Policy Corner: Wildfire: A Crisis In Need of a Bipartisan Solution (And, What Can the House of Representatives and the Senate Really Do?)

Bryan Pride • May 9, 2025

Across the country wildfires are increasingly more catastrophic; growing larger, spreading faster and burning longer than before. Nationwide, the total acres burned rose dramatically from 2.7 million in 2023 to nearly 9 million in 2024. California is averaging more than 7,500 wildfires annually. Not including the recent Los Angeles fires, six of the top ten most destructive fires, three of the five deadliest fires, and all of the state's nine largest fires have occurred since 2017. 


It is unsustainable for both California and the country to continue burning at this magnitude. This leaves us with the question: "What can be done to solve the wildfire problem?" 


In response to this growing crisis, lawmakers are taking action. Congress is advancing different versions of the Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA) in the Senate and House of Representatives. How these bills progress and the opportunities to amend, change or improve these bills are constrained by the different processes in the House and the Senate.


The House of Representatives


The House of Representatives version of FOFA, (H.R. 471), was introduced by Representative Bruce Westerman (R-AR) in January 2025 with 43 bipartisan cosponsors, including several from California.  With a stated goal to expedite forest management activities under NEPA. H.R. 471, it significantly reflectsExecutive Order 14225, "Immediate Expansion of American Timber Production" (March 1, 2025). While the legislation takes some important steps, there are also significant concerns regarding rollbacks of environmental protections and judicial review. 


FOFA, H.R. 471, establishes an interagency Fireshed Center overseen by the Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service comprised of 15 agencies, administrations, departments and bureaus to gather data, provide guidance and work with states and tribes. It sets up a process to designate “fireshed management areas” and expands projects exempt from full reviews from 3,000 – 10,000 acres. The bill heavily favors logging as a form of fire management, but also embraces prescribed burns and prioritizes reforestation and restoration projects. 


H.R. 471 grants numerous “categorical exclusions”, exempting areas and projects from review under the National Environmental Policy Act, Endangered Species Act and National Historic Preservation Act. H.R. 471 also fast-tracks environmental review and consultation. At the same time, the Administration is significantly gutting personnel and expertise through DOGE and its budget.


H.R. 471 alters the judicial process. H.R. 471 limits when a court can grant injunctive relief. What is injunctive relief? That is the ability of the court to say: “Stop doing what you are doing.” Or slow it down, or change it, while we figure this out. It is common. Removing it is unusual. H.R. 471 limits the court’s ability to order corrective actions, limits plaintiff’s ability to sue, limits the court’s ability to require additional data from an agency and allows the challenged activities to go forward while under review. H.R. 471 also decreases the statute of limitations (the time that someone has to sue) from 6 years to 120 days.


Much concern was expressed over the expansion of categorical exclusions, the change in judicial review procedures and timelines and fast-tracking of proposals. However, there was no opportunity to address any of these issues. 


When a bill is introduced in the House of Representatives, much like in the Senate, it is assigned to a committee with subject matter expertise. Committees study bills, hold hearings and gather testimony from experts. Committees hold mark-up sessions to debate and make changes to the bill through amendments. When a House of Representatives Committee passes a bill, it sends the bill to the House Rules Committee. 


The House Rules committee determines the form of the bill, which amendments will be allowed, how long folks will have to speak, or not, and when the bill moves. The House Rules Committee is run by the party in power, by the majority party. The Rules Committee is heavily tilted to favor the majority party, giving it full control over the floor of the House or Representatives. The Rules Committee has nine members of the majority party, Republicans, and 4 members of the minority party, Democrats. There is no comparable Committee in the Senate. 


No committee hearings or mark-ups were held on H.R. 471. Only three amendments and only one hour of debate were allowed. In the House of Representatives, a simple majority vote is necessary for bill passage. In January 2025, the H.R. 471 passed the House of Representatives on a vote of 279-141 without a hearing or mark-up and with scant debate.


In the Senate


Now, attention has turned to the Senate, where Senators Curtis (R-UT), Hickenlooper (D-CO), Sheehy (R-MT) and Padilla’s (D-CA) version of FOFA, S. 1462, introduced in April, is making its way through the Senate process. The bill’s stated goal is to improve forest management on BLM and USFS lands. 


Similar to the House of Representatives, when a bill is introduced in the Senate, it is assigned to a committee for study, hearings, expert testimony, a mark-up session and amendments. In fact, the Senate Agriculture Committeehas already begun reviewing the legislation, holding a legislative hearing on S. March 6. The next step will be a mark-up in committee, where we can expect to see robust debate.


If the Committee decides to move forward with the bill, it sends it to the full Senate. If a committee does not send the bill to the Senate, the bill dies in committee. Once a bill is released from committee, the Majority Leader of the Senate is responsible for deciding when to send the legislation for a vote. There is no Rules Committee. At this stage of floor consideration and debate is when there is the most significant difference in the legislative process between the House and the Senate. During floor consideration, a senator or group of senators can exercise their right to unlimited debate through a filibuster, which can keep legislation off the floor indefinitely. Once a debate is closed through cloture, the Senate can move to a final vote on the bill, which requires a simple majority of 51 votes. 


