This bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Chief of the Forest Service, to complete a study within 1 year on how well wildfire mitigation methods reduce wildfire risk and damage in shrubland ecosystems. Covered ecosystems named in the bill include chaparral, coastal sage scrub, sagebrush, shrub‑steppe, xeric shrubland, and other dryland shrub ecosystems.
The study must evaluate: (A) hazardous fuels management such as fuel modification and strategic fuel breaks, and practices to maintain native ecosystem health (for example, reducing invasive weeds and improving native shrub resprouting); (B) Forest Service policies and protocols for limiting unintentional ember ignitions from the public or man-made structures, including electrical infrastructure; (C) the weather, seasonality, and topography conditions under which each mitigation method is most and least effective; (D) administrative, operational, and budgetary factors that limit managers and firefighters from implementing these methods; and (E) the effectiveness of partnerships with non-Federal entities in reducing vulnerability of homes, roadways, and other high-risk structures.
The Secretary must coordinate with Forest Service programs and other federal agencies, may consult non-Federal experts, and must submit a public report to specified congressional committees within 90 days after completing the study. The report must summarize results, identify best practices and research gaps, compare Forest Service policies to identified best practices, and evaluate opportunities to improve coordination with non-Federal partners.
If you live in or near the listed shrubland ecosystems, this bill directs a study that may identify practices and partnerships that could reduce wildfire risk to communities and structures. The bill itself does not authorize or require specific projects or rule changes; it only requires a study and a public report. Any future actions would depend on the study's findings and later decisions.
No publicly available information.
The bill directs the Forest Service to evaluate and report on the effectiveness and limits of wildfire mitigation methods in shrubland ecosystems, and to identify best practices and coordination opportunities. Sponsors introduced the bill to produce evidence and guidance for managing wildfire risks in these ecosystems.
No publicly available information.