Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
The TORCH Act expands federal authority to manage vegetation near electric power lines on federal lands by increasing the buffer zone for removing hazard trees from 10 feet to 50 feet on either side of power lines and establishing automatic approval timelines for vegetation management plans (60 days for standard plans and 67 days for modified plans). The bill also increases the acreage threshold for categorical exclusions in collaborative forest restoration projects from 3,000 acres to 10,000 acres, allowing larger restoration projects to proceed without full environmental review. These changes streamline the vegetation management approval process for federal land agencies while requiring consultation with private landowners about tree removal on their property. The bill affects federal land management agencies, private landowners adjacent to federal lands, and electric utilities managing power infrastructure across federal lands.
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