A bill on the Senate floor requires only 51 votes to pass after a debate has ended, but it takes 60 votes to cut off debate through a process called "cloture." If 60 Senators vote in favor of ending the debate, it will move to a final vote. Because of the razor thin margin in the Senate – 53 Rs, 45 Ds and 2 Independents – Republicans will need Democrats to vote with them to stop debate and advance FOFA to a vote. The requirement for broader consensus often means that legislation passed by the Senate has undergone more compromise. This provides an opportunity for the minority party to shape the bill that is not present in the House of Representatives. 


Thus, the Senate version of FOFA, S. 1462, represents a significant improvement over the House version. It too sets up “fireshed management areas” and calls for fireshed assessments, albeit based on different criteria than the House version. A centerpiece of S. 1462 is the establishment of Wildfire Intelligence Center staffed by wildfire experts, technical leads, and indigenous leaders and governed by a Board of 16 agencies, administrations, departments and bureaus. The legislation removes historical barriers that previously prevented foresters, fire teams, and indigenous communities from implementing these preventative practices, allowing for more proactive management across all phases of wildfire prevention, response, and recovery. These centers create opportunities for multifaceted approaches throughout the entire fire management cycle, from prevention to rapid response to restoration.


The Senate version also retains more authority for environmental reviews and judicial action. While the S. 1462 retains greater environmental review under NEPA and the National Historic Preservation Act, it also rolls back ESA reviews of land management plans and other environmental reviews depending on acreage. S. 1462 too limits injunctive relief, although not as significantly as the House version. S. 1462 leaves untouched other aspects of judicial review.


The Senate version of FOFA has garnered bipartisan support from leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties, as well as from California Governor Gavin Newsom, California Natural Resources Secretary Wade Crowfoot, and CAL Fire Director and Fire Chief Joe Tyler.


Next Steps for the Legislation


If the Senate passes a version of FOFA that is different from the House version, which is highly likely, a conference committee will be formed with members from both the House and the Senate to reconcile the differences. After the conference committee reaches agreement on a bill, both chambers must vote again to approve the reconciled bill before it can go before the President to be signed into law. 


Tuleyome will continue to keep you updated on the Fix Our Forests Acts. We hope to see real-time action and solutions to improve the fire resilience of our communities and our forests and improve forest health and wildfire management. 


Co-Authored by

Bryan Pride and Sandra Schubert

RECENT ARTICLES

Upcoming Tuleyome Certified California Naturalist Course

By Nate Lillge • November 10, 2026
Tuleyome, the expert organization on the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument, is offering a multi-week Certified California Naturalist course in early 2027. Instruction focuses on the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument region while providing participants with skills and resources that are applicable anywhere to increase their knowledge, understanding, and enjoyment of the natural world. The Certified California Naturalist course is presented by Tuleyome in partnership with the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources. This 8-week course is offered from January to March in 2027, with classes occurring on eight consecutive Fridays plus at least three field trips. Friday classes will be held in downtown Woodland with field trips to northern Inner Coast Range Mountains and western Sacramento Valley. No advanced degrees or previous naturalist experience is required. The UC California Naturalist Program introduces Californians to the wonders of our unique ecology and engages the public in study and stewardship of California’s natural communities. The program uses a science curriculum, hands-on learning, problem-solving, citizen science, and community service to instill a deep appreciation for the natural communities of the state and to inspire individuals to become stewards of their local resources. In addition to in-person instruction, students are required to attend field trips in the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument region. Field trips consist of low-impact walking trips and auto-tours, so they are suitable for all fitness levels. Impromptu walks are also often provided by the instructors as time permits to give participants even more experience in the field. More information is available on our website . Questions about the course should be directed to Nate Lillge at nlillge@tuleyome.org .

Hiking and Trail Building - Enjoying the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Region

By Nate Lillge • November 10, 2026
With the arrival of cooler temperatures, Tuleyome has been able to get people outside to enjoy the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument Region. Cowboy Camp, located a mile south of CA-20 on CA-16, is a great starting point for anyone exploring the BLM-managed lands between Cache Creek and Bear Creek. As it's name suggests, it is very popular with equestrians but is also a great place for bird watchers, hunters, hikers, mountain bikers, and astronomers. In October, Tuleyome's Program Director, Nate Lillge, led a small but adventurous group on a 9-mile hike through Craig Canyon and Thompson Canyon. Despite hearing reports and seeing signs of Tule Elk, the herd remained illusive. True to the areas name, however, many horses were seen on the trail and in Bear Creek. Pictures from the hike are available on Flickr . Tuleyome co-founder and member of Tuleyome's Advisory Council, Andrew Fulks led a crew at Valley Vista Regional Park to continue our trail work with Yolo County. We were excited to be joined by seasoned trail crew members and gratefully surprised that Bob Schneider, another co-founder and member of Tuleyome's Advisory Council, joined us! Check out the workday photos here . Be sure to check out our upcoming events ! We look forward to seeing you on the trail soon!

