113 HR 1345 IH: Catastrophic Wildfire Prevention Act of 2013
U.S. House of Representatives
2013-03-21
text/xml
EN
Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.
1.Short title and table of
contents
(a)This Act may be cited
as the Catastrophic Wildfire
Prevention Act of 2013
.
(b)The table of contents of this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title and table of contents.
Sec. 2. Purposes.
Title I—Reauthorizing and expanding authorities used for
hazardous fuels reduction, forest health, forest restoration, and watershed
restoration.
Sec. 101. Stewardship end result contracting
authority.
Sec. 102. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management
good-neighbor cooperation.
Sec. 103. Clarification of Flame Wildfire Suppression Reserve
Fund authority.
Title II—Expedited process for the implementation of wildfire
prevention projects near at-risk communities.
Sec. 201. Definitions.
Sec. 202. Eligible wildfire prevention projects.
Sec. 203. Environmental analysis.
Sec. 204. Administrative and judicial review.
2.The purposes of this Act are as
follows:
(1)Provide the Secretary of Agriculture and
the Secretary of the Interior the tools to reduce the potential for
wildfires.
(2)Expedite wildfire
prevention projects to reduce the chances of wildfire on certain high-risk
Federal lands.
(3)Reduce threats to
endangered species from wildfires.
<enum>I</enum><header>Reauthorizing and
expanding authorities used for hazardous fuels reduction, forest health, forest
restoration, and watershed restoration.</header>
<section id="H0FA729D33EDA46BAA8A4C797FF9AADB6"><enum>101.</enum><header>Stewardship end
result contracting authority</header>
<subsection id="HD4B31BA2FB134620AB40C4D94A270E39"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Extension of
authority</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subsection (a) of
section 347 of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act, 1999 (as contained in section 101(e) of division A of
<external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/105/277">Public Law 105–277</external-xref>; <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/2104">16 U.S.C. 2104</external-xref> note), as most recently amended by section
323 of <external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/108/7">Public Law 108–7</external-xref> (117 Stat. 275), is amended by striking <quote>Until
September 30, 2013</quote> and inserting <quote>Until September 30,
2023</quote>.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H33AF379AFB634D34A308C61B022C709E"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Contract
duration</header><text>Subsection (c)(2) of such section is amended by striking
<quote>10 years</quote> and inserting <quote>20 years</quote>.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H6628D918B12A401BA73A9148D078F123"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Cancellation or
termination costs</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subsection
(c) of such section is amended by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HB2A9A2ED95B848CD8D13724BC2DBBBAF" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="HBD69CDF6D0A2473392E814D8DD1674F7"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Cancellation or
termination costs</header>
<subparagraph id="H1AF0148E44CB4A1E9E9D3AB2339B2374"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In
general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Notwithstanding
<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/41/3903">section 3903</external-xref> of title 41, United States Code, the Secretary of Agriculture and
the Secretary of the Interior are not required to obligate funds to cover the
cost of cancelling or terminating a multiyear stewardship contract or agreement
until such contract or agreement is cancelled or terminated.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HCDD74DD555F64A1D8CD884A854AB6660"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Funding
sources</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The costs of
cancelling or terminating of a multiyear stewardship contract or agreement may
be paid from—</text>
<clause id="H66996BC34B314ADF895FE400E1117412"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">appropriations originally made available
for the performance of the contract or agreement;</text>
</clause><clause id="HF686B14C7632488C84109292E1F371A4"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">appropriations currently available for
procurement of the type of service concerned, and not otherwise obligated;
or</text>
</clause><clause id="H4BA7AE1D03A74B1790B08250D7EF5C23"><enum>(iii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">funds appropriated for payments for that
performance or procurement.</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HC5F0C5BDA88C40B39126E3F6A1B39CBC"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Anti-Deficiency
Act violations</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In a case in
which payment or obligation of funds under this paragraph would constitute a
violation of <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/31/1341">section 1341</external-xref> of title 31, United States Code (commonly known as
the Anti-Deficiency Act), the Secretary may—</text>
<clause id="H50BCB2D0B238481188216CEE5946CB25"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">seek a supplemental appropriation;
or</text>
