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H.R. 4516: Protecting and Restoring Our Trees by Enhancing Conservation and Treatments Act

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H.R. 4516: Protecting and Restoring Our Trees by Enhancing Conservation and Treatments Act

117th Congress · introduced 2021-07-19 · Environmental Protection · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2021-07-19 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Garcia, Mike [R-CA-25] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Protecting and Restoring Our Trees by Enhancing Conservation and Treatments Act

Plain summary

Protecting and Restoring Our Trees by Enhancing Conservation and Treatments Act or the PROTECT Act This bill categorically excludes forest management activities carried out on specified public lands from requirements to conduct environmental assessments and environmental impact statements. In order to be excluded from environmental review, the primary purposes of such activities must be to address insect or disease infestations, reduce hazardous fuel loads, protect municipal water sources, protect critical habitats from catastrophic disturbances, increase water yield, remove dead or dying trees or trees at high risk of dying, or facilitate native species restoration. The bill limits the categorical exclusion to activities that manage up to 10,000 acres of land. However, activities that manage up to 30,000 acres of land may be categorically excluded from environmental review if the activities are developed through a collaborative process, proposed by certain resource advisory committees, or covered by community wildfire protection plans.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Protecting and Restoring Our Trees by Enhancing Conservation and Treatments Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Garcia, Mike [R-CA-25] · 14 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Cliff Bentz (R-OR), Jay Obernolte (R-CA), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Thomas P. Tiffany (R-WI), David G. Valadao (R-CA), Ken Calvert (R-CA), Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Andy Biggs (R-AZ)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong117-hr4516 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117