Bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act (S. 1462) Clears Senate Committee, a Crucial Step Forward for Wildfire Resilience
FOFA, the Fix Our Forests Act, Contains Provisions Applauded by the Federation of American Scientists
Washington, D.C. – October 22, 2025 – Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry favorably reported the Fix Our Forests Act (S. 1462) out of Committee. This important milestone means that the bill can now be considered for final passage by the full chamber. FAS applauds the strong bipartisan effort behind this bill under the leadership of Senators Curtis (R-UT), Hickenlooper (D-CO), Sheehy (R-MT), Padilla (D-CA), and many important champions in Congress.
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the use of science in the public interest. Our wildfire program aims to build a more fire-resilient nation through policy development and analysis, capacity building, and issue education.
“FAS is very pleased to see the Fix Our Forests Act, S. 1426, advance out of Committee. We urge the Senate to act quickly to pass this legislation and to ensure that federal agencies have the capacity and resourcing they need to carry out its provisions,” says Hannah Safford, Associate Director of Climate and Environment at FAS.
FAS has been a strong champion of the Fix Our Forests Act and endorsed S. 1462 in April 2025. “Science tells us that the wildfire crisis is becoming more and more urgent. FAS has been working to ensure that this bill includes essential, evidence-based reforms to protect people, property, and ecosystems. FAS particularly supports Sec. 102, which would create the Wildfire Intelligence Center- a decision support hub that would further our core priority of improving the use of science, data, and technology for wildfire resilience” said Jessica Blackband, Senior Manager the Federation of American Scientists.
For more details on why FAS supports the bill, including 10 key provisions, view our policy statement here. In January 2025, the House of Representatives passed the Fix our Forests Act with bipartisan support by a vote of 279-141. The legislation was introduced by House Committee on Natural Resources Chairman Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Congressman Scott Peters (D-CA).
FAS is proud to be part of a broad, bipartisan coalition that supports the Fix Our Forests Act and looks forward to continuing to work with partners and decisionmakers to support a comprehensive and effective federal wildfire ecosystem.
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FOFA Support and FAS Wildfire Work
Coalition Letter of Support (September 2025)
FAS Position Statement on the Fix Our Forests Act (April 2025)
FAS Wildfire Work (2023-present)
ABOUT FAS
The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) works to advance progress on a broad suite of contemporary issues where science, technology, and innovation policy can deliver transformative impact, and seeks to ensure that scientific and technical expertise have a seat at the policymaking table. Established eighty years ago by scientists in response to the atomic bomb, FAS continues to bring scientific rigor and analysis to address national challenges. More information about FAS work at fas.org.
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