Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act of 2025

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2492) to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to permit removal of trees around electrical lines on National Forest System lands and Bureau of Land Management lands, respectively, without conducting a timber sale, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 2492, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2492, the Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act of 2025, led by Representatives Carbajal and Valadao.

This legislation would allow the U.S. Forest Service to permit utility companies to fully remove hazard trees and other vegetation near power lines without requiring a separate timber sale. The legislation also includes provisions ensuring a fair return to the Federal Government when the timber is sold.

Currently, utility companies are allowed to fell hazard trees in their rights-of-way but are not permitted to remove them without going through the timber sale process. This unnecessary bureaucratic step leaves timber piled up in the rights-of-way for long periods, creating a significant wildfire risk, especially near communities in the wildland-urban interface.

Hazard trees near power lines have proven to be a serious fire threat. In fact, the largest single wildfire in California history, the Dixie fire, ignited when a tree fell onto electrical lines. As we enter into what is predicted to be another devastating fire year, it is more imperative than ever that we take every step to manage our forests and reduce wildfire risk.

In January, the world watched as communities in southern California were virtually leveled by catastrophic wildfires. In the wake of that tragedy, the House came together to pass the Fix Our Forests Act on an overwhelmingly bipartisan basis. The legislation we are considering today was included as part of the Fix Our Forests Act. Today is another opportunity for Congress to meet the moment and pass commonsense forest management policy.

I commend Representatives Carbajal and Valadao for their bipartisan collaboration on this legislation and on the Fix Our Forests Act. I urge adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.

House of Representatives,

Committee on Agriculture,

Washington, DC, April 28, 2025.

Hon. Bruce Westerman,

Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources,

Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: This letter confirms our mutual

understanding regarding H.R. 2492, the ``Fire Safe Electrical

Corridors Act of 2025.'' Thank you for collaborating with the

Committee on Agriculture on the matters within our

jurisdiction.

The Committee on Agriculture will forego any further

consideration of this bill. However, by foregoing

consideration at this time, we do not waive any jurisdiction

over any subject matter contained in this or similar

legislation. The Committee on Agriculture also reserves the

right to seek appointment of an appropriate number of

conferees should it become necessary and ask that you support

such a request.

We would appreciate a response to this letter confirming

this understanding with respect to H.R. 2492 and request a

copy of our letters on this matter be published in the

Congressional Record during Floor consideration.

Sincerely,

Glenn ``GT'' Thompson,

Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time. I am prepared to close and reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to close.

Mr. Speaker, passing H.R. 2492 would be an essential step toward reducing the urgent threat that wildfire poses to communities nationwide. Once again, I thank Representatives Carbajal and Valadao for their leadership on this vital issue.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I extend my thanks to Chairman Westerman and Ranking Member Huffman for their support in advancing my bipartisan legislation, Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act, which I introduced with Representatives Valadao, Costa, and Fitzpatrick.

My Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act is a commonsense solution to help us reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. It simply allows the United States Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management to approve the removal of hazardous trees or vegetation near power lines on Federal land without the need for a timber sale.

Unfortunately, catastrophic wildfires continue to ravage the Western United States, and we need commonsense solutions that balance sustainable forest management practices with reducing wildfire risks. My legislation strives to find that solution and that balance.

Currently, the United States Forest Service allows utility companies to cut down trees and branches in existing utility corridors. However, the dead vegetation cannot be removed from Federal land without a timber sale. This has created unnecessary red tape and led to the buildup of dry fuels around utility lines.

We cannot continue with the status quo. Inaction can be deadly. I know because we have seen it. The 2017 Thomas fire, which created the conditions for the deadly Montecito debris flow that killed 23 people in my district. The 2018 Camp fire and the 2021 Dixie fire were all started by electrical equipment. These fires were some of the largest and most destructive fires in California's history.

If we can take action to help save lives and protect property, we should. While there is more work ahead of us to continue to reduce the risk of wildfires, this is an important step. I am glad to be able to work with my colleagues across the aisle to get this done.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2492, the Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act of 2025, introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Carbajal).

This bill would authorize the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to permit electrical utilities to remove trees and vegetation near power lines on National Forest System and Bureau of Land Management lands without the need for a timber sale.

This bill addresses a critical public safety issue, preventing wildfires caused by overgrown vegetation near electrical infrastructure, particularly in high-risk areas of the West.

Current requirements for timber sales can delay essential maintenance and fire prevention efforts. This legislation would streamline that process while maintaining environmental safeguards under existing land management plans and Federal law.

Importantly, the bill would ensure taxpayer fairness. If utilities sell any of the removed material, they must return the net proceeds to the Federal Government. Altogether, this bill provides a commonsense, bipartisan solution to reduce wildfire risk, improve grid safety, and enhance coordination between Federal land managers and utility providers.

The bill respects environmental protections, avoids unnecessary bureaucracy, and promotes responsible land stewardship. I thank Representative Carbajal for his hard work on this bill. It will support community safety in his district and throughout the country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from California (Mr. Carbajal), the sponsor of this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.