Introduction

This is a representation of HR 119, the Prescribed Fire Planning Act of 2023, in clean and semantic HTML.

Summary

1. Provides for an expanded use of prescribed fire to reduce wildfire risk.
2. Establishes a national prescribed fire education program and provides funding for states to carry out prescribed fire planning and implementation.
3. Requires the development of landscape-scale prescribed fire plans for units of the National Forest System and Bureau of Land Management districts that do not have such plans.

Section 201: Expansion of Use of Prescribed Fire

“The Secretary concerned shall, in coordination with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, conduct research to improve or develop—

(A) wildland fire smoke prediction models;

(B) smoke impact display tools for the public and decisionmakers;

(C) appropriate, cost-effective, and consistent strategies to mitigate the impacts of smoke from prescribed fire on nearby communities;

(D) consistent nationally and scientifically supported messages regarding personal protection equipment for the public; and

(E) prescribed fire activity tracking and emission inventory systems for planning and post-treatment accountability.”

Section 202: National Prescribed Fire Education Program

• Public service advertisements;
• The use of social media;
• Campaign and educational activities and materials;
• Commercial licensing;
• Character images and appearances;
• Awards and recognition.

Section 301: Annual Reports to National Fire Planning and Operations Database

The purpose of this section is to ensure an accurate reporting of annual prescribed fire accomplishments in the United States.

1. Subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary may provide financial assistance to states to pay a portion of the costs associated with annually reporting to the National Fire Planning and Operations Database (or a successor database) the prescribed fire accomplishments of the State.