S. 350 — Wildfire Emergency Act of 2025

This section defines terms for purposes of this title, including (1) "conservation finance agreement," meaning a mutual benefit agreement (excluding certain procurement contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements) for a conservation finance project with a term of not less than 2 and not more than 20 years that may be contingent on appropriations or collections and may include a cancellation payment; (2) "conservation finance project," meaning a project on National Forest System land (potentially including adjoining land) that protects, restores, or improves such land using debt financing from investors repaid by beneficiaries for ecological restoration treatments conducted (or previously conducted but no longer eligible due to time limits) under the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (16 U.S.C. 7303), water source investment partnerships (16 U.S.C. 6542(c)), or Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership Program (16 U.S.C. 6592d); and (3) related terms such as "conservation finance project beneficiary," "conservation finance project developer," "conservation finance project investor," "ecological integrity," "low-income community," "restoration," "Secretary" (i.e., Secretary of Agriculture), and "wildland-urban interface" (cross-referencing 16 U.S.C. 6511).

This section states the purpose of this title as increasing the pace and scale of forest restoration and land management projects across the National Forest System by (1) authorizing a pilot program with conservation finance agreement authority to leverage Federal and non-Federal investments beyond Forest Service appropriations for landscape-scale, multistakeholder activities, related infrastructure, and local employment; (2) encouraging project planning and analysis at a landscape level of 100,000 acres or more; (3) supporting projects that emphasize reintroducing characteristic fire using prescribed fire or managed wildfire, restoring areas lacking ecological integrity, or reducing uncharacteristic wildfire risk and improving resiliency; (4) requiring ecological standards and collaboration for such projects; and (5) coordinating with Federal, state, local, and Tribal entities using existing interagency agreements.

This section establishes a pilot program authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into conservation finance agreements with public or private entities, including for-profit and nonprofit organizations, to carry out conservation finance projects that reduce uncharacteristic wildfire risk through removal of small-diameter material or other hazardous fuels, subject to specified findings on funding availability, environmental analysis, alignment with section 102 purposes, and involvement of a conservation finance project developer. The pilot program is limited to 20 agreements, with aggregate obligations not exceeding $250 million over 10 years from enactment ($50 million maximum per agreement) and no reimbursement of interest costs; authority may not be delegated below the Secretary level; and priority is given to projects on landscapes of 100,000 acres or more. The section further specifies cancellation, termination, or modification procedures for insufficient funding—including payment of developer costs from available appropriations, staged obligations to cover potential costs, required cancellation provisions considering recurring and nonrecurring expenses, and advance congressional notice (with transmittal to OMB) for agreements with cancellation costs exceeding $25 million without budgeted funding.

This section directs the Secretary to submit to the House Committees on Natural Resources and Appropriations and the Senate Committees on Energy and Natural Resources and Appropriations, not later than four years after enactment, a report evaluating implementation of this title. The report must include (1) a list of conservation finance agreements entered into under this title and accomplishments of projects under those agreements; and (2) an evaluation of the pilot authority under section 103, including whether it increased non-Federal funding for landscape-scale forest restoration projects, promoted private or other non-Federal investment in infrastructure using restoration byproducts, expanded prescribed fire use, supported economic development and workforce training, enhanced natural infrastructure benefiting downstream water users, or mitigated uncharacteristic wildfire risk; and any barriers to broader implementation, including risks discouraging participation.

This section defines, for purposes of the section, a critical facility (i.e., a facility providing life-saving services, protecting public health and safety, or averting catastrophes, including hospitals, police stations, fire stations, utilities, schools, tribal facilities, and federal installations as determined by the Secretary of Energy) and directs the Secretary to establish a Critical Infrastructure and Microgrid Program. The program must (1) enhance energy resilience and efficiency of critical facilities through microgrids, renewables, reduced demand, and on-site storage; (2) provide technical assistance and share information on resilient electricity systems; and (3) disseminate consumer resources on resilience best practices. In implementing the program, the Secretary must ensure on-site backup power using renewables, low-carbon fuels, and storage; install interoperable technologies, advanced power flow controls, and related systems at the transmission and distribution level; and seek input from state regulators, electric utilities (as defined in the Federal Power Act), transmission organizations, local governments, and other stakeholders. This section authorizes $100 million to the Secretary for the program, to remain available until expended, with no more than 10% for administrative costs.

