Bill · S. 5290· Senate(119-S-5290)
Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response and Coordination Act
- Introduced
- 8/6/2026
- Last activity
- 8/6/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- Sponsored by
- Michael Bennet
- Cosponsors
- - 1 - 0
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Emergency Mountain Pine Beetle Response and Coordination Act," directs the Secretary of Agriculture to address mountain pine beetle outbreaks. It establishes a competitive grant program called the "Mountain Pine Beetle Response Program" for various sponsors to carry out restoration projects on National Forest System land. The bill also authorizes the Secretary to enter into cooperative agreements with covered entities like State Governors and Indian Tribes. These agreements aim to support the detection, treatment, and mitigation of infestations. Additionally, the bill provides for technical assistance regarding monitoring, management, and wood processing capacity.
Yes· 3 of 14
Does this better protect public land such as parks and forests?+7
The bill provides tools and funds to manage National Forest System land against beetle outbreaks.
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?+6
The bill addresses forest health, biodiversity, and watershed protection.
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?+6
The bill emphasizes rural development through wood processing and workforce growth.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Forest Health and Safety: The bill allows for projects that restore forest health by removing beetle-killed or infested hazard trees and performing forest thinning (Section 2(a)(2)). This can address public safety, critical infrastructure, or watershed health needs.
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Wildfire Risk Reduction: Priority is given to projects designed to reduce wildfire risk to communities located in the wildland-urban interface (Section 2(c)(2)).
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Water Supply Protection: The bill prioritizes projects designed to protect municipal water supplies (Section 2(c)(2)). It also includes watershed protection activities like slope stabilization, sediment control, and flood mitigation (Section 2(a)(2)(B)(vi)).
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Economic and Workforce Opportunities: Cooperative agreements can increase wood processing and workforce development capacity (Section 3(b)(2)). Technical assistance is also provided to help develop markets for beetle-kill byproducts, including mass timber, wood energy innovation, and affordable housing construction (Section 3(c)(2)).
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Ecological Benefits: The bill supports ecological restoration designed to promote biodiversity (Section 2(a)(2)(B)(v)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts or burdens are explicitly mentioned in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Public Land Management+7Improves Environmental Protections+6Improves Rural Development+5Improves Disaster Relief And F E M A+4Increases Renewable Energy Investment+3Reduces Carbon Emissions+2
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Rural Residents+6Good For Native Americans+5Good For Business Owners+4Good For Union Workers+3Good For Low Income Households+2
- Economy And Finance
- Increases Job Creation+5Improves Economic Growth+3
- Social Issues And Justice
- Improves Affordable Housing+4
- 8/6/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
John HickenlooperDemocrat · Colorado