I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2709 
To improve the health and resiliency of giant sequoias, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 8, 2025 
Mr. FONG (for himself, Mr. PETERS, Mr. COSTA, Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. WEB-
STER of Florida, Mr. PANETTA, Mr. NEWHOUSE, Mr. GARAMENDI, Mr. 
VALADAO, Mr. BISHOP, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. CORREA, Mrs. KIM, Mr. 
RUTHERFORD, Mr. HARDER of California, Mr. OBERNOLTE, Mr. GOLD-
EN of Maine, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, Mr. VARGAS, Mr. KILEY of California, 
Mr. BERA, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. HORSFORD, Mr. ISSA, Mr. BENTZ, Mr. 
FULCHER, Mr. MOORE of Utah, and Ms. LEE of Nevada) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, 
and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To improve the health and resiliency of giant sequoias, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Save Our Sequoias Act’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.— 
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Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
Sec. 3. Shared stewardship agreement for giant sequoias. 
Sec. 4. Giant sequoia lands coalition. 
Sec. 5. Giant sequoia health and resiliency assessment. 
Sec. 6. Giant sequoia emergency response. 
Sec. 7. Giant sequoia reforestation and rehabilitation strategy. 
Sec. 8. Giant sequoia strike teams. 
Sec. 9. Giant sequoia collaborative restoration grants. 
Sec. 10. Good neighbor authority for giant sequoias. 
Sec. 11. Stewardship contracting for giant sequoias. 
Sec. 12. Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection Program and Fund. 
Sec. 13. Authorization of appropriations. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ASSESSMENT.—The term ‘‘Assessment’’ 
means the Giant Sequoia Health and Resiliency As-
sessment required by section 5. 
(2) COALITION.—The term ‘‘Coalition’’ means 
the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition codified under 
section 4(a). 
(3) COLLABORATIVE PROCESS.—The term ‘‘col-
laborative process’’ means a process relating to the 
management of covered National Forest system 
lands or covered public lands by which a project or 
forest management activity is developed and imple-
mented by the Secretary concerned through collabo-
ration with multiple interested persons representing 
diverse interests. 
(4) COVERED
NATIONAL
FOREST
SYSTEM 
LANDS.—The term ‘‘covered National Forest System 
lands’’ means the proclaimed National Forest Sys-
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tem lands reserved or withdrawn from the public do-
main of the United States covering the Sequoia Na-
tional Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monu-
ment, Sierra National Forest, and Tahoe National 
Forest. 
(5) COVERED PUBLIC LANDS.—The term ‘‘cov-
ered public lands’’ means— 
(A) the Case Mountain Extensive Recre-
ation Management Area in California managed 
by the Bureau of Land Management; and 
(B) Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia 
National Park, and Yosemite National Park in 
California managed by the National Park Serv-
ice. 
(6) GIANT
SEQUOIA.—The term ‘‘giant se-
quoia’’ means a tree of the species Sequoiadendron 
giganteum. 
(7) GROVE-SPECIFIC
HAZARDOUS
FUELS
RE-
DUCTION
PLAN.—The term ‘‘grove-specific haz-
ardous fuels reduction plan’’ means a plan developed 
by the applicable land management agency prior to 
conducting an analysis under the National Environ-
mental Policy Act (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) to ad-
dress hazardous fuels in 1 or more giant sequoia 
groves. 
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(8) PROTECTION PROJECT.—The term ‘‘Protec-
tion Project’’ means a Giant Sequoia Protection 
Project carried out under section 6. 
(9) REFORESTATION.—The term ‘‘reforest-
ation’’ means the act of renewing tree cover, taking 
into consideration species composition and resilience, 
by establishing young trees through natural regen-
eration, artificial or natural regeneration with site 
preparation, planting or direct seeding, or vegetation 
competition control following artificial or natural re-
generation. 
(10) REHABILITATION.—The term ‘‘rehabilita-
tion’’ means any action taken during the 5-year pe-
riod beginning on the last day of a wildland fire to 
repair or improve fire-impacted lands which are un-
likely to recover to management-approved conditions. 
(11) 
RELEVANT
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘relevant Congressional Commit-
tees’’ means— 
(A) the Committees on Natural Resources, 
Agriculture, and Appropriations of the House of 
Representatives; and 
(B) the Committees on Energy and Nat-
ural Resources, Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry, and Appropriations of the Senate. 
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(12) RESPONSIBLE OFFICIAL.—The term ‘‘re-
sponsible official’’ means an employee of the Depart-
ment of the Interior or Forest Service who has the 
authority to make and implement a decision on a 
proposed action. 
(13) 
SECRETARY.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary’’ 
means the Secretary of the Interior. 
(14) 
SECRETARY
CONCERNED.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary concerned’’ means— 
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with re-
spect to covered National Forest System lands, 
or their designee; and 
(B) the Secretary of the Interior, with re-
spect to covered public lands, or their designee. 
(15) STRATEGY.—The term ‘‘Strategy’’ means 
the Giant Sequoia Reforestation and Rehabilitation 
Strategy established under section 7. 
