North Rim Restoration Act of 2025
This bill, titled the North Rim Restoration Act of 2025, would authorize the National Park Service (NPS) to use emergency contracting procedures to rapidly work on recovery efforts in Grand Canyon National Park areas affected by the Dragon Bravo Fire. The purpose is to streamline and speed up the process of clearing debris, rebuilding, maintaining, and improving grounds and structures, while also vetting and approving contractors to ensure responsible performance. The authority is limited to the specific fire-impacted area and to defined types of services, with ongoing reporting to Congress and a sunset/extension framework (up to five years or completion of recovery). The act aims to accelerate restoration but includes oversight measures to monitor costs, contracts, and potential conflicts of interest.
Key Points
- 1Authorizes the Secretary (acting through the NPS Director) to use emergency acquisition flexibilities under 48 CFR Part 18 to contract for recovery-related services within the Dragon Bravo Fire–impacted area of Grand Canyon National Park.
- 2Eligible services include: (1) forest management or restoration activities tied to the fire’s aftermath; (2) rebuilding, planning, development, and design of structures affected by the fire; (3) improvements to grounds and structures; (4) general recovery efforts.
- 3Requires periodic reporting to Congress: every 180 days after starting use of the authority and until 180 days after recovery is complete, covering costs, expenditures, overruns, contractor identification and potential conflicts of interest, waste or abuse, underbudget contracts, estimated completion timelines, and any extension needs.
- 4Extension and expiration: allows a 12-month extension if a new wildfire impacts recovery efforts (subject to congressional approval); the authority expires either five years after enactment or when recovery efforts are complete, whichever comes first.
- 5Definitions and scope: defines the “covered area” as Grand Canyon National Park areas impacted by the Dragon Bravo Fire; “Secretary” refers to the Secretary of the Interior through the NPS Director; short title is the “North Rim Restoration Act of 2025.”