</clause><clause id="H049013F9C0394CAAA444B5BC0AA5FAE4"><enum>(ii)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">request funds from the permanent judgment
appropriation established pursuant to section 1304 of such
title.</text>
</clause></subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection><subsection id="HC2C076382B5A4B18ACE5F767FA635B3E"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Payments to
counties</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subsection (d) of
such section is amended by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:</text>
<quoted-block display-inline="no-display-inline" id="HC0AA7A7437B44B15B6557658C7A1E93D" style="OLC">
<paragraph id="H50A645D0C6364BE7A9C820F5588D8D62"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Payments to
counties</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">25 percent of timber
sale receipts from a contract or agreement entered into under the authority of
this section and after the date of the enactment of this paragraph shall be
paid to the county within whose boundaries the receipts are derived. Payments
to a county made under this paragraph shall be in addition to the amounts
received under <external-xref legal-doc="usc-chapter" parsable-cite="usc-chapter/31/69">chapter 69</external-xref> of title 31, United States Code (Payment in Lieu of
Taxes; 31 U.S.C. 6901 et
seq.).</text>
</paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block>
</subsection></section><section id="H8CF55D255C8F486E973EB4D7CE630307"><enum>102.</enum><header>Forest Service
and Bureau of Land Management good-neighbor cooperation</header>
<subsection id="H10E2729A174A4D94847DC8D62FC0A623"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In this section:</text>
<paragraph id="HB4AF9BD8E14F435C90540ADCAB7B094C"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Eligible
State</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>eligible
State</term> means a State that contains National Forest System land or Bureau
of Land Management land.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H98CCCA75B4A14327B99D0FC725EE01A5"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Federal
land</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>Federal
land</term> means—</text>
<subparagraph id="H918CA3607142402BBA2787162E76F13A"><enum>(A)</enum><text>land of the
National Forest System (as defined in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland
Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/1609">16 U.S.C. 1609(a)</external-xref>)); or</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H542CDE7CBCC34FFBBC85725686C16CFF"><enum>(B)</enum><text>public lands (as
defined in section 103 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976
(<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/43/1702">43 U.S.C. 1702</external-xref>)).</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H82056108623145BBB27B49AD58C7B5EC"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Secretary
concerned</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term
<term>Secretary concerned</term> means—</text>
<subparagraph id="H0B9B7ACBB7E04A339A57C7774EE5159E"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the Secretary of
Agriculture, in the case of National Forest System land; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H56006EA7C6564B1AA6C6CCFFEB367D70"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the Secretary of
the Interior, in the case of public lands administered by the Secretary of
Interior through the Bureau of Land Management.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HD4DED9CDF04F401383434F4764AFFCA9"><enum>(4)</enum><header>State
Forester</header><text>The term <term>State Forester</term> means the head of a
State agency with jurisdiction over State forestry programs in an eligible
State.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H222AD5FC111C44E9B60EB27799D6909B"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Cooperative
agreements and contracts</header>
<paragraph id="HFA98ED00971A483B856D9429AE8CB9EF"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text>The Secretary concerned may enter into a cooperative
agreement or contract (including a sole source contract) with a State Forester
to authorize the State Forester to provide the forest, rangeland, and watershed
restoration and protection services described in paragraph (2) on Federal lands
administered by the Secretary concerned, in the eligible State.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HC564DA0A27FD4E72ACBCD1423F6B33D8"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Authorized
services</header><text>The forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration and
protection services referred to in paragraph (1) include the conduct of—</text>
<subparagraph id="HEAFBE60B60D64288975F9FB9AC78B18D"><enum>(A)</enum><text>activities to
treat insect infected trees;</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H415A1C5281984948847BD135F6001B53"><enum>(B)</enum><text>activities to
reduce hazardous fuels; or</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H15DD1DB91AF3438E819782EE9196BE1B"><enum>(C)</enum><text>any other
activities determined by the Secretary concerned to appropriate to restore or
improve forest, rangeland, and watershed health, including fish and wildlife
habitat.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H79444E993EA84743851D21353769E204"><enum>(3)</enum><header>State as
