To require the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out activities to suppress wildfires, and for other purposes – Strengthens the Forest Service’s ability to carry out wildfire suppression and prevention activities
Strengthen wildfire suppression and prevention activities by the Forest Service.
Occurrences
Evidence
Axios reported that the West entered wildfire season under a major federal firefighting reorganization and noted the Forest Service treated 35% fewer acres for hazardous fuels than the prior year.
The House-engrossed bill states that H.R. 471 would improve forest management on National Forest System lands and other lands, address emergency wildfire risks in high-priority firesheds, expand collaborative tools to reduce wildfire risk, create a Fireshed Center, support hazardous fuels management, and include wildfire suppression personnel and assets in decision-support planning.
Roll Call 25 records H.R. 471, the Fix Our Forests Act, as passed by the House, 279 yea to 141 nay. The roll call lists Zinke, Republican, Montana, as voting Yea.
GovTrack lists H.R. 471 as introduced January 16, 2025, passed House on January 23, 2025, and says it goes to the Senate next for consideration. It also notes a bill must pass both chambers in identical form and be signed by the president to become law.
The House-engrossed text includes provisions for accurate hazardous-fuels reduction reports, a GAO study on Forest Service policies, keeping forest plans current, a Forest Service Western headquarters study, and a Wildland Fire Management Casualty Assistance Program.
Axios reported that the West was entering wildfire season with record-dry conditions and a federal firefighting reorganization, with concerns about readiness. It also reported that the Forest Service treated 35% fewer hazardous-fuels acres nationwide than the prior year, citing an outside analysis.
Assessments
The available record does not show that Ryan Zinke clearly delivered a concrete strengthening of U.S. Forest Service wildfire suppression and prevention activities. The evidence provided points the other way: as of June 8, 2026, reporting described the federal wildfire system as under strain and noted the Forest Service treated fewer hazardous-fuels acres than the prior year. Zinke is a House member, so candidate credit would require evidence that he sponsored, wrote, or materially advanced enacted legislation or another clear federal outcome tied to this promise; that evidence is not established here. Because he remains in active federal office and the current record is too thin to conclude either delivery or definitive failure, the best judgment is unresolved rather than delivered or never.