S. 2015
National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025
Sponsor: Ron Wyden
5 cosponsors
Official summary
Written by the Congressional Research Service.
National Prescribed Fire Act of 2025
This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior to increase the number and size of prescribed fires conducted on federal lands.
For 10 years, Interior and USDA must annually conduct prescribed fires on federal land so that the total acreage where prescribed fires are conducted is 10% greater than the previous fiscal year.
Interior and USDA must establish a collaborative prescribed fire program to provide financial assistance to eligible entities to conduct prescribed fires in priority landscapes.
Interior and USDA may enter into cooperative agreements or contracts with states, Indian tribes, counties, municipal governments, fire districts, nongovernmental organizations, or private entities to coordinate prescribed fires on federal land.
Interior and USDA must expand employment opportunities for prescribed fire practitioners, including by expanding hazard pay, supporting underrepresented groups, and establishing additional training centers.
To address the public health and safety risk of the expanded use of prescribed fire, the Environmental Protection Agency must coordinate with state, tribal, and local air quality agencies to support the environmental review of wildland fires.
Text of the bill
I Use of funds
II Facilitating implementation and outreach
III Reporting
Where this section came from
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Jun 10, 2025 · Introduced in Senate Referred to Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Jun 10, 2025
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Sep 17, 2026 · Reported to Senate Marked up by Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Dec 17, 2025 Reported by Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Sep 17 Committee members' individual votes aren't in our records.
… 5 unchanged passages …
(A) land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary , acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management ; and
(B) National Forest System land.
(3) Landscape-scale prescribed fire plan. The term landscape-scale prescribed fire plan means a
decision
plan
document
required for the application of prescribed fire that— (A) is
prepared
pursuant
by
to
qualified personnel; (B) is approved by
the
Secretary concerned; (C) includes criteria under which the prescribed fire will be conducted; (D) is prepared in accordance with the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq
.)
.);
that—
(
A
E
) covers a unit of the National Forest System, a Bureau of Land Management district, or a subunit of such a unit or district; (
B
F
) analyzes the site-specific environmental consequences
and benefits
of prescribed fire on land described in subparagraph (
A
E
); and (
C
G
) obviates the need for subsequent decisions pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) with respect to the unit, district, or subunit described in subparagraph (
A
E
).
… 3 unchanged passages …
(5) Prescribed fire.
(A) In general.
The term prescribed fire means a
fire deliberately ignited to burn
wildland
fuels
fire
in
originating from
a
natural
planned
or
ignition,
modified
other
state—
than
(A)
suppression
under
firing,
specified
in
environmental
accordance
conditions
with
that
applicable
are
laws,
intended
policies,
to
and
allow
regulations
the fire
to
be
meet
confined
specific
to
objectives.
a
(B)
predetermined
Exclusion.
area
The
and
term
produce
prescribed
the
fire
fireline
does
intensity
not
and
include
rate
a
of
fire
spread
that
required
is
to
ignited
attain
for
planned
the
resource
primary
management
purpose
objectives;
of
and
pile
(B) in accordance with applicable law (including regulations).
burning.
… 5 unchanged passages …
(A) the Secretary, in the case of land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary
;
, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (or a designee);
and (B) the Secretary of Agriculture, in the case of land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture
.
, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service (or a designee).
What is a markup?
A markup is a committee meeting where members go through a bill and vote on changes before sending it to the full chamber.
In this Act:
(1) Congressional committees. The term congressional committees means—
(A) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
(B) the Committee on Natural Resources, the Committee on Agriculture, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
(2) Federal land. The term Federal land means—
(A) land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management; and
(B) National Forest System land.
(3) Landscape-scale prescribed fire plan. The term landscape-scale prescribed fire plan means a plan required for the application of prescribed fire that—
(A) is prepared by qualified personnel;
(B) is approved by the Secretary concerned;
(C) includes criteria under which the prescribed fire will be conducted;
(D) is prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.);
(E) covers a unit of the National Forest System, a Bureau of Land Management district, or a subunit of such a unit or district;
(F) analyzes the site-specific environmental consequences and benefits of prescribed fire on land described in subparagraph (E); and
(G) obviates the need for subsequent decisions pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) with respect to the unit, district, or subunit described in subparagraph (E).
(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 administered under title III of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.).
(5) Prescribed fire
(A) In general. The term prescribed fire means a wildland fire originating from a planned ignition, other than suppression firing, in accordance with applicable laws, policies, and regulations to meet specific objectives.
(B) Exclusion. The term prescribed fire does not include a fire that is ignited for the primary purpose of pile burning.
(6) Secretaries. The term Secretaries means—
(A) the Secretary; and
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture.
(7) Secretary. The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior.
(8) Secretary concerned. The term Secretary concerned means—
(A) the Secretary, in the case of land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management (or a designee); and
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture, in the case of land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service (or a designee).
I Use of funds
II Facilitating implementation and outreach
III Reporting; other matters