Sheehy, Western Senators Introduce Bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act

U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy (R – Mont.) today joined U.S. Senators John Curtis (R – Utah), John Hickenlooper (D – Colo.), and Alex Padilla (D – Calif.) to introduce the Fix Our Forests Act, bipartisan legislation to combat catastrophic wildfire risk, improve forest management, and secure a stronger economy, safer communities, and healthier, more resilient forests.

“Better stewarding our forests is something we can all agree on, regardless of party, because it helps secure a stronger economy, more resilient, healthy forests, and safer communities,” said Senator Sheehy. “I’m proud to join my colleagues on this important legislation to support those on the frontlines protecting communities from catastrophic wildfire, better manage our forests, create more good-paying jobs, and unleash our resource economy.”

“Utah and the American West are on the front lines of a growing wildfire crisis—and the longer we wait, the more acres will burn, and more families will be impacted,” said Senator Curtis. “After months of bipartisan cooperation and consensus-building, my colleagues and I are introducing comprehensive legislation to support forest health, accelerate restoration, and equip local leaders—from fire chiefs to mayors—with the tools and data they need to protect lives, property, and landscapes. I’m proud of this bill and look forward to receiving additional input from my colleagues as it advances through Committee and the full Senate.”

“The growing wildfire crisis threatens our Colorado communities,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “We need to act NOW with the speed required to mitigate wildfires and make our homes and businesses more resilient to these disasters, and to put in place protections for our communities and the environment.”

“As increasingly frequent and catastrophic wildfires in California make clear, we need durable solutions to confront the growing impacts of the wildfire crisis,” said Senator Padilla. “This bill represents a strong, bipartisan step forward, not just in reducing wildfire risk in and around our national forests, but in protecting urban areas and our efforts to reduce climate emissions. It prioritizes building fire-resilient communities, accelerating the removal of hazardous fuels, and strengthening coordination across federal, state, and tribal agencies, including through the creation of the first-ever National Wildfire Intelligence Center. I look forward to continuing to advance forward-thinking, practical solutions to protect our communities from devastating wildfires—and that includes pushing for sustained funding and staffing for our federal land management agencies to ensure they have the tools to get this critical work done.”

Background:
Nationwide, total acres burned rose from 2.7 million in 2023 to nearly 9 million in 2024, a 231% increase.

The Fix Our Forests Act would:

• Establish new and updated programs to reduce wildfire risks across large, high-priority “firesheds,” with an emphasis on cross-boundary collaboration.
• Streamline and expand tools for forest health projects (e.g., stewardship contracting, Good Neighbor Agreements) and provide faster processes for certain hazardous fuels treatments.
• Create a single interagency program to help communities in the wildland-urban interface build and retrofit with wildfire-resistant measures, while simplifying and consolidating grant applications.
• Expand research and demonstration initiatives—including biochar projects and the Community Wildfire Defense Research Program—to test and deploy cutting-edge wildfire prevention, detection, and mitigation technologies.
• Strengthen coordination efforts across agencies through a new Wildfire Intelligence Center, which would streamline federal response and create a whole-of-government approach to combating wildfires.
• Improve reforestation, seedling supply, and nursery capacity; establish new programs for white oak restoration; and clarify policies to reduce wildfire-related litigation and expedite forest health treatments.

A version of the Fix Our Forests Act was originally introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressmen Bruce Westerman (R – Ark.) and Scott Peters (D – Calif).

The full text of the bill can be found here, a one-pager can be found here, and a section-by-section can be found here.

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