Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act of 2025

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2492, the Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act of 2025, introduced by the gentleman from California (Mr. Carbajal).

This bill would authorize the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to permit electrical utilities to remove trees and vegetation near power lines on National Forest System and Bureau of Land Management lands without the need for a timber sale.

This bill addresses a critical public safety issue, preventing wildfires caused by overgrown vegetation near electrical infrastructure, particularly in high-risk areas of the West.

Current requirements for timber sales can delay essential maintenance and fire prevention efforts. This legislation would streamline that process while maintaining environmental safeguards under existing land management plans and Federal law.

Importantly, the bill would ensure taxpayer fairness. If utilities sell any of the removed material, they must return the net proceeds to the Federal Government. Altogether, this bill provides a commonsense, bipartisan solution to reduce wildfire risk, improve grid safety, and enhance coordination between Federal land managers and utility providers.

The bill respects environmental protections, avoids unnecessary bureaucracy, and promotes responsible land stewardship. I thank Representative Carbajal for his hard work on this bill. It will support community safety in his district and throughout the country.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
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Ms. HOYLE of Oregon. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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