agent</header><text>Except as provided in paragraph (6), a cooperative
agreement or contract entered into under paragraph (1) may authorize the State
Forester to serve as the agent for the Secretary concerned in providing the
restoration and protection services authorized under that paragraph.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H90A6C9E52D074FBF8F7DD1AA99FF5D23"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Subcontracts</header><text>In
accordance with applicable contract procedures for the eligible State, a State
Forester may enter into subcontracts to provide the restoration and protection
services authorized under a cooperative agreement or contract entered into
under paragraph (1).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H68AC9F6BFB7D4FE2AE7C3CC9B6BE31C0"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Timber
sales</header><text>Subsections (d) and (g) of section 14 of the National
Forest Management Act of 1976 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/472a">16 U.S.C. 472a</external-xref>) shall not apply to services
performed under a cooperative agreement or contract entered into under
paragraph (1).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HB921A8EA904E4C42B1FFD7D9FE0C94EC"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Retention of
NEPA responsibilities</header><text>Any decision required to be made under the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/4321">42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.</external-xref>) with respect
to any restoration and protection services to be provided under this section by
a State Forester on Federal land, shall not be delegated to a State Forester or
any other officer or employee of the eligible State.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H903FED066A864B75863887920EF136E1"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Applicable
law</header><text>The restoration and protection services to be provided under
this section shall be carried out on a project-to-project basis under existing
applicable authorities of the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land
Management.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HE4BDB72B84C943ED9D1848464097D7E4"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Termination of
effectiveness</header><text>The authority of the Secretary concerned to enter
into cooperative agreements and contracts under this Act terminates on
September 30, 2023.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HF72905528E9D40ED9AFFDA466CFFF1EF"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Duration of
contracts</header><text>A cooperative agreement or contract entered into under
this Act shall not extend beyond 20 years.</text>
</subsection></section><section id="H25AF86CC179B4FCBA9F1198591DD7A2D"><enum>103.</enum><header>Clarification
of Flame Wildfire Suppression Reserve Fund authority</header>
<subsection id="H3777FBB7547C488C92A756E80FCF2A2A"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Clarification</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 502(c) of the Federal Land
Assistance, Management, and Enhancement Act of 2009 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/43/1748a">43 U.S.C. 1748a(c)</external-xref>) is
amended by inserting <quote>and burn area responses, including flood
prevention,</quote> after <quote>events</quote>.</text>
</subsection></section><enum>II</enum><header>Expedited process
for the implementation of wildfire prevention projects near at-risk
communities.</header>
<section id="H7A4772769DA54AEAA77CC4F7910C3954"><enum>201.</enum><header>Definitions</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">In this title:</text>
<paragraph id="H1BCF5A3ACE294412BD4303D8DC8B96EC"><enum>(1)</enum><header>At-risk
community</header><text>The term <term>at-risk community</term> has the meaning
given that term in section 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003
(<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/6511">16 U.S.C. 6511</external-xref>).</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H258DCE974411455197B83E60BF86809E"><enum>(2)</enum><header>At-risk
forest</header><text>The term <term>at-risk forest</term> means—</text>
<subparagraph id="HE56EEE6D52704182A7893912AFBC44F4"><enum>(A)</enum><text>Federal land in
condition class II or III, as those classes were developed by the Forest
Service Rocky Mountain Research Station in the general technical report titled
<term>Development of Coarse-Scale Spatial Data for Wildland Fire and Fuel
Management</term> (RMRS–87) and dated April 2000 or any subsequent revision of
the report; or</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HB2D6ADEFC8E544379DD00741442F3430"><enum>(B)</enum><text>Federal land where
there exists a high risk of losing an at-risk community, key ecosystem, water
supply, wildlife, or wildlife habitat to wildfire, including catastrophic
wildfire and post-fire disturbances, as designated by the Secretary
concerned.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HC4C8E11C4CC6489BB63B702C5A15DD9D"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Federal
land</header>
<subparagraph id="HE40607CB4FED44A29D9D00C7D292B5B1"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Covered
land</header><text>The term <term>Federal land</term> means—</text>
<clause id="H4083E0CF382A4925AC92C26ADBF7AAB2"><enum>(i)</enum><text>land
