCRIBED
FIRE 
PLAN.—The term ‘‘landscape-scale prescribed fire 
plan’’ means a decision document prepared pursuant 
to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) that— 
(A) covers a unit of the National Forest 
System, a Bureau of Land Management dis-
trict, or a subunit of such a unit or district; 
(B) analyzes the site-specific environmental 
consequences of prescribed fire on land de-
scribed in subparagraph (A); and 
(C) obviates the need for subsequent deci-
sions pursuant to the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) 
with respect to the unit, district, or subunit de-
scribed in subparagraph (A). 
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(4) NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘National 
Forest System’’ has the meaning given the term 
in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland 
Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 
U.S.C. 1609(a)). 
(B) EXCLUSIONS.—The term ‘‘National 
Forest System’’ does not include the national 
grasslands or land utilization projects adminis-
tered under title III of the Bankhead-Jones 
Farm Tenant Act (7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.). 
(5) PRESCRIBED FIRE.—The term ‘‘prescribed 
fire’’ means a fire deliberately ignited to burn 
wildland fuels in a natural or modified state— 
(A) under specified environmental condi-
tions that are intended to allow the fire to be 
confined to a predetermined area and produce 
the fireline intensity and rate of spread re-
quired to attain planned resource management 
objectives; and 
(B) in accordance with applicable law (in-
cluding regulations). 
(6) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘‘Secretaries’’ 
means— 
(A) the Secretary; and 
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(B) the Secretary of Agriculture. 
(7) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(8) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Sec-
retary concerned’’ means— 
(A) the Secretary, in the case of land 
under the jurisdiction of the Secretary; and 
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture, in the 
case of land under the jurisdiction of the Sec-
retary of Agriculture. 
TITLE I—USE OF FUNDS 
SEC. 101. DEFINITION OF PRESCRIBED FIRE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In this title, the term ‘‘prescribed 
fire’’ has the meaning given the term in section 2. 
(b) EXCLUSION.—In this title, the term ‘‘prescribed 
fire’’ does not include a fire that is ignited for the primary 
purpose of pile burning. 
SEC. 102. PRESCRIBED FIRE FUNDING. 
(a) FUNDING FLEXIBILITY.— 
(1) DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.—The Sec-
retary of Agriculture may use not more than 15 per-
cent of funds appropriated for each fiscal year for 
hazardous fuels management in the National Forest 
System for activities described in subsection (b). 
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(2) DEPARTMENT
OF
THE
INTERIOR.—The 
Secretary may use not more than 15 percent of 
funds appropriated for each fiscal year for haz-
ardous fuels management and post-fire activities in 
the account for wildland fire management of the De-
partment of the Interior for activities described in 
subsection (b). 
(b) DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES.—The activities re-
ferred to in subsection (a) are— 
(1) with respect to prescribed fires on Federal 
land, or on non-Federal land if the Secretary con-
cerned determines that such activities would benefit 
resources on Federal land— 
(A) entering into procurement contracts or 
cooperative agreements for prescribed fire ac-
tivities; 
(B) issuing grants to a State, Tribal gov-
ernment, local government, prescribed fire 
council, prescribed burn association, or non-
profit organization for the implementation of 
prescribed fires, including— 
(i) carrying out necessary environ-
mental reviews; 
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(ii) carrying out any site preparation 
necessary 
for 
implementing 
prescribed 
fires; and 
(iii) conducting any required pre-igni-
tion cultural or environmental surveys; and 
(C) conducting outreach to the public, In-
dian Tribes and beneficiaries, and adjacent 
landowners; 
(2) implementing prescribed fires on non-Fed-
eral land, if the Secretary concerned determines that 
the prescribed fire would benefit Federal land, in-
cluding— 
(A) carrying out necessary environmental 
reviews; 
(B) carrying out any site preparation nec-
essary for implementing prescribed fires; and 
(C) conducting any required pre-ignition 
cultural and environmental surveys; 
(3) providing to Federal employees and co-
operators training for prescribed fire and basic 
smoke management practices; 
(4) conducting post-prescribed fire activities, 
such as monitoring for hazard trees or reignitions 
and invasive species management; 
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(5) providing technical or financial assistance to 
a State, Tribal government, local government, pre-
scribed fire council, prescribed burn association, or 
nonprofit organization for the purpose of providing 
training for prescribed fire or basic smoke manage-
ment practices, consistent with any standards devel-
oped by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group 
or State prescribed fire standards; and 
(6) providing funding for the applicable Col-
laborative Prescribed Fire Program established 
under section 104. 
