Legislative Hearing | Federal Lands Subcommittee

Federal Lands

2025-06-10

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Source: Congress.gov

Summary

The Subcommittee on Federal Lands convened to deliberate on four legislative proposals concerning national forest health and the ongoing wildfire crisis . The bills under consideration included H.R. 1045, the Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act; H.R. 1655, the Wildfire Communications Resiliency Act; H.R. 3187, a federal property conveyance bill; and H.R. 3444, the Tribal Self-Determination and Co-Management in Forestry Act . The discussion aimed to advance solutions to restore forest health, streamline bureaucratic processes, and prevent catastrophic wildfires across the United States .

Themes

Wildfire Research and Prevention

The meeting highlighted H.R. 1045, the Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act of 2025, sponsored by Representative Kennedy, which proposes establishing a new Southwest Ecological Restoration Institute in Utah . This institute aims to advance cutting-edge research to achieve tangible results in wildfire prevention and keep Utahns safe, as Utah is currently the only Four Corners state without such an entity despite its high fire risk . However, concerns were raised about the Forest Service's proposed 55% funding cut to the existing Southwest Ecological Restoration Institute (SWERI) network, which could undermine both new and established institutes . It was emphasized that research is a fundamental component of wildfire response, essential for community safety, forest health, and resilience to climate change, thus requiring sustained funding . The Utah State Legislature has already authorized and provided startup funding for an institute, recognizing the need for localized research given Utah's unique forest and woodland ecosystems [ 00:54:25 ]

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Wildfire Communications Resiliency

Representative Bentz's H.R. 1655, the Wildfire Communications Resiliency Act, was discussed as a solution to streamline the repair and rebuilding of communication facilities on federal lands after wildfire damage . The current lengthy permitting processes often cause unacceptable delays for millions of Americans relying on these services . The bill seeks to allow rapid rebuilding without duplicative environmental reviews for facilities that have already undergone initial analysis [ 00:35:06 ] . While the Forest Service supports expediting approvals, concerns were noted regarding the waiver of environmental reviews [ 00:39:45 ]

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. Witnesses underscored that these delays significantly impact communities, as the lack of essential communication infrastructure can hinder rebuilding efforts and discourage residents from returning to affected areas for years .

Tribal Self-Determination and Co-Management in Forestry

Ranking Member Huffman introduced H.R. 3444, the Tribal Self-Determination and Co-Management in Forestry Act, aimed at making tribes full partners in managing fire-prone forests [ 00:32:18 ] . This legislation proposes new tools for partnerships between tribal nations and federal agencies, moving beyond consultation toward shared governance that integrates cultural burns and indigenous knowledge into land management . The bill draws on recommendations from the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission and previous tribal consultations by the USDA and Forest Service . While the Forest Service supports shared stewardship, it expressed reservations about the bill's use of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act Title I, the definition of "management decisions," and the agency's potential role as an arbiter of conflicting tribal interests . A tribal representative emphasized the importance of carefully crafting the legislation to avoid diminishing tribal sovereignty and ensure federal respect for indigenous practices .

Federal Property Conveyance

The subcommittee also considered H.R. 3187 by Representative Hill, which facilitates the transfer of a vacant Forest Service building in Perryville, Arkansas, to the local community . This initiative would enable the building to serve as an education and community outreach center, benefiting a rural county with limited resources and a high poverty rate, while also reducing the burden on federal taxpayers [ 00:35:45 ] . The building is currently in significant disrepair, including a leaking roof resulting from a poorly managed federal contract, and the county cannot afford to purchase it at its appraised value and undertake necessary repairs . The Forest Service supports this conveyance due to its local benefits .

Tone of the Meeting

The meeting reflected a generally collaborative and bipartisan spirit regarding the urgency of addressing the wildfire crisis and the need for common-sense solutions [ 00:37:37 ]

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. However, significant tension emerged during discussions about proposed budget cuts to the Forest Service by the Trump administration . Ranking Member Huffman and others expressed strong criticism, highlighting concerns that proposed eliminations of wildfire research and tribal forestry programs would severely hinder the agency's ability to perform its duties and undermine bipartisan investments . The Deputy Chief of the Forest Service acknowledged the "dynamic tension" between legislative and executive branches and between authorizers and appropriators, especially concerning budget and resources . The Chairman concluded by emphasizing the need for fundamental changes in natural resource management, including increased foresters, expedited NEPA processes, and investment in domestic industry to rebuild American manufacturing and control wildfires .