Enjoying Outside - The Lodi Sandhill Crane Festival

By Kristie Ehrhardt • November 10, 2026
I genuinely want to go, I have wanted to for years but I annually find myself looking at the calendar and open-palm smacking my forehead because I let it slip past me again. In case you haven’t deduced by the title, I’m talking about the Sandhill Crane Festival! I think my delinquency issue stems from the fact the arrival of the cranes coincides with my daughter’s arrival date as well. Apparently little kid birthday party planning consumed any of the surplus space left in my brain after working all week. Over the years she’s had delightful birthday parties with her little buddies at the charming and educational Folsom Zoo Sanctuary (that one was my favorite), the quintessential Sacramento lil’ kid party spots like Funderland and Fairytale Town, and a stinky bouncy house place that smelled like dirty socks and sweaty little kids. Unfortunately, while being deep into her girly-girl era and following the sub-teen status quo, my kiddo never wanted a destination birthday party at a festival for big, gray birds. Consequently, during the crane’s advent, I was always knee deep in cupcakes and party favors; but, seeing as how this year she’s turning 24 (time goes way too fast!) I find myself relatively unrestricted for at least a bit of the jubilee and so I shall finally go. The Sandhill Crane Festival began in 1997 through a partnership with the Lodi Sandhill Crane Association, the City of Lodi, the Lodi Chamber of Commerce, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and a throng of local volunteers and fellow crane enthusiasts. The goal of the festival was, and still is, to promote Sandhill Crane conservation focusing primarily on California’s Delta region. The Delta is where the saltwater from the San Francisco Bay combines with freshwater from major rivers such as the Sacramento and the San Joaquin (along with other smaller waterways), creating the largest estuary on the West Coast. This ecosystem is a vital piece of the Pacific Flyway - one of four flightpaths for migrating birds in North America. The Pacific Flyway reaches from the Arctic tundra in Alaska south to Patagonia in South America. This flyway belt is about 4,000 miles long and 1,000 miles wide. Without conservation efforts here the birds traveling thousands of miles twice a year would have a tough time surviving the trip if the refueling and resting stops were not available to them or healthy enough to support the cranes and the other one billion birds that use the flyway biannually. Sandhill Cranes ( Antigone canadensis ) are hard to miss. They stand about five feet tall and have wingspans that range between five and seven feet - equivalent to Michael Jordan and LeBron James. They usually weigh-in around twelve pounds; that’s like a gallon of paint taking to the sky for about 2,000 miles. If their stature doesn’t impress you, their voices will. Their rolling, reverberating calls are a result of their anatomy. Their trachea (wind pipe) is very long and coils around their breastbone which lowers the pitch and amplifies the sound. Sandhill Cranes are social and live in pairs with their life-long mates or in family groups. When it's time for them to journey north or south, large groups of unrelated cranes congregate to migrate, forage and roost together as one large group. They’re among the oldest living birds in North America with fossils dating back an estimated two and a half million years ago; most modern-day birds’ lineages are estimated to be less than two million years old. Beginning in October, thousands of them begin to arrive here in the Central Valley from their northern breeding grounds to spend the winter months. Cranes are impressive aviators and take advantage of thermals to conserve energy on their journey. Some individuals can cover 500 miles a day! They fly with their necks and legs extended creating quite a spectacle in the sky with their silhouettes and their voices. Lodi isn’t the only place that celebrates Sandhill Cranes; Monte Vista, Colorado and the Hiwassee Wildlife Refuge in Tennessee also host Sandhill Crane Festivals! If you’re interested in viewing these living dinosaurs here at home, pack up the family and of course your binoculars and take the short drive to Lodi. The festival is centered at the Hutchins Street Community Center at 125 S Hutchins Street, Lodi, CA and officially kicks off on November 6th and continues all weekend wrapping up on the 8th. But wait, there’s more (!) - there are some bonus pre-festival tours scheduled for November 4th and 5th. Admission is free for the main indoor exhibit hall, lectures and vendor areas and paid tickets are required for guided tours, boat cruises, workshops and special events. Tours include the Woodbridge Ecological Preserve, Staten Island and surrounding natural areas. The tours help educate visitors about how wildlife preserves and agricultural lands alike provide critical wintering habitat for resident and migratory bird species and highlight the presence of this magnificent and enduring species. They’re only here for a short while and if you’d like to come eye to eye with a five foot tall bird wearing the most spectacular scarlet crown you’ve ever seen, visit the festival with other Sandhill Crane aficionados. If you can’t make it that weekend, you can still see the cranes by visiting the Woodbridge Ecological Reserve and/or the Cosumnes River Preserve from October through February. Please note before you go that you will need a Lands Pass or a hunting or fishing license to enter the Woodbridge Ecological Reserve. To learn more about the festival and to book a tour, view scheduled presentations and workshops, learn more about the art show, vendors or exhibits, please visit https://lodisandhillcrane.org/about-the-festival/ . Back to the birthday parties… my kiddo just graduated with a biology degree and I know for a fact that she would now be thrilled to celebrate her birthday with the Sandhill Cranes! Times do change, Sandhill Cranes, it turns out, do not.