Establishing the Wildland Fire Management Policy Committee
Establishes a new interagency Wildland Fire Subcabinet — co-chaired by the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior — to coordinate federal wildland fire policy, reduce duplication across agencies, and develop a government-wide strategic plan for fire management.
Creates a structured accountability mechanism for wildfire preparedness, suppression, hazardous fuels treatment, and post-fire rehabilitation, areas where prior executive orders and councils had not produced sufficient cross-agency policy alignment.
What this order does
What it orders
The order establishes the Wildland Fire Management Policy Committee, known as the Wildland Fire Subcabinet, co-chaired by the Secretaries of Agriculture and Interior and including the Secretaries of Defense, Energy, and Homeland Security, as well as the heads of the EPA, CEQ, OSTP, and the National Economic Council. The Subcabinet must meet quarterly, identify all existing federal interagency wildfire working groups within 90 days, and recommend consolidations to reduce duplication. Within 180 days, it must develop, publish, and implement a strategic plan with measurable goals and dashboard reporting covering suppression operations, hazardous fuels reduction, workforce development, new technology adoption, budget strategy, and infrastructure protection.
The order does not itself change any wildfire regulation, alter agency statutory authorities, or appropriate new funding. All actions are subject to the availability of appropriations and must be consistent with applicable law, including the National Environmental Policy Act. The Subcabinet also has no independent enforcement authority — it coordinates and advises, with implementation left to individual member agencies.
Who it affects
Federal agencies with wildland fire responsibilities, particularly the Departments of Agriculture and Interior; federal wildland firefighters; state, local, and tribal governments that coordinate with federal fire programs; and private infrastructure owners such as electric utilities operating near fire-prone federal lands.
Why it matters
Federal agencies managing wildfire have historically operated without a unified policy-level coordinating body. The Subcabinet creates a single focal point for accountability, which could improve how billions of dollars in annual fire suppression and prevention spending are allocated and measured across agencies.
What must happen and when
How the order is supposed to work
The Subcabinet is a coordinating body with no independent authority — its outputs are recommendations to member agency heads and reports to senior White House offices (CEQ, OMB, OSTP, NEC). The 90-day working-group inventory feeds into consolidation recommendations; the 180-day strategic plan then sets measurable targets and dashboards for each member agency. Annual progress reports go to the four White House offices. The Department of Agriculture provides administrative support. Existing advisory committees under the Federal Advisory Committee Act may be tapped for input. No sunset clause is included.
Actions and deadlines
- Identify all federal interagency wildfire working groups and recommend consolidations to OMB, Agriculture, and Interior
- Develop, publish, and implement a strategic plan with measurable goals and dashboard reporting for wildland fire management
- Hold quarterly meetings of the Wildland Fire Subcabinet
- Report annually to CEQ, OMB, OSTP, and NEC on strategic plan status and actions taken