Participants

Transcript

The subcommittee on federal lands will come to order.  Without objection, the chair is authorized to declare a recess of the subcommittee at any time.  The subcommittee is meeting today to consider four bills.  H.R.
1045 by Representative Kennedy, Utah Wildlife Wildfire Research Institute Act of 2025.
H.R.
1655 sponsored by Representative Bentz, the Wildfire Communications Resiliency Act.
M
Mr. Bill Tripp
HR 3187, Representative Hill.
HR 3444, by Ranking Member Huffman, the Tribal Self-Determination and Co-Management in Forestry Act of 2025.
I ask unanimous consent that the following members be allowed to participate in today's hearing from the dais.  General Lady from Oregon, Ms.
Hoyle.
Without objection?  So ordered.  Under Committee Rule 4F, any oral opening statements at hearings are limited   the chairman and the ranking minority member.  I therefore ask unanimous consent that all other members' opening statements be made part of the hearing record if they are submitted in accordance with Committee Rule 3, parent O. Without objection, so ordered, I will now recognize myself for an opening statement.  Today, the Subcommittee on Federal Lands meets to consider four pieces of legislation that will address our nation's forest health and wildfire crisis.   Across the United States, more than 1.2 million acres have already burned this year.  As we enter the height of wildland fire activity over the next few months, it is critical we advance solutions that will restore forest health, cut red tape, and prevent catastrophic wildfires.  We simply cannot afford to wait.  That's why the House passed the Fix Our Forest Act earlier this year on a bipartisan basis.   The Senate Agriculture Committee has already held two hearings on FOFA, and I look forward to continuing to work with my bipartisan Senate counterparts to send this bill to the President's desk soon.  We cannot truly address the wildfire crisis unless we have the right data.
Representative Kennedy's Utah Wildfire Research Institute Act of 2025 would create a new Southwest Ecological Restoration Institute to help advance cutting edge research that can be applied on the ground to achieve true results.
In Utah, more than 190,000 people live in areas considered to be at high risk of fire.  Despite this, Utah is the only four corner state without a Southwest Ecological Restoration Institute.
Representative Kennedy's legislation resolves this issue, keeping Utahns safe and ensuring the state remains at the forefront of wildland fire research.
I'd also like to highlight Representative Bentz's Wildfire Communications Resiliency Act,
Across the country, there are tens of thousands of communications facilities at risk of wildland fire.  When those facilities are damaged or destroyed on federal lands, companies must undergo a lengthy permitting process for these facilities to be repaired or rebuilt.  For the millions of Americans that rely on fast, accessible communications infrastructure, these long wait times are unacceptable.
T
The Honorable Cliff Bentz
Representative Bentz's legislation is a common sense solution to this problem and would allow facilities damaged by wildfires to be rebuilt quickly without undergoing duplicative environmental reviews.
This is not an exemption from any type of environmental review.  In fact, in order to be built in the first place, these facilities must undergo extensive environmental analysis.   The mere fact that communications facilities are damaged during wildfires should not mean that they are forced to undertake the same duplicative processes that have already been completed.
M
Mr. Bill Tripp
In addition to this legislation, we will also consider legislation from Representative Hill to convey a vacant Forest Service building in Perryville, Arkansas to the local community so they can better utilize it as an education and community outreach center.
This thoughtful legislation is a win-win as it reduces the burden on the federal taxpayer   and helps advance President Trump's recent executive order on restoring common sense to federal office space management.  Finally, the Federal Land Subcommittee will continue its important work today elevating tribes as full partners in managing overgrown, fire-prone forests.
In our last hearing, we heard testimony on Representative Hurd's forests
Act, which provides several new tools to the Forest Service and Department of the Interior to expand tribal stewardship of federal forests.  I look forward to continuing that important discussion today.  I'd like to thank each of the sponsors of today's legislation for bringing forward these thoughtful proposals.  I also want to thank all the witnesses for being here today.   And I look forward to the insights that each of you will bring to this important discussion.  With that, I will yield back and recognize the ranking member, Mr. Neguse, for his opening statement.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you to all of our colleagues for joining us today for the hearing, and of course, our witnesses.  We're here to consider, as the chairman referenced, four very different bills focused on wildfire research, communications, infrastructure, tribal self-determination,
T
The Honorable Cliff Bentz
and a land conveyance.

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