Save Our Sequoias Act would establish a coordinated, multi-agency and multi-stakeholder framework to improve the health and resilience of giant sequoias on federal lands and certain public lands in California. The bill creates a Shared Stewardship Agreement process with the Governor and the Tule River Tribe (and, if invited, the Secretary of Agriculture for forest lands) to jointly manage sequoias. It codifies a Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition to oversee planning, data, and communication, and it requires a Giant Sequoia Health and Resiliency Assessment to identify distressed groves, threats from high-severity wildfire, insects, and drought, and to prioritize Protection Projects (fuel reduction, insect/disease treatment, etc.). The Act further authorizes an emergency response regime that can accelerate project execution, including a broad set of protections under a temporary emergency framework, and it mandates a reforestation and rehabilitation strategy, strike teams to support project work, and grants to advance restoration efforts. Finally, it authorizes new authorities (good neighbor authority, stewardship contracting) and a dedicated Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection Program and Fund to support private philanthropy and tribal involvement, with funding scheduled through 2032 and a sizable portion earmarked for on-the-ground protection and restoration work. In short, the bill aims to speed up and coordinate protection, restoration, and reforestation of giant sequoias through enhanced collaboration, data-driven prioritization, emergency authorities, and new funding and grant mechanisms, while emphasizing tribal involvement and cross-jurisdictional coordination.
Key Points
- 1Shared stewardship and coalition structure: The Secretary would enter into a shared stewardship agreement with California and the Tule River Tribe (and, if applicable, with the Secretary of Agriculture) to jointly manage giant sequoias, with a default path to join with Agriculture if California/Tribe doesn’t initiate a request within 90 days of enactment.
- 2Data-driven assessment and public dashboard: A Giant Sequoia Health and Resiliency Assessment must identify distressed groves, high-risk groves, and regeneration needs; it requires prioritizing Protection Projects and includes a transparent, publicly accessible dashboard with grove-level data, project status, timelines, and permitting information.
- 3Emergency response authority: The Act creates an emergency determination for covered lands to permit Protection Projects to proceed quickly, with limited environmental reviews (certain protections may be categorically excluded) and a 7-year timeframe for the emergency authority. It also adds specific forest management actions (thinning, hazard tree removal, prescribed burning, pest/disease treatment) that can be deployed rapidly.
- 4Reforestation and rehabilitation strategy: A Giant Sequoia Reforestation and Rehabilitation Strategy would be developed to identify groves needing regeneration, set priorities, address barriers (funding, seedlings, workforce, etc.), consider public-private partnerships, and ensure genetic diversity; it could be incorporated into the Assessment.
- 5Strike teams and grants: The bill creates Giant Sequoia Strike Teams to assist with project reviews, site preparation, and implementation of Protection Projects and reforestation/rehabilitation. It also authorizes Collaborative Restoration Grants to fund projects that advance sequoia health and resilience, prioritizing impactful or rural and tribal entities, and to support markets for hazardous fuels (biomass, biochar) and tribal management.
- 6Authorities and funding: The Act expands Good Neighbor Authority and stewardship contracting to giant sequoias, enabling cross-boundary restoration. It creates a Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection Program and Fund via the National Park Foundation and National Forest Foundation to receive philanthropic gifts, with at least 15% reserved for tribal management and preservation. Appropriations are authorized from FY2026 through FY2032, with at least 90% of funds dedicated to Protection Projects (Sec. 6) and grants (Sec. 9).
- 7Scope and beneficiaries: Applies to covered National Forest System lands (Sequoia NF, Giant Sequoia NM, Sierra NF, Tahoe NF) and covered public lands (Case Mountain area, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, and Yosemite Parks). It elevates tribal involvement (Tule River Tribe) and includes several state and local entities, universities, and private organizations as partners.