1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act of 2023 . 2. Pilot program (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Area of the National Forest System The term area of the National Forest System means all or a portion of a unit of the National Forest System that is located west of the 100th meridian. (2) Pilot program The term pilot program means the pilot program established under subsection (b). (3) Pre-fire-suppression stand density index The term pre-fire-suppression stand density index means an estimate of the naturally occurring or ecologically balanced stand density index of a forest, as developed from historical surveys or appropriate scientific inference, before fire suppression regimens became common practice. (4) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service. (5) Stand density index The term stand density index means an expression of relative stand density based on the predictable relationship between average tree size and trees per unit area in dense stands. (6) Treatment The term treatment means— (A) a mechanical treatment of hazardous fuels; (B) a stewardship end-result contracting project; (C) restoration services; or (D) timber harvesting. (b) Establishment The Secretary shall establish a pilot program under which the Secretary shall— (1) collaborate with State or local forest management agencies— (A) to identify areas of the National Forest System for potential selection under paragraph (3) for inclusion in the pilot program; and (B) to research and establish a pre-fire-suppression stand density index for each area of the National Forest System identified under subparagraph (A); (2) evaluate how closely each pre-fire-suppression stand density index established under paragraph (1)(B) reflects current forest conditions and current published resource management objectives established by the Secretary for the applicable area of the National Forest System