of the National Forest System (as defined in section 11(a) of the Forest and
Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/1609">16 U.S.C. 1609(a)</external-xref>));
or</text>
</clause><clause id="HB5EFE6CBC6B04263859994D2D586FD8D"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>public lands (as
defined in section 103 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976
(<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/43/1702">43 U.S.C. 1702</external-xref>)).</text>
</clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HB434D52D43B34257ADD3C5B130BCA637"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Excluded
land</header><text>The term does not include land in which the removal of
vegetation is specifically prohibited by Federal law unless the land is in an
inventoried roadless area or Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs).</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H794E0FCAC9BF49C4A64E403ABDB8760F"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Secretary
concerned</header><text>The term <term>Secretary concerned</term> means—</text>
<subparagraph id="H15A53FE2C4424A02A4E6C7C73F4F8949"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the Secretary of
Agriculture, in the case of National Forest System land; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H1D4AD63532AE4A5B867736C7B0898A3A"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the Secretary of
the Interior, in the case of public lands administered by the Secretary of
Interior through the Bureau of Land Management.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H08F23D66C2F34120B7EC88C6EE5A7D41"><enum>(5)</enum><header>Threatened and
endangered species habitat</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term threatened and endangered species
habitat means Federal land where natural fire regimes are identified as being
important for, or unnatural wildfire is identified as a threat to, an
endangered species, a threatened species, or habitat of an endangered species
or threatened species.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HA8B084D0DC324D52BF75B272C4F9FD9E"><enum>(6)</enum><header>Eligible
wildfire prevention project</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The term <term>eligible wildfire prevention
project</term> means the measures and methods developed for a project to be
carried out on Federal land or on threatened and endangered species habitat by
the Secretary concerned for hazardous fuels reduction, forest health, forest
restoration, watershed restoration, or threatened and endangered species
habitat protection using ecological restoration principles consistent with the
forest type where such project will occur.</text>
</paragraph></section><section id="H13626A324CAE475BA8DEBF809A94E284"><enum>202.</enum><header>Eligible
wildfire prevention projects</header>
<subsection id="H90D40A729C7A42E68444E4D43441E562"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Implementation</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">As soon as practicable after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall implement eligible
wildfire prevention projects in at-risk forests and on threatened and
endangered species habitat in a manner that focuses on surface, ladder, and
canopy fuels reduction activities using ecological restoration principles
consistent with the forest type in the location where such project will
occur.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H314DBCB80659405CAD26D8CB1B8562BB"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Project
elements</header>
<paragraph id="H431F44DD704B4BAB871089A7996F6D63"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Threatened and
endangered species habitat</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Wildfire prevention projects carried out on
threatened and endangered species habitat shall be carried out to provide
enhanced protection from wildfire, including unnatural wildfire, for the
endangered species, threatened species, or habitat of the endangered species or
threatened species.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H4A7DACCC925144BD92FB279F498D59CE"><enum>(2)</enum><header>At-risk
forests</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In the case of an
eligible wildfire prevention project carried out in an at-risk forest, the
project shall be carried out to move Federal land in condition class II or III
toward condition class I, using ecological restoration principles consistent
with the forest type in the location where such project will occur.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H644969FDF63E4B43BC46B3888CD48F3D"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Authorized
practices</header>
<paragraph id="HBA831A18E3104A23883015440DA74A8E"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In
general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An eligible wildfire
prevention project may include livestock grazing and timber harvest projects
carried out for the purposes of hazardous fuels reduction, forest health,
forest restoration, watershed restoration, or threatened and endangered species
habitat protection or improvement, if the management action is consistent with
achieving long-term ecological restoration of the forest type in the location
where such project will occur.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H9ABCD4799265427EAE16DBAF433BD918"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Grazing</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Domestic livestock grazing may be used in