This section modifies the Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP)—which provides grants to states and localities to install energy efficiency and related improvements in low-income households' homes—(1) to expand the definition of weatherization materials to include materials resistant to high heat and fire; (2) to require owners of eligible dwelling units to use fire- and drought-resistant building materials, including mass timber, and to incorporate state-directed wildfire and drought prevention and mitigation planning; and (3) to increase the maximum average cost per dwelling from $6,500 to $13,000 (adjusted annually for inflation), to permit the Secretary of Energy to approve a higher average if necessary, and to double the maximum cost for certain dwellings from $3,000 to $6,000 (adjusted annually for inflation).

This section amends Title VI of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 by adding a new section 607 that directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior, to the extent practicable, to (1) expedite placement of wildfire detection equipment such as sensors and cameras in areas at risk of wildfire; (2) expand use of satellite and remote sensing data and mobile technologies to improve wildfire response, management, and firefighter safety through enhanced situational awareness; (3) expedite permitting for installation, maintenance, or removal of wildfire detection equipment; (4) review such permitting and procurement requirements in the context of modern and innovative technology; (5) support public disclosure of nonconfidential wildland fire data assets consistent with the OPEN Government Data Act to make the data discoverable, understandable, and actionable; and (6) utilize new and existing technologies to analyze wildland fire suppression performance and effectiveness. It also amends the Act's table of contents to reflect the new section.

This section directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to establish one or more centers at or in collaboration with institutions of higher education, located in states west of the 100th meridian, to train individuals in prescribed fire methods (i.e., controlled burns) and other wildfire risk mitigation techniques. The centers must advance nine specified goals, including (1) training and research on prescribed fire and restoration methods; (2) interdisciplinary wildfire science, including social sciences; (3) ongoing needs assessments for stakeholders such as federal agencies, states, and Indian Tribes, covering disaster resilience, mitigation, air quality, and firestorm forecasting; (4) collaboration with federal wildfire scientists; (5) identifying practical products and services for end-users; (6) technology transfer of research results; (7) ensuring service interoperability; (8) developing open digital infrastructure for data and models; and (9) evaluating wildfire management strategies. The Secretaries must consult the Joint Fire Science Program (an interagency research partnership) and select locations not later than one year after enactment.

This section establishes a competitive grant program administered by the Secretary of Agriculture to support innovative workforce development activities for careers in forestry and fire management (i.e., timber operations, registered professional forestry, vegetation treatment including prescribed fires, ecological restoration, wildland firefighting, and community fire resilience) and to expand public awareness of such careers. In awarding grants, the Secretary must prioritize nonprofit professional or service organizations, labor organizations, state agencies, community colleges, institutions of higher education, or other training providers qualified in relevant curricula development, forestry and fire management cooperation, or public education. Grant funds may be used for (1) targeted internships, apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeships, post-secondary bridge programs, on-the-job training, and support services; (2) education programs for elementary, secondary, and higher education students to raise awareness of forestry roles and career pathways; (3) model curricula for community colleges on prescribed fire implementation, forest resilience, home retrofitting, urban forestry, and vegetation management near utility infrastructure; (4) regional industry and workforce collaborations, including in high-unemployment areas; (5) integrated learning laboratories in secondary schools offering hands-on learning, dual enrollment credit, and employer connections; and (6) leadership, occupational training, mentoring, or cross-training for supervisory positions. The section authorizes appropriations of such sums as are necessary.

This section establishes the National Community Capacity and Land Stewardship Grant Program, administered by the Secretary of Agriculture through Forest Service regional offices, to build capacity, partnerships, and collaborations in disadvantaged communities (i.e., low-income communities or those including populations systematically denied economic, social, or civic opportunities, such as Black, Latino, Indigenous, Native American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, or other persons of color) for land stewardship activities (i.e., planning, collaboration, off-National Forest System (NFS) implementation, and monitoring) tied to qualifying projects (i.e., ecological restoration, tribal cultural-ecological management, wildland-urban interface wildfire resilience, or equitable access to environmental education and volunteerism) on NFS lands, national grasslands, and adjacent private, state, or trust lands. The Secretary may fund up to 100% of grant activities (which may serve as non-federal match for other federal funds), issue multiyear grants not exceeding $50,000 annually, and award competitively based on criteria including short- and long-term NFS benefits, ecological/economic/social gains for disadvantaged communities (e.g., jobs), addressing historical underinvestment, diverse stakeholder collaboration, funding criticality, and budget reasonableness. At least 10% of funds are set aside for Indian tribes (as defined in 25 U.S.C. 5304) or entities representing them, and the Secretary must form an advisory panel of up to 15 members for annual regional reviews.