Plain Language Summary
# TORCH Act Summary **What It Does:** The TORCH Act would speed up forest management projects on federal lands by reducing environmental review requirements. Specifically, it would allow the Forest Service to quickly remove "high-priority hazard trees" (dead or dying trees that pose fire or safety risks) without conducting lengthy environmental impact assessments. The bill also would allow the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to skip re-consulting with the Fish and Wildlife Service on certain projects, streamlining the approval process. **Who It Affects:** This bill primarily affects federal forest management agencies and communities in areas with federal forests.
It could impact environmental groups concerned about habitat protection, timber companies that manage forests, and residents in wildfire-prone regions. Western states like California (the bill's sponsor's home state) would likely see the most direct effects. **Current Status:** The bill is currently in committee in the House of Representatives and has not yet been voted on. It reflects an ongoing debate between those who prioritize faster forest management to reduce wildfire risks and those who want to maintain environmental protections and species consultations before federal land activities are approved.
CRS Official Summary
Targeted Operations to Remove Catastrophic Hazards Act or the TORCH ActThis bill establishes requirements concerning forest management on federal land, including provisions to expedite the approval of forest management activities.Specifically, it expands exclusions from environmental review requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for certain forest management activities, including by directing the Forest Service to develop a categorical exclusion for forest management activities that mitigate the risks associated with high-priority hazard trees. A categorical exclusion is a class of actions that a federal agency has determined do not significantly affect the quality of the human environment and, thus, do not require an environmental assessment nor an environmental impact statement.The bill also exempts the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management from the requirement to reinitiate consultation with the Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 on an approved, amended, or revised land management plan when (1) a new species is listed or critical habitat is designated, or (2) new information reveals that the land management plan may affect a listed species or critical habitat in a manner or to an extent not previously considered.It also creates and modifies requirements related to vegetation management practices and forest management activities, such as activities to reduce wildfire risks. For example, the bill modifies the treatment of certain revenue under good neighbor agreements, which allow federal agencies to partner with state and local governments to carry out certain restoration services.
Latest Action
Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.