an eligible wildfire prevention project to reduce surface fuel loads and to
recover burned areas. Utilization standards shall not apply when domestic
livestock grazing is used in an eligible wildfire prevention project.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="HCCEBFD9C48F44DD1BD302194392A66D5"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Timber
harvesting and thinning</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Timber harvesting and thinning, where the
ecological restoration principles are consistent with the forest type in the
location where such project will occur, may be used in an eligible wildfire
prevention project to reduce ladder and canopy fuel loads to prevent unnatural
fire.</text>
</paragraph></subsection><subsection id="H6D85516906AD4713A2CE8D989DE4477C"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Relation to land
and resource management plans and land use plan</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Nothing in this section requires the
Secretary concerned, as a condition of conducting an eligible wildfire
prevention project, to revise or amend the land and resource management plan
applicable to the National Forest System lands or the land use plan applicable
to the public lands on which the project will be conducted.</text>
</subsection></section><section id="HE9D5CA705B3A4D5D9D5232777ABFF874"><enum>203.</enum><header>Environmental
analysis</header>
<subsection id="H759B8B08196E4E0ABEE135D25C4697BA"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Analysis of
proposed action and no action alternative</header>
<paragraph id="H6D54CDB7141841CE9D7863BF554032CC"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Environmental
assessment or environmental impact statement required</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For each proposed eligible wildfire
prevention project, the Secretary concerned shall—</text>
<subparagraph id="H6111C8536C8C43C099DDD621405ABFCD"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">study, develop, and describe the proposed
action and the no action alternative; and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HEC6AADD7C3EA44CFBD77C4F8BB752D1F"><enum>(B)</enum><text>prepare an
environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement pursuant to
section 102(2) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C.
4332(2)).</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HE52A6672AF4D46B1B08ED696B6454C6A"><enum>(2)</enum><header>No requirement
for alternative action study</header><text>Except as provided in subsection
(b), the Secretary concerned is not required to study, develop, or describe any
alternative actions, other than the no action alternative, to the proposed
agency action.</text>
</paragraph><paragraph id="H2C2B939B754F4D6A99FC55AFCCA94894"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Deadlines for
completion</header>
<subparagraph id="H96DD753E3A48413498A1E9C9435A7E73"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Environmental
assessment deadline</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An
environmental assessment prepared for a proposed eligible wildfire prevention
project shall be completed within 60 days of the commencement of preparation of
the assessment.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H50ADB3DC4BD1493A8547B9D8D055EA32"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Environmental
impact statement deadline</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">An
environmental impact statement prepared for a proposed eligible wildfire
prevention project shall be completed within 90 days of the commencement of
preparation of the environmental impact statement.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H512982A8219C4B91BE7CEF73B0EB47F4"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Effect of
failure to meet deadline</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The
proposed eligible wildfire prevention project shall be deemed compliant with
all requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 if the
Secretary concerned fails to meet the specified deadline.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="H1C417012B1154F9B8EF0EB40DA681E8D"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Environmental
analysis duration</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The
environmental assessment of an authorized practice utilized in an eligible
wildfire prevention project shall be deemed sufficient for a minimum of—</text>
<subparagraph id="HA15EA7EB06074C6FBB22DDC811D52098"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">10 years in the case of a livestock grazing
project; or</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HA7EFCD60519A4A2DAAC61740E41B686D"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">20 years in the case of a timber harvest
project.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="HE2A0932011204BFC9707EB3D14A90D8D"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Categorical
exclusion</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">If an eligible
wildfire prevention project, located in a at-risk area, involves the removal of
insect-infected trees or other hazardous fuels within 500 feet of utility or
communications infrastructure, campgrounds, roadsides, heritage sites,
recreation sites, schools, or other infrastructure, that project is
