Save Our Sequoias Act

Key Points

• This bill creates a seven-year emergency period to speed up projects that protect giant sequoia trees. It allows the government to skip some long environmental reviews for tasks like clearing brush, cutting down dead trees, and starting controlled fires to prevent massive, out-of-control wildfires.
• The plan focuses on famous spots like Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks, along with nearby national forests and tribal lands. It brings together federal agencies, the State of California, and the Tule River Indian Tribe to work as one team to save these ancient trees.
• While giant sequoias are naturally built to survive fire, recent 'mega-fires' have been so hot and intense that they are killing thousands of these trees. This policy aims to thin out the 'fuel'—like dead wood and thick brush—so that future fires stay on the ground and do not reach the treetops.
• The bill creates 'Strike Teams' of experts and volunteers to get the work done quickly. It also sets up a grant program to help small businesses and tribal groups find new ways to use the wood and brush cleared from the forests, such as turning it into garden mulch or fuel.
• The government plans to spend $10 million in 2026, with the budget growing to $40 million per year by 2031. It also sets up a special fund so that regular people and organizations can donate money specifically to help replant and protect the sequoia groves.