(c) PRIORITIZATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
the Secretary concerned shall coordinate with the 
other Secretary concerned, State and local govern-
ment agencies, Indian Tribes, and applicable non-
governmental 
organizations 
to 
establish 
prioritization criteria for expending amounts pursu-
ant to subsection (a) for activities described in para-
graphs (2), (5), and (6) of subsection (b). 
(2) REQUIREMENT.—In establishing criteria 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall 
give priority to a project that is— 
(A) implemented across a large contiguous 
area; 
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(B) cross-boundary in nature; 
(C) in an area that is— 
(i) within or adjacent to the wildland- 
urban interface and identified as a priority 
area in a statewide forest action plan or 
Community Wildfire Protection Plan; or 
(ii) identified as important to the pro-
tection of a Tribal trust resource or the re-
served or treaty rights of an Indian Tribe; 
(D) on land that is at high or very high 
risk of experiencing a wildfire that would be dif-
ficult to suppress; 
(E) in an area that is designated as critical 
habitat and in need of ecological restoration or 
enhancement that can be achieved with the aid 
of prescribed fire; or 
(F) supportive of potential operational de-
lineations or strategic response zones. 
SEC. 103. POLICIES AND PRACTICES. 
(a) INCREASING PRESCRIBED FIRE.—Beginning with 
the first fiscal year that begins after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and for each of the 9 fiscal years thereafter, 
the Secretaries shall conduct prescribed fires on Federal 
land such that the total acreage of Federal land on which 
prescribed fires are conducted is 10 percent greater than 
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the total acreage of all Federal land on which prescribed 
fires were conducted during the preceding fiscal year. 
(b) OPERATIONAL STRATEGY.—The Secretary con-
cerned shall develop, in coordination with State, local, and 
Tribal governments, a prescribed fire operational strategy 
for each region of the National Forest System or the De-
partment of the Interior, as applicable, that describes— 
(1) the fire deficit by region; and 
(2) staffing and funding needs to address the 
fire deficit under paragraph (1). 
SEC. 104. COLLABORATIVE PRESCRIBED FIRE PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary concerned, in co-
ordination with the other Secretary concerned, shall estab-
lish a Collaborative Prescribed Fire Program (referred to 
in this section as the ‘‘program’’) to select and fund pre-
scribed fire projects (each of which is referred to in this 
section as a ‘‘project’’) in accordance with— 
(1) the prioritization criteria established under 
section 102(c); 
(2) the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); 
(3) the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); 
(4) the applicable land use or land management 
plan; and 
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(5) any other applicable law. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.—To be eligible for nomi-
nation under subsection (c), a proposal for a project 
shall— 
(1) be consistent with a landscape restoration 
strategy— 
(A) that is complete or substantially com-
plete; 
(B) that identifies and prioritizes pre-
scribed fire treatments for a 10-year period 
within a landscape that is— 
(i) not less than 50,000 acres; 
(ii) composed primarily of forested 
Federal land under the jurisdiction of the 
Secretary concerned, but may also include 
other Federal, State, Tribal, or private 
land, if a treatment on that land would 
benefit the applicable Federal land; and 
(iii) in need of— 
(I) active ecosystem restoration; 
or 
(II) maintenance activities to re-
tain previously treated land in a wild-
fire-resilient state; 
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(C) that incorporates the best available 
science and scientific application tools to iden-
tify project areas; 
(D) that fully maintains, or contributes to-
ward the restoration of, the structure and com-
position of old growth stands according to the 
pre-fire suppression old growth conditions char-
acteristic of the forest type— 
(i) taking into account the contribu-
tion of the stand to landscape fire adapta-
tion and watershed health; and 
(ii) retaining the large trees contrib-
uting to old growth structure; 
(E) under which would be carried out any 
forest restoration treatments that reduce haz-
ardous fuels through the use of fire for ecologi-
cal restoration and maintenance and reestab-
lishing natural fire regimes, where appropriate, 
which— 
(i) may include site preparation, if 
necessary to prepare the landscape for re-
establishment of a natural fire regime; and 
(ii) shall maximize the retention of 
large trees, as appropriate for the forest 
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type, to the extent that the trees promote 
fire-resilient stands; and 
(F) under which— 
