Executive Order 13855: Promoting Active Management of America's Forests, Rangelands, and Other Federal Lands To Improve Conditions and Reduce Wildfire Risk
President: Donald J. Trump
Directed Interior and Agriculture to pursue specified forest and rangeland management targets, including fuel reduction and timber work, subject to environmental and land-management law.
Status: In effect. Sources: Official source.
Is Executive Order 13855 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13855 of December 21, 2018 remains unrevoked and has no sunset date. Its forest-management directions extend beyond the initial 2019 acreage targets: section 2(b) directs agencies to consider annual treatment objectives meeting or exceeding those targets.
What does Executive Order 13855 do?
EO 13855 instructed agencies to increase vegetation management, streamline environmental review where lawful and coordinate with states and tribes on wildfire-risk reduction. Later administrations changed the land-management framework.
Later evidence reviewed September 24, 2026: A later presidential order establishing a wildland-fire policy committee expressly stated that agencies had implemented EO 13855 and set further coordination work. That statement does not establish completion of every acreage target. EO 13976 wildland-fire policy committee.
Before and after
Before the order
Federal land agencies managed vegetation and wildfire risks under existing programs.
After the order
A later presidential order establishing a wildland-fire policy committee expressly stated that agencies had implemented EO 13855 and set further coordination work. That statement does not establish completion of every acreage target.
Who had to do what
| Agency / official | What the signed order directed | Deadline / timing |
|---|---|---|
| Secretary of the Interior | Develop wildfire goals and implementation plans; coordinate post-fire restoration; streamline fuel-reduction procedures using lawful exclusions and shorter consultation processes; expand appropriate drone use with FAA; develop performance metrics, identify salvage options, and expand Good Neighbor agreements and stewardship contracts. Jointly prepare a wildfire strategy covering high-risk lands, costs, designations, markets, products, infrastructure, consultation and NEPA procedures; work with EPA on regulatory barriers. Consider 2019 targets of 750,000 fuel-treatment acres, 500,000 water/flood/erosion-treatment acres, 750,000 native/invasive-species acres, forest-health treatment associated with 600 million board feet offered for sale, and road maintenance. | Consider specified 2019 objectives and equal-or-higher later annual targets; salvage options by March 31, 2019; joint strategy by December 31, 2020; immediately prioritize shorter ESA consultation. |
| Secretary of Agriculture | Develop wildfire goals and implementation plans; coordinate post-fire restoration; streamline fuel-reduction procedures using lawful exclusions and shorter consultation processes; expand appropriate drone use with FAA; develop performance metrics, identify salvage options, and expand Good Neighbor agreements and stewardship contracts. Jointly prepare a wildfire strategy covering high-risk lands, costs, designations, markets, products, infrastructure, consultation and NEPA procedures; work with EPA on regulatory barriers. Consider 2019 Forest Service targets of 3.5 million fuel-treatment acres, 2.2 million water/flood/erosion-treatment acres, 750,000 native/invasive-species acres, forest-health treatment associated with at least 3.8 billion board feet offered for sale, and road maintenance. | Consider specified 2019 objectives and equal-or-higher later annual targets; salvage options by March 31, 2019; joint strategy by December 31, 2020; immediately prioritize shorter ESA consultation. |
| Federal Aviation Administration Administrator | Coordinate with Interior and Agriculture to maximize appropriate drone use for forest management, firefighting and post-fire rehabilitation. | No separate deadline stated. |
| Environmental Protection Agency Administrator | Work with Interior and Agriculture to identify environmental regulatory barriers, policy alignment opportunities and redundant procedures. | As part of the joint strategy due December 31, 2020. |
Source: Signed Federal Register text.
What happened next
EO 13855 signed; its Federal Register publication followed.
A later presidential order establishing a wildland-fire policy committee expressly stated that agencies had implemented EO 13855 and set further coordination work. That statement does not establish completion of every acreage target.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The Federal Register record identifies EO 13855, its title and signing date. A later presidential order establishing a wildland-fire policy committee expressly stated that agencies had implemented EO 13855 and set further coordination work. That statement does not establish completion of every acreage target. The linked source supports this particular later event; it does not establish every present legal or operational effect.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 24, 2026. How we research →