Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025
Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025
Plain Language Summary
# Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025 – Summary **What It Would Do:** This bill would authorize the Department of the Interior to establish a program for replanting and restoring forests on federal lands after disasters like wildfires or floods. The bill recognizes that some damaged forests won't naturally recover on their own and need active assistance. The program would identify which federal lands need help, prioritize restoration projects each year, and use grants, contracts, and partnerships to replant trees and restore ecosystems. It also ensures funding for obtaining quality seeds and seedlings needed for replanting efforts. **Who It Affects:** The bill focuses on federal and tribal lands managed by agencies like the National Park Service, U.S.
Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and others. This would potentially benefit communities near federal forests, as restoration efforts can help prevent erosion, protect watersheds, and restore wildlife habitat. Taxpayers would fund the program, and contractors or nonprofits involved in restoration work could see new business opportunities. **Current Status:** The bill was introduced by Representative Brittany Pettersen (D-CO) and is currently in committee, meaning it hasn't yet been debated or voted on by the full House of Representatives.
CRS Official Summary
Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025This bill directs the Department of the Interior to carry out a program for post-disaster reforestation and restoration. Interior must identify covered lands requiring reforestation and restoration following unplanned disturbances that are unlikely to experience natural regeneration without assistance. Covered land means (1) any federal land or interest in land administered by the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Forest Service, or the Bureau of Indian Affairs; and (2) any Indian Forest Land or Rangeland.Interior must propose a list that prioritizes projects for reforestation and restoration for each fiscal year. Interior may (1) carry out priority projects through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements; and (2) support any grant contract or cooperative agreement that may be necessary to ensure adequate and appropriate seed and seedling availability to further the objectives of priority projects.
Latest Action
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 232.