S 647119th CongressIn Committee

Regional Leadership in Wildland Fire Research Act of 2025

Introduced: Feb 20, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

Regional Leadership in Wildland Fire Research Act of 2025 would create a nationwide network of regional wildland fire research centers funded and overseen by the federal government. The Secretary of Commerce, in coordination with the NOAA Administrator and the Forest Service Chief, would establish a competitive process to locate at least seven regional centers in specific U.S. regions (Alaska, California, Northern Rockies, Pacific Northwest, Pacific Islands, Southeast, Southwest). These centers would conduct and coordinate wildland fire research—covering fire causes and behavior, mitigation strategies, public health and environmental impacts, post-fire restoration, and safety for managers and firefighters—and would develop near-real-time prediction tools, decision-support systems, and related technologies. The act also creates a National Center Coordination Board to align research across regions and federal entities, and regional advisory boards to connect centers with state, tribal, and management priorities. It authorizes multi-year funding through 2030, with annual appropriations and flexibility to adjust funding by region, plus requirements for data management under FAIR principles and open access. The bill envisions enhanced interagency collaboration, regional data networks, workforce development, and public reporting on progress.

Key Points

1Establishment of regional wildland fire research centers
2- Not fewer than seven regional centers located in defined regions (Alaska, California, Northern Rockies, Pacific Northwest, Pacific Islands, Southeast, Southwest) to coordinate wildland fire research and associated tools for management agencies.
3- Centers chosen through a competitive process and may emphasize existing research programs, federal partnerships, Joint Fire Science Program involvement, and minority-serving institutions.
4Center capabilities and outputs
5- Centers develop models and tools to predict fire potential, spread, behavior, and smoke; predict vegetation responses; integrate near-real-time data for decision support; and advance land treatment technologies to reduce fire severity.
6- Emphasis on data management, including FAIR principles (findable, accessible, interoperable, reusable) and open data access; development of career pathways for wildland fire researchers.
7National Center Coordination Board
8- A coordinating board with one member from each regional center; co-chaired by the NOAA Administrator and the Forest Service Chief.
9- Duties include establishing data sharing protocols, coordinating data collection and modeling updates, avoiding duplication, and supporting end-to-end adoption of research by wildland fire management agencies.
10- Board meets quarterly; conducts required public meetings; and issues annual recommendations to improve research.
11Regional Advisory Boards
12- Each regional center hosts a Regional Advisory Board with representatives from wildland fire management agencies, the Council, state governments, and tribal organizations, plus additional operational experts.
13- Advisory boards help align research goals with regional needs, coordinate with agencies, and disseminate findings and data.
14- Regional boards meet quarterly in tandem with the main Board; members serve multi-year terms on a voluntary basis.
15Reports and consultation
16- Congress receives progress and improvement recommendations not less frequently than every 2 years and again at 4 years after enactment.
17- The Secretary consults with Federal science agencies, OSTP, and the Council in carrying out the act.
18Funding and flexibility
19- Authorization of appropriations for regional centers starting at $60 million in FY2026 and increasing to $64 million by FY2030, plus $1 million per year for the Board (2026–2030).
20- Funds may be used for construction or equipment; allowances exist to adjust funding among centers to reflect regional differences, with budget justification and committee notice requirements.
21- Federal science agencies may transfer additional appropriated funds to regional centers as needed to carry out research.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Wildland fire management agencies (e.g., Forest Service, BLM, NPS, USFWS, Bureau of Indian Affairs) and the wildland fire research community (including researchers at colleges, national labs, and federal science agencies).Secondary group/area affected- Institutions of higher education and land-grant universities, minority-serving institutions, tribal organizations, state agencies, and private-sector partners involved in wildland fire research and management.Additional impacts- Enhanced regional data networks and prediction tools could improve wildfire risk forecasts, smoke management, and community protection.- Increased emphasis on workforce development and training in wildland fire research.- Potential coordination challenges and opportunities to reduce duplication across existing programs (e.g., Joint Fire Science Program) through the new coordinating board and data-sharing protocols.- Greater public engagement through quarterly board meetings and state-level public meetings, increasing transparency about research progress and management implications.

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