Bill
HR 2492
The bill lets federal land managers issue permits allowing utilities to cut vegetation near power lines on federal lands without a separate timber sale, with proceeds to be shared
Status & Procedural History
- Introduced: March 31, 2025 (Rep. Salud O. Carbajal, primary; cosponsors Rep. Jim Costa, Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, Rep. David Valadao). Companion: S. 349.
- House action: Considered under suspension of the rules; passed by voice vote May 13, 2025; motion to reconsider laid on table same day.
- Senate action: Received and read twice; referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry on May 14, 2025.
Purpose
- To expedite and simplify hazardous-vegetation removal around electrical distribution and transmission lines on federal lands managed by the Forest Service (National Forest System lands) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) by authorizing permits or easements that allow cutting and removing trees/vegetation without requiring a separate timber sale.
Key Provisions
- Permit/easement authority: The Secretary of Agriculture (through the Forest Service) and the Secretary of the Interior (through the BLM Director) may grant special use permits or easements to electrical utilities that include permission to cut and remove trees or other vegetation within the vicinity of distribution or transmission lines without conducting a separate timber sale.
- Consistency requirements: Any cutting/removal authorized under a permit or easement must be consistent with applicable land and resource management plans and other applicable environmental laws and regulations.
- Use of proceeds: If an electrical utility sells any portion of the material removed under such a permit or easement, the utility must provide to the Secretary concerned the proceeds from that sale, minus transportation costs incurred in the sale.
- No compulsion to sell: The statute expressly does not require that material removed under these permits or easements be sold.
- Definitions: “Covered Federal lands” = National Forest System lands and BLM-managed lands. “Secretary concerned” is defined separately for the Forest Service and BLM jurisdictions.
Who Would Be Affected
- Electrical utilities: Authorized to perform vegetation removal under federal permits/easements without triggering a separate timber sale process; may be required to remit proceeds if they sell removed material.
- Federal land managers: Forest Service and BLM gain discretion to streamline permitting for safety-related clearing near power lines, subject to land management plans and environmental laws.
- Local communities and wildfire risk mitigation stakeholders: Potentially faster hazard-reduction work intended to reduce fire ignition risk from electrical infrastructure.
- Timber/timber sale programs: Potential reduction in timber sales revenues or changes in how small-diameter or hazard trees are handled when removed for utility safety purposes.
Potential Impacts and Considerations
- Administrative simplification: Reduces the need to conduct a formal timber sale for vegetation removed solely to protect electrical lines, potentially speeding vegetation management.
- Environmental oversight retained: Actions must comply with applicable land management plans and environmental laws, so existing environmental review processes still apply where required.
- Fiscal effect: Proceeds from sales by utilities must be remitted to the relevant federal agency (less transport costs), but the bill does not mandate sales; fiscal impacts would depend on implementation and frequency of sales.
Text note
- Official enacted text is brief and narrowly focused on permit/easement authority, proceeds handling, and definitions.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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