Legis Daily

TORCH Act

USA119th CongressHR-168| House 
| Updated: 4/4/2025
Doug LaMalfa

Doug LaMalfa

Republican Representative

California

Forestry and Horticulture Subcommittee, Agriculture Committee, Natural Resources Committee

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
The "Targeted Operations to Remove Catastrophic Hazards Act" or "TORCH Act" seeks to significantly improve the capacity of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to undertake forest management activities aimed at reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires. The bill introduces various measures across several key areas, including hazardous fuel reduction, modifications to Good Neighbor Authority, enhanced management of electrical utility lines, and reforms to certain administrative requirements. Under hazardous fuel reduction , the bill mandates a new categorical exclusion for high-priority hazard tree activities up to 3,000 acres, allowing for quicker removal of dangerous trees near roads and recreation sites. It also increases the timber sale threshold for extreme risk reduction from $10,000 to $50,000 and directs the development of a strategy to utilize livestock grazing for wildfire risk reduction. Furthermore, the bill expands the maximum project size for wildfire resilience and fuel break projects under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act from 3,000 to 10,000 acres. The bill modifies Good Neighbor Authority to include Indian tribes as eligible partners and allows states, tribes, and counties to retain and use revenue from timber sales under these agreements for authorized restoration services. For electrical utility lines , it expands the distance for hazard tree removal from 10 to 50 feet from power lines and streamlines the approval process for vegetation management plans. A new categorical exclusion is established for utility line vegetation management, exempting it from certain National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) extraordinary circumstances and Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultation requirements, and permits utilities to remove trees without separate timber sales, with proceeds going to the Forest Service. Finally, the bill introduces reforms to administrative requirements by specifying that the Secretaries are not required to reinitiate consultation under the Endangered Species Act for existing land management plans when new species are listed, critical habitat is designated, or new information emerges, if not previously considered. It also increases the categorical exclusion size for collaborative restoration projects from 3,000 to 10,000 acres, further expediting wildfire mitigation efforts.
View Full Text

Suggested Questions

Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better

Timeline
Jan 3, 2025
Introduced in House
Jan 3, 2025
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Apr 4, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.
  • January 3, 2025
    Introduced in House


  • January 3, 2025
    Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.


  • April 4, 2025
    Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.

Public Lands and Natural Resources

Related Bills

  • HR 119-598: FIR Act
  • HR 119-1110: Grazing for Wildfire Risk Reduction Act
Electric power generation and transmissionEnvironmental assessment, monitoring, researchFiresForests, forestry, treesIntergovernmental relationsLand use and conservationLicensing and registrationsLivestockWildlife conservation and habitat protection

TORCH Act

USA119th CongressHR-168| House 
| Updated: 4/4/2025
The "Targeted Operations to Remove Catastrophic Hazards Act" or "TORCH Act" seeks to significantly improve the capacity of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to undertake forest management activities aimed at reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires. The bill introduces various measures across several key areas, including hazardous fuel reduction, modifications to Good Neighbor Authority, enhanced management of electrical utility lines, and reforms to certain administrative requirements. Under hazardous fuel reduction , the bill mandates a new categorical exclusion for high-priority hazard tree activities up to 3,000 acres, allowing for quicker removal of dangerous trees near roads and recreation sites. It also increases the timber sale threshold for extreme risk reduction from $10,000 to $50,000 and directs the development of a strategy to utilize livestock grazing for wildfire risk reduction. Furthermore, the bill expands the maximum project size for wildfire resilience and fuel break projects under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act from 3,000 to 10,000 acres. The bill modifies Good Neighbor Authority to include Indian tribes as eligible partners and allows states, tribes, and counties to retain and use revenue from timber sales under these agreements for authorized restoration services. For electrical utility lines , it expands the distance for hazard tree removal from 10 to 50 feet from power lines and streamlines the approval process for vegetation management plans. A new categorical exclusion is established for utility line vegetation management, exempting it from certain National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) extraordinary circumstances and Endangered Species Act (ESA) consultation requirements, and permits utilities to remove trees without separate timber sales, with proceeds going to the Forest Service. Finally, the bill introduces reforms to administrative requirements by specifying that the Secretaries are not required to reinitiate consultation under the Endangered Species Act for existing land management plans when new species are listed, critical habitat is designated, or new information emerges, if not previously considered. It also increases the categorical exclusion size for collaborative restoration projects from 3,000 to 10,000 acres, further expediting wildfire mitigation efforts.
View Full Text

Suggested Questions

Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better

Timeline
Jan 3, 2025
Introduced in House
Jan 3, 2025
Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Apr 4, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.
  • January 3, 2025
    Introduced in House


  • January 3, 2025
    Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.


  • April 4, 2025
    Referred to the Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture.
Doug LaMalfa

Doug LaMalfa

Republican Representative

California

Forestry and Horticulture Subcommittee, Agriculture Committee, Natural Resources Committee

Public Lands and Natural Resources

Related Bills

  • HR 119-598: FIR Act
  • HR 119-1110: Grazing for Wildfire Risk Reduction Act
  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
Electric power generation and transmissionEnvironmental assessment, monitoring, researchFiresForests, forestry, treesIntergovernmental relationsLand use and conservationLicensing and registrationsLivestockWildlife conservation and habitat protection