Tribal Forest Protection Act Amendments Act of 2025
This bill reauthorizes through FY2031 the Tribal Forest Protection Act (TFPA) and expands the lands and activities eligible for inclusion in the TFPA.
Currently under the TFPA, the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) may enter into contracts and agreements with Indian tribes for tribes to carry out land management projects on federal lands. These projects are designed to protect Indian forest lands and rangelands from wildfire, disease, and other threats coming from federal lands. However, the TFPA is currently limited to projects on federal lands that border or are adjacent to Indian forest lands and rangelands under the jurisdiction of the tribe.
This bill removes certain limitations of the TFPA, first by expanding the definition of Indian forest land or rangeland to include land in Alaska that is held by Alaska Native corporations, thereby allowing these corporations to participate in TFPA projects.
Additionally, the bill removes the requirement that TFPA projects must occur on federal lands that border or are adjacent to Indian forest lands or rangelands. The bill instead requires the federal land involved to have a special geographic, historical, or cultural significance to the tribe.
The bill allows TFPA projects to be carried out directly on Indian forest lands and rangelands. (Currently, the TFPA only applies to work conducted on federal lands and not on tribal lands.)
The bill also updates a requirement for Interior and USDA to report to Congress on TFPA activities.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 719 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 719
To amend the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 to improve that Act,
and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
February 25, 2025
Ms. Murkowski (for herself and Mr. Heinrich) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian
Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 to improve that Act,
and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Tribal Forest Protection Act
Amendments Act of 2025''.
SEC. 2. TRIBAL FOREST PROTECTION ACT OF 2004 AMENDMENTS.
Section 2 of the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 (25 U.S.C.
3115a) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a), by striking paragraph (2) and
inserting the following:
``(2) Indian forest land or rangeland.--The term `Indian
forest land or rangeland' means--
``(A) land that is held in trust by, or with a
restriction against alienation by, the United States
for an Indian tribe or a member of an Indian tribe,
and--
``(i) is Indian forest land (as defined in
section 304 of the National Indian Forest
Resources Management Act (25 U.S.C. 3103));
``(ii) has a cover of grasses, brush, or
any similar vegetation; or
``(iii) formerly had a forest cover or
vegetative cover that is capable of
restoration; and
``(B) land that is in the State of Alaska and held
by an Alaska Native Corporation pursuant to the Alaska
Native Claims Settlement Act (43 U.S.C. 1601 et
seq.).'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``or
Restore'' after ``Protect'';
(B) in paragraph (1), by striking ``to protect
Indian forest land or rangeland'' and all that follows
through ``Indian forest land or rangeland)'' and
inserting ``to protect or restore Indian forest land or
rangeland, or to carry out a project to protect or
restore Federal land''; and
(C) in paragraph (3), by striking ``that is--'' and
all that follows through the period at the end of
subparagraph (B) and inserting ``or Indian forest land
or rangeland.'';
(3) in subsection (c)--
(A) in the subsection heading, by inserting ``for
Federal Land'' after ``Criteria'';
(B) by striking ``an Indian tribe,'' in the matter
preceding paragraph (1) and all that follows through
``Indian tribe--'' in the matter preceding subparagraph
(A) of paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
``Federal land, are whether--
``(1) the Federal land has a special geographic,
historical, or cultural significance to the Indian tribe and--
'';
(C) in paragraph (1) (as so designated)--
(i) in subparagraph (A), by striking clause
(i) and inserting the following:
``(i) Indian forest land or rangeland;
or''; and
(ii) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ``or
watershed'' after ``land'';
(D) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and (4) as
paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively;
(E) in paragraph (2) (as so redesignated), by
striking ``subject'' and inserting ``Federal''; and
(F) in paragraph (3) (as so redesignated), by
striking ``Forest Service or Bureau of Land
Management'' and inserting ``Federal'';
(4) in subsection (g), by striking ``date of enactment of
this Act'' and inserting ``date of enactment of the Tribal
Forest Protection Act Amendments Act of 2025''; and
(5) by adding at the end the following:
``(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this Act $15,000,000 for each of fiscal years
2026 through 2031.''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.
Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Murkowski without amendment. With written report No. 119-23.
Committee on Indian Affairs. Reported by Senator Murkowski without amendment. With written report No. 119-23.
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 76.
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S8689; text: CR S8689)
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Received in the House.
Held at the desk.
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