PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Became Public Law No: 108-317.
Congressional Research Service
Version 18 · Reported to House amended, Part I · Nov 21, 2003
Southwest Forest Health and Wildfire Prevention Act of 2003 - (Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, to: (1) establish three Institutes (one each in Arizona (at Northern Arizona University), New Mexico, and Colorado) to promote the use of adaptive ecosystem management to reduce the risk of wildfires, and restore the health of forest and woodland ecosystems in States of the interior West (Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah); and (2) assist the Institutes to promote the use of collaborative processes and such management.
Defines adaptive ecosystem management as a natural resource management process under which planning, implementation, monitoring, research, evaluation, and incorporation of new knowledge are combined into a management approach that: (1) is based on scientific findings and the needs of society; (2) treats management actions as experiments; (3) acknowledges the complexity of these systems and scientific uncertainty; and (4) uses the resulting new knowledge to modify future management methods and policy. Requires each Institute to: (1) develop, conduct research on, transfer, promote, and monitor restoration-based hazardous fuel reduction treatments to reduce the risk of severe wildfires and improve the health of dry forest and woodland ecosystems in the interior West; (2) synthesize and adapt scientific findings from conventional research to implement such fuel reduction treatments on a landscape scale using an adaptive ecosystem management framework; (3) translate for and transfer to affected entities (land managers, stakeholders, concerned citizens, and States of the interior West) any scientific and interdisciplinary knowledge about such fuel reduction treatments; (4) assist affected entities with the design of adaptive management approaches (including monitoring) for the implementation of such fuel reduction treatments; and (5) provide peer-reviewed annual reports. Requires each Institute to: (1) develop and demonstrate capabilities in the natural, physical, social, and policy sciences, and explicitly integrate those disciplines in the performance of such duties; and (2) develop an annual work plan for review by the Secretary.
(Sec. 6) Prescribes requirements for cooperation among the Institutes and Federal programs relating to ecological restoration, wildfire risk reduction, and wildfire management technologies. (Sec. 7) Requires the Secretary to evaluate and report to specified congressional committees every five years on the programs and activities of each Institute. (Sec. 8) Authorizes appropriations.
People & committees
Rep. Renzi, Rick [R-AZ-1] · R–AZ
Legislative record
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Became Public Law No: 108-317.
Became Public Law No: 108-317.
Signed by President.
Signed by President.
Presented to President.
Presented to President.
Message on Senate action sent to the House.
Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S9326)
Passed/agreed to in Senate: Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.(consideration: CR S9326)
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 469.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Domenici without amendment. With written report No. 108-252.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Domenici without amendment. With written report No. 108-252.
Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H523-525)
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H523-525)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2696.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H523-526)
Mr. Renzi moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 228.
Committee on Agriculture discharged.
Committee on Agriculture discharged.
House Committee on Agriculture Granted an extension for further consideration ending not later than Nov. 21, 2003.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Resources. H. Rept. 108-397, Part I.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Resources. H. Rept. 108-397, Part I.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Unanimous Consent.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health Discharged.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health.
Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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.
Referred to the Committee on Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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