Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025
The Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025 would require the Secretary of the Interior to create and operate a program focused on reforestation and restoration on federal lands and certain Indian lands after unplanned disturbances (such as wildfires, pests, or severe weather) that would not naturally regenerate. Each year, the Secretary would identify lands in need of assistance, propose a set of priority projects, and carry them out using grants, contracts, Indian Self-Determination Act-implemented contracts, or cooperative agreements. The bill emphasizes ensuring seed and seedling availability for priority work and requires broad outreach to tribes, states, territories, local governments, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian organizations, colleges, and nearby federal agencies. It also mandates regular reports to Congress detailing lands, projects, funding mechanisms, outreach, and gaps in seed/seedling availability and other needs.
Key Points
- 1Establishes the Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Program within the Department of the Interior to identify covered lands needing assistance after unplanned disturbances and to plan ongoing annual actions.
- 2Requires the Secretary to develop a yearly list of priority reforestation/restoration projects and to implement them via competitively awarded grants, contracts (including those under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act), and cooperative agreements; authorizes support to secure seed and seedlings as needed.
- 3Mandates broad outreach by the covered agencies to ensure engagement with Indian Tribes, states, territories, local governments, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian organizations, institutions of higher education, nearby federal land managers, and other stakeholders.
- 4Requires comprehensive annual reports to Congress (beginning within 2 years after enactment) detailing lands, priority projects, funding contracts, outreach, and recommendations to address seed/seedling/implementation gaps and funding needs.
- 5Provides defining terms for clarity, including what counts as a “covered agency,” “covered lands,” “unplanned disturbance,” and other key terms to guide implementation.