Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response Act

This legislation establishes the Mountain Pine Beetle Response Program, to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture through the Chief of the Forest Service. The program will provide competitive grants to eligible sponsors, including State and local governments, Indian Tribes, and various utilities, for emergency projects on National Forest System lands. These projects are designed to restore forest health in areas severely impacted by mountain pine beetle outbreaks, which cause significant tree mortality.

Grant selection prioritizes projects that protect municipal water supplies and critical infrastructure, reduce wildfire risk in the wildland-urban interface, and align with State forest action plans. Eligible activities include removing beetle-killed trees, forest thinning, reforestation, ecological restoration, and watershed protection measures. Funds are disbursed efficiently, with full disbursement required within 30 days of project completion notification.