Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response Act
- Sponsor
- Rep. Pettersen, Brittany [D-CO-7]
- Committees
- Natural Resources Committee (primary)
- Last action
- Jul 30, 2026
Bottom line
This bill creates a federal grant program to combat mountain pine beetle infestations and their associated risks on national forests, prioritizing projects that protect communities and critical infrastructure.
What it actually does
This bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the Mountain Pine Beetle Response Program, a competitive grant initiative managed by the Forest Service. The program will provide funding to eligible entities like state and local governments, Indian Tribes, and utilities for projects on National Forest System lands aimed at restoring forest health, reducing wildfire risk, and protecting critical infrastructure from mountain pine beetle outbreaks. Eligible activities include tree removal, reforestation, and watershed protection.
Proponents argue
Supporters would argue that this bill provides much-needed federal resources to address a significant ecological and public safety threat posed by widespread mountain pine beetle outbreaks, which devastate forests, increase wildfire risk, and threaten water supplies. They would emphasize the importance of proactive and reactive measures to protect national forest health and adjacent communities, ensuring resilience against future infestations.
Opponents contend
Potential opponents might raise concerns about the scope or cost of establishing a new federal grant program, questioning its efficiency or potential overlap with existing programs. They might also argue for alternative approaches to forest management or express skepticism about the effectiveness of grant-based interventions versus broader policy changes or increased direct federal action.
The bill is concise and easily digestible, allowing for a quick and thorough understanding of its provisions.
Section 2(a)
Establishment of Mountain Pine Beetle Response Program
This provision directs the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, to establish a new competitive grant program. This program, named the "Mountain Pine Beetle Response Program," will issue grants to eligible sponsors to carry out emergency projects aimed at responding to mountain pine beetle outbreaks on National Forest System lands.
Supporters argue
Supporters argue that establishing a dedicated program provides a critical mechanism for federal support to combat widespread and destructive mountain pine beetle infestations, offering a structured approach to funding necessary response efforts.
Critics contend
Critics might argue that creating a new program adds administrative overhead and could potentially duplicate efforts if existing programs could be expanded or repurposed, leading to inefficiencies in federal resource deployment.
Tradeoffs
This provision balances the need for a dedicated federal response mechanism to a specific ecological threat against concerns about administrative complexity and potential overlap with existing forest health initiatives.
Section 2(b)
Grant Eligibility and Selection Priority
This section defines who is eligible to receive grants under the program, including state and local governments, Indian Tribes, water management districts, and various utilities. It also establishes priority criteria for selecting grant recipients. Preference will be given to projects designed to protect municipal water supplies and critical infrastructure, reduce wildfire risk to communities in the wildland-urban interface, focus on areas with high tree mortality, and align with State forest action plans or watershed strategies.
Section 2(c)
Eligible Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response Projects
This provision outlines the specific types of activities that qualify as an "emergency mountain pine beetle response project" on National Forest System lands. These include the removal and processing of beetle-killed or infested trees, forest thinning and fuels reduction to mitigate wildfire risk, reforestation through tree planting, ecological restoration to promote biodiversity, and various watershed protection and stabilization measures such as slope stabilization, sediment control, and flood mitigation.