On June 12, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14308, “Empowering Commonsense Wildfire Prevention and Response.” The order cites the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires as an example of the need for faster and more effective response and coordination.

The order directs federal agencies to take steps to improve interagency coordination, evaluate existing rules and policies that may hinder wildfire response, support state and local land-management efforts and evaluate the use of new technologies to enhance wildfire preparedness.

The EO also directs the secretaries of the Interior and of Agriculture to consolidate their respective agencies’ wildland fire programs within 90 days “to achieve the most efficient and effective use of wildland fire offices, coordinating bodies, programs, budgets, procurement processes and research.” It also emphasizes coordination among federal agencies involved in wildfire-related activities, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the departments of Agriculture, Homeland Security, Defense, Interior and Energy, to reevaluate and improve their cross-agency collaboration in wildfire management and response.

The order directs multiple federal agencies to review existing rules and policies that may hinder effective wildfire mitigation. It instructs the secretaries of the Interior and of Agriculture to promote the use of a “risk-informed approach” in developing new policies to support wildfire prevention, year-round response readiness and improved forest health – consistent with earlier EOs on preparedness and timber production. The EO also directs the EPA administrator to consider modifying or rescinding federal rules that impede the use of prescribed burns and instructs the secretary of Agriculture and the EPA administrator, in consultation with the secretary of the Interior, to do the same with respect to the use of fire retardants.

Separately, the secretaries of the Interior and of Agriculture, in consultation with the secretary of Commerce and the heads of agencies represented at the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC), are directed to identify rules that may impede wildfire prevention or response and reflect any resulting rulemaking activity in the Fall 2025 Unified Regulatory Agenda. The EO also encourages the Department of Agriculture, in consultation with the Department of the Interior, to consider promoting innovative uses of woody biomass and forest products to help reduce fuel loads in fire-prone areas.

Wildfire risk to the bulk-power system
The EO also addresses wildfire risk associated with electric-utility infrastructure. It directs the secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture and Energy, along with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), to consider initiating rulemaking proceedings to establish best practices to reduce the risk of wildfire ignition from the bulk-power system. These practices may include vegetation management, removal of forest/ hazardous fuels along transmission lines, improved engineering approaches and safer operational practices. The EO specifies that these actions should not increase costs for electric-power end users.

In addition, it directs the attorney general, in consultation with the secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior, to review pending and proposed wildfire-related litigation involving electric utility companies to ensure that the Department of Justice’s positions align with the wildfire-prevention and mitigation goals outlined in the order.

Finally, the order moves to modernize the response to wildland fires. It directs the secretaries of the Interior and of Agriculture to develop a “technology roadmap” to increase wildfire-fighting capabilities. The Secretary of Defense is instructed to identify and release historical satellite datasets to support wildfire prediction. The EO also calls for new performance metrics for wildfire response – covering response times, fuels treatments, safety and cost-effectiveness – and directs the Defense Department to evaluate the sale of excess aircraft and parts to support mitigation efforts.

Reactions to executive order
The order has prompted a range of reactions from lawmakers and stakeholder organizations. The EO received praise from Congressional Republicans and stakeholder organizations. House Agriculture Subcommittee on Forestry Chair Doug LaMalfa (R-CA-1) said the EO will modernize the “tools available to predict and detect wildfires” and “enhance preparation and preventions efforts.” Representative Vince Fong (R-CA-20) applauded the EO for taking “meaningful action to address ongoing wildfire mismanagement, empower our nation’s firefighters and streamline forest management efforts.”

Outside of Congress, the order has received praise from various organizations. The International Association of Fire Fighters’ (IAFF) applauded the order for recognizing the increasing danger of wildfires and the critical need for modernizing federal response. Likewise, the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) commended the order for “calling for a streamlined, common-sense federal approach to help prevent wildfires before they happen.”

Some organizations offered more qualified reactions. The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) acknowledged the EO’s focus on technology and prescribed fire, but raised concerns about agency capacity, short timelines and overreliance on deregulation. The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) welcomed the EO’s emphasis on local preparedness and stressed the importance of ongoing federal support for state-led wildfire mitigation and response.

Conversely, Congressional Democrats have criticized the EO. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) criticized the order, arguing that instead of focusing on addressing active wildland fires and preparing for the coming fire season, the order merely aims to poorly reorganize the agencies that should be fighting fires.

Several directives in the order carry 90-, 120-, 180- and 210-day deadlines, and more guidance from relevant agencies is expected over the coming months. TCIA will continue to monitor agency actions and provide updates as implementation progresses.

Bailey Graves is a senior associate with Ulman Public Policy, TCIA’s Washington, D.C.-based advocacy and lobbying partner.