(i) no permanent roads would be es-
tablished; and 
(ii) funding would be committed to de-
commission all temporary roads con-
structed to carry out the strategy; 
(2) be developed and implemented through a 
collaborative process that— 
(A) includes multiple interested persons 
representing diverse interests; and 
(B) is transparent and nonexclusive; 
(3) describe plans, as applicable— 
(A) to reduce the risk of uncharacteristic 
wildfire; 
(B) to improve fish and wildlife habitat, in-
cluding for endangered, threatened, and sen-
sitive species; 
(C) to maintain or improve water quality 
and watershed function; 
(D) to prevent, remediate, or control inva-
sions of exotic species; 
(E) to maintain, decommission, and reha-
bilitate roads and trails; 
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(F) to report annually on performance, in-
cluding setting accomplishment targets for each 
year; 
(G) to take into account any applicable 
community wildfire protection plan; and 
(H) to mitigate smoke impacts on nearby 
communities; 
(4) include an analysis of any anticipated cost 
savings, including savings resulting from— 
(A) a reduced risk of wildfire damages, es-
pecially to high-value resources; and 
(B) a decrease in the unit costs of imple-
menting ecological restoration treatments over 
time; 
(5) include estimates of— 
(A) the amount of annual Federal funding 
necessary to implement the proposed project; 
and 
(B) the amount of new non-Federal invest-
ment for carrying out the proposed project that 
would be leveraged; 
(6) describe the collaborative process described 
in paragraph (2) through which the proposal was de-
veloped, including a description of— 
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(A) participation by, or consultation with, 
State, local, and Tribal governments; and 
(B) any established record of successful 
collaborative planning and implementation of 
prescribed fire projects on National Forest Sys-
tem land and other land included in the pro-
posal by the collaborators; 
(7) propose to benefit local economies by pro-
viding local employment or training opportunities 
through contracts, grants, or agreements for plan-
ning, design, implementation, or monitoring with— 
(A) local private, nonprofit, or cooperative 
entities; 
(B) Youth Conservation Corps crews or re-
lated partnerships with State, local, and non-
profit youth groups; 
(C) existing or proposed small or micro 
businesses, clusters, or incubators; or 
(D) other entities that will hire or train 
local individuals to complete those contracts, 
grants, or agreements; and 
(8) be subject to any other requirements that 
the Secretary concerned determines to be necessary 
for the efficient and effective administration of the 
program. 
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(c) NOMINATION PROCESS.— 
(1) SUBMISSION.—A proposal for a project 
shall be submitted to the appropriate Regional For-
ester, State Director, or other similar official. 
(2) NOMINATION.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—An official described in 
paragraph (1) may nominate for selection by 
the Secretary concerned any proposals received 
by the official under that paragraph that meet 
the eligibility criteria described in subsection 
(b). 
(B) CONCURRENCE.—In the case of a pro-
posal for a project that involves activities on the 
land of both Secretaries concerned, a nomina-
tion under subparagraph (A) shall include the 
concurrence of the appropriate official for the 
applicable land that is not under the jurisdic-
tion of the official nominating the proposal. 
(3) OTHER LAND.—In the case of a proposal 
for a project that involves activities on land that is 
not under the jurisdiction of either Secretary con-
cerned, a nomination under subparagraph (A) shall 
include evidence that the landowner intends to par-
ticipate in, and provide appropriate funding to carry 
out, the activities. 
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(d) SELECTION PROCESS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary concerned, in 
consultation with the other Secretary concerned, 
shall 
select 
for 
implementation 
proposals 
for 
projects— 
(A) that have been nominated under sub-
section (c)(2); 
(B) that meet the eligibility criteria de-
scribed in subsection (b); and 
(C) in accordance with the prioritization 
criteria established under section 102(c). 
(2) CRITERIA.—In selecting proposals under 
paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall give 
special consideration to— 
(A) the strength of the proposal, including 
the landscape restoration strategy described in 
subsection (b)(1) of the proposal; 
(B) the strength of the ecological case of 
the proposal and the proposed ecological res-
toration strategies under the proposal; 
(C) the strength of the collaborative proc-
ess described in subsection (b)(2) through 
which the proposal was developed and the likeli-
hood of successful collaboration throughout im-
plementation; 
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