(16) STRIKE TEAM.—The term ‘‘Strike Team’’ 
means a Giant Sequoia Strike Team established 
under section 8. 
(17) TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Tribe’’ means the 
Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River Reserva-
tion, California. 
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SEC. 3. SHARED STEWARDSHIP AGREEMENT FOR GIANT SE-
QUOIAS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after re-
ceiving a request from the Governor of the State of Cali-
fornia or the Tribe, the Secretary shall enter into or ex-
pand an existing shared stewardship agreement or enter 
into a similar agreement with the Secretary of Agriculture, 
the Governor of the State of California, and the Tribe to 
jointly carry out the short-term and long-term manage-
ment and conservation of giant sequoias. 
(b) PARTICIPATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—If the Secretary has not re-
ceived a request from the Governor of the State of 
California or the Tribe under subsection (a) before 
the date that is 90 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary shall enter into the agree-
ment under subsection (a) and jointly implement 
such agreement with the Secretary of Agriculture. 
(2) FUTURE PARTICIPATION.—If the Secretary 
receives a request from the Governor of the State of 
California or the Tribe any time after entering into 
the agreement with the Secretary of Agriculture 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall accept the 
Governor of the State of California or the Tribe as 
a party to such agreement. 
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SEC. 4. GIANT SEQUOIA LANDS COALITION. 
(a) CODIFICATION.—The Coalition is the entity es-
tablished under the charter titled ‘‘Giant Sequoia Lands 
Coalition Charter’’ (or successor charter) signed during 
the period beginning June 2, 2022 and ending August 2, 
2022 by each of the following: 
(1) The National Park Service, representing Se-
quoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. 
(2) The National Park Service, representing 
Yosemite National Park. 
(3) The Forest Service, representing Sequoia 
National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monu-
ment. 
(4) The Forest Service, representing Sierra Na-
tional Forest. 
(5) The Forest Service, representing Tahoe Na-
tional Forest. 
(6) The Bureau of Land Management, rep-
resenting Case Mountain Extensive Recreation Man-
agement Area. 
(7) The Tribe, representing the Tule River In-
dian Reservation. 
(8) The State of California, representing 
Calaveras Big Trees State Park. 
(9) The State of California, representing Moun-
tain Home Demonstration State Forest. 
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(10) The University of California, Berkeley, 
representing Whitaker’s Research Forest. 
(11) The County of Tulare, California, rep-
resenting Balch Park. 
(b) DUTIES.—In addition to the duties specified in 
the charter referenced in subsection (a), the Coalition 
shall— 
(1) produce the Assessment under section 5; 
(2) observe implementation, and provide policy 
recommendations to the Secretary concerned, with 
respect to— 
(A) Protection Projects carried out under 
section 6; and 
(B) the Strategy established under section 
7; 
(3) facilitate collaboration and coordination on 
Protection Projects, particularly projects that cross 
jurisdictional boundaries; 
(4) facilitate information sharing, including best 
available science as described in section 5(c) and 
mapping resources; and 
(5) support the development and dissemination 
of educational materials and programs that inform 
the public about the threats to the health and resil-
iency of giant sequoia groves and actions being 
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taken to reduce the risk to such groves from high- 
severity wildfire, insects, and drought. 
(c) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, TECHNICAL SERV-
ICES, AND STAFF SUPPORT.—The Secretary shall make 
personnel of the Department of the Interior available to 
the Coalition for administrative support, technical serv-
ices, development and dissemination of educational mate-
rials, and staff support that the Secretary determines nec-
essary to carry out this section. 
SEC. 5. GIANT SEQUOIA HEALTH AND RESILIENCY ASSESS-
MENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Coalition shall sub-
mit to the relevant Congressional Committees a Giant Se-
quoia Health and Resiliency Assessment that, based on 
the best available science— 
(1) identifies— 
(A) each giant sequoia grove that has ex-
perienced a— 
(i) stand-replacing disturbance; or 
(ii) disturbance but continues to have 
living giant sequoias within the grove, in-
cluding identifying the tree mortality and 
regeneration of giant sequoias within such 
grove; 
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(B) each giant sequoia grove that is at 
high risk of experiencing a stand-replacing dis-
turbance; 
(C) lands located near giant sequoia groves 
that are at risk of experiencing high-severity 
wildfires that could adversely impact such giant 
sequoia groves; and 
(D) each giant sequoia grove that has ex-
perienced a disturbance and is unlikely to natu-
rally regenerate and is in need of reforestation; 
(2) analyzes the resiliency of each giant sequoia 
grove to threats, such as— 
(A) high-severity wildfire; 
(B) insects, including beetle kill; and 
(C) drought; 
(3) with respect to Protection Projects, pro-
poses a list of highest priority Protection Projects to 
be carried out under section 6, giving priority to 
projects located on lands identified under subpara-
graphs (B) and (C) of subsection (a)(1); 
(4) examines how historical, Tribal, or current 
approaches to wildland fire suppression and forest 
management activities across various jurisdictions 
have impacted the health and resiliency of giant se-
quoia groves with respect to— 
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