Regional Leadership in Wildland Fire Research Act of 2025
In Committee
Introduced:Feb 20, 2025
Primary Sponsor
Ben Luján
D - NM
Cosponsors
3
Quick Stats
Policy Area
Science, Technology, Communications
Summary
This bill establishes at least seven regional wildland fire research centers at universities to improve understanding, monitoring, and prediction of wildland fires. Centers will develop technologies, test models for land management, and study post-fire risks like flash flooding. A national coordination board will set research priorities and ensure data sharing, while regional advisory boards will coordinate with federal and state land management agencies.
Latest Action
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
AI Summary
Plain-English explanation of this bill
This bill establishes at least seven regional wildland fire research centers at universities to improve understanding, monitoring, and prediction of wildland fires. Centers will develop technologies, test models for land management, and study post-fire risks like flash flooding. A national coordination board will set research priorities and ensure data sharing, while regional advisory boards will coordinate with federal and state land management agencies.
Last updated: 12/30/2025
Official Summary
Congressional Research Service summary
<p><strong>Regional Leadership in Wildland Fire Research Act of 2025</strong></p><p>This bill provides for the establishment of at least seven regional wildland fire research centers to improve the understanding of wildland fire through coordinated research and development. </p><p>Specifically, the Department of Commerce, in coordination with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Forest Service, must establish regional centers at institutions of higher education and land-grant colleges and universities in seven specified regions. Institutions must be selected to host regional centers through a competitive process. Among other priorities, regional centers must develop technologies and tools to understand, monitor, and predict wildland fire, test and operate models to support land management decision-making, and improve the understanding of post-fire risks (e.g., flash flooding). Regional centers must coordinate their research with one another and with other wildland fire research entities, and must make their work and data fully and openly available. </p><p>The bill also establishes a national coordination board to develop technological research priorities and science, data management, and sharing protocols in cooperation with each regional center. The national board must coordinate the activities of regional centers and other research institutions to avoid unnecessary duplication. </p><p>Further, the bill establishes an advisory board at each regional center to advise on research goals and activities, assist with dissemination of research outputs, and ensure coordination of research between regional centers and federal and state land management agencies in the relevant region. </p><p>Finally, the bill sets forth certain reporting requirements with respect to the regional centers’ progress. </p>
Key Points
Main provisions of the bill
Establishes 7+ regional wildland fire research centers at universities
Develops technologies to monitor and predict wildland fires
Creates models to support land management decision-making
Studies post-fire risks including flash flooding
National coordination board sets research priorities
Regional advisory boards ensure coordination with land agencies
Requires open sharing of research data and findings
How This Impacts Americans
Potential effects on citizens and communities
This bill would significantly expand coordinated wildfire research infrastructure across the country. As wildfires increase in frequency and intensity due to climate change, improved prediction and management tools are critical. The regional approach ensures research addresses local conditions while national coordination prevents duplication. Better fire prediction and post-fire risk assessment could save lives, protect property, and improve forest management decisions.
Policy Areas
Primary Policy Area
Science, Technology, Communications
Scope & Jurisdiction
Jurisdiction Level
federal
Congressional Session
119th Congress
Citation Reference
647, 119th Congress (2025). "Regional Leadership in Wildland Fire Research Act of 2025". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-s-647