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HR 528

Commending Teach to Reach Teens.

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Josh Cole

Establishes a program to identify distressed federal lands needing reforestation after disasters and complete prioritized projects using grants or partnerships with non-federal gro

Bill text as passed House (HR528ER)
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Bill Summary · HR 528

Summary — H.R. 528 (119th Congress) — Post‑Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025

(Note on numbering: The designation “H.R. 528” appears for multiple ceremonial state resolutions in the provided materials (e.g., Illinois and Georgia House resolutions congratulating Ross G. Wolf and recognizing Reverend Shivern L. Jeter). This summary focuses on the substantive federal measure reported as H. Rept. 119‑276.)

Purpose / Intent

H.R. 528 directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish and carry out a Post‑Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Program to identify and prioritize federal lands damaged by unplanned disturbances (wildfire, hurricanes, floods, wind storms, etc.) that are unlikely to naturally regenerate, and to complete priority reforestation and restoration projects in coordination with partners.

Background / Need

  • U.S. landscapes have experienced large losses from catastrophic wildfires and other disasters (the report cites an average ~7 million acres lost per year since 2000 and a USFS reforestation backlog of ~4 million acres, much attributable to severe wildfires).
  • Natural regeneration is often insufficient where burns are severe or other disturbances are extensive, risking conversion to shrubland and long recovery times.
  • The bill responds to a reported shortfall in post‑disaster planting and restoration capacity on federal lands.

Key Provisions

  • Requires the Secretary of the Interior to:
    • Identify lands requiring reforestation/restoration due to unplanned disturbance and unlikely to regenerate without assistance.
    • Propose an annual list of priority reforestation/restoration projects to be completed each fiscal year.
    • Carry out priority projects using grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements with non‑federal partners (states, tribes, local governments, institutions of higher education, NGOs, and adjacent land managers).
    • Coordinate or consult with other federal agencies, states, tribes, local governments, and adjacent land managers.
    • Report to Congress no later than two years after enactment and annually thereafter on lands needing reforestation and progress on priority projects.
  • Enables federal land managers to leverage non‑federal partners to expand capacity for replanting and restoration.

Who is affected / impacted

  • Federal land management agencies under the Department of the Interior (and related interagency partners).
  • State, tribal, and local governments, academic institutions, non‑profits, private contractors and others eligible to enter grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to carry out restoration projects.
  • Landscapes and communities dependent on federal forests and public lands for ecosystem services, timber, recreation, and watershed protection.

Procedural Status & Timeline (selected)

  • Introduced: January 16, 2025 (Rep. Brittany Pettersen, D‑CO).
  • Referred to: Committee on Natural Resources (and Committee on Agriculture for relevant matters).
  • Subcommittee hearing: April 29, 2025 (Subcommittee on Federal Lands).
  • Committee markup and ordered favorably reported by unanimous consent: July 23, 2025.
  • Reported by Committee on Natural Resources (H. Rept. 119‑276): September 15, 2025; placed on House Union Calendar (Calendar No. 232).
  • The report recommends passage without amendment.

Other notes

  • The bill is described in the committee report as bipartisan and analogous in some respects to provisions in other forest policy proposals considered in the 119th Congress.
  • The committee report and supporting materials cite specific disaster examples (e.g., Hurricane Helene 2024, Yellowstone flooding 2022) and USFS data to motivate the measure.
  • No specific appropriation amounts or new authorization levels are specified in the committee summary excerpts provided; the measure centers on program authority, prioritization, and partner use of grants/contracts.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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