A bill to discourage litigation against the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management relating to land management projects, to require the Secretary of the Interior to develop a categorical exclusion for covered vegetative management activities carried out to establish or improve habitat for greater sage-grouse and mule deer, to address the forest health crisis on National Forest System land, to expedite and prioritize forest management activities to achieve ecosystem restoration objectives, and for other purposes.
Wildfire Prevention and Mitigation Act of 2017
This bill prohibits any further consultation from being required by the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) or the Interior after the approval of land and resource management plans for National Forest System (NFS) lands or land use plans for public lands, respectively, with respect to: (1) the listing of a species as threatened or endangered or a designation of a critical habitat, if such a plan has already been adopted; or (2) any provision of such plan.
Interior shall develop one or more categorical exclusions, from requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 to conduct environmental assessment and environmental impact statements, for specified vegetative management activities that are carried out to establish or improve habitat for the greater sage-grouse or mule deer.
The Forest Service shall prepare an environmental assessment for each ecosystem restoration project, stewardship contracting project, and project under a good neighbor agreement on certain NFS land. Under the assessment, it shall study and describe in each project both the proposed action and a no-action alternative.
The Forest Service shall establish an arbitration pilot program as an alternative dispute resolution process in lieu of judicial review for such projects.
The Forest Service shall prioritize and carry out ecosystem restoration projects to accomplish one or more of specified objectives.
A categorical exclusion is made available for certain forest management activities in order to: (1) expedite specified critical response actions, (2) meet forest plan goals for early seral and early successional forests, (3) improve wildlife habitats, and (4) thin forests.
The bill makes permanent USDA's authority to designate treatment areas that are experiencing an insect or disease epidemic.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Conservation and Forestry.
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Committee on Environment and Public Works. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 115-112.
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Hearings held prior to introduction and/or referral. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 115-227.
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Committee on Environment and Public Works. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 115-112.