categorically excluded from the requirement to prepare an environmental
assessment or an environmental impact statement under the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/4321">42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.</external-xref>) if the project will
otherwise be conducted consistent with the relevant agency or department’s
procedures and the applicable land and resource management plan or land use
plan.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HBEE21531EC7B46518BAB867F0ED94AE8"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Environmental
analysis generally</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Except as
otherwise provided in this Act, the Secretary concerned shall comply with the
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/4321">42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.</external-xref>) and other
applicable laws in planning and conducting an eligible wildfire prevention
project.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="HEA6904C42C384FE1968E78B4F5C7D3A1"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Interagency
cooperation</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The informal
consultation requirements of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531
et seq.), as codified in <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/50/402">section 402.05</external-xref> of title 50, Code of Federal
Regulations shall apply to an eligible wildfire prevention project.</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H6F7BDB401FDE404080A357E0A4F89871"><enum>(e)</enum><header>Effect of
compliance</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Compliance with
this section shall be deemed to satisfy the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/42/4331">42 U.S.C. 4331 et seq.</external-xref>), section 14 of the
National Forest Management Act of 1976 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/472a">16 U.S.C. 472a</external-xref>), the Endangered Species
Act of 1973 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/1531">16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.</external-xref>), and the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act
of 1960 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/528">16 U.S.C. 528 et seq.</external-xref>).</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H986E312F27444C9EB2B3AA48A7507D8E"><enum>(f)</enum><header>Effect of a
wildfire emergency</header>
<paragraph id="H79A01E79C27E4861866B7B3FEE267EA8"><enum>(1)</enum><header>Council on
environmental quality</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The
Secretary concerned, pursuant to <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/40/1506">section 1506.11</external-xref> of title 40, Code of Federal
Regulations, shall request the Council on Environmental Quality to develop and
approve alternative arrangements for the proposed wildfire prevention project
if—</text>
<subparagraph id="H347BD05563954D5A92A56E3C9064C863"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">the county in which the proposed eligible
wildfire prevention project is to be carried out declares a state of emergency
because of wildfire or the threat of wildfire in consultation with the State
Forester or equivalent State official of the State containing the county;
and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H9CB2951406214FCBA95FB1562D0A726D"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">a categorical exclusion is unavailable for
a proposed eligible wildfire prevention project.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HB4862FC8883044C5870F5EC88208B2CC"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Mandatory
information</header><text>When requesting alternative arrangements under
paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall transmit to the Council on
Environmental Quality the following information:</text>
<subparagraph id="HD554457F47EB4BCBB0B53D5019FCC3E2"><enum>(A)</enum><text>A description of
the proposed eligible project.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="HF51F33B6A9CE4F328BE6D82333F772CC"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">The condition of forest fuels within or
near the proposed eligible wildfire prevention project.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H21E1BFFEE63C4A9292F5F7CEAF8C676C"><enum>(C)</enum><text>The threat to
public safety, welfare, infrastructure, watersheds, wildlife habitat, or other
vital assets due to the accumulation of forest fuels and the associated risk of
extreme fire that the proposed eligible project is to relieve.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H3B16C950D61047178E5BE4DB6D911A48"><enum>(D)</enum><text>The degree to
which delaying the implementation of the proposed eligible project will
increase the risk of serious harm to public safety, welfare, infrastructure,
watersheds, wildlife habitat, or other vital assets due to the accumulation of
forest fuels and the associated risk of extreme fire.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H2B95057DEC084B268FB460F1CB856477"><enum>(E)</enum><text>Any other
information the Secretary concerned determines relevant.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HD6959046A29E420691F8D3EC9A4624E0"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Deadline for
alternative arrangements</header>
<subparagraph id="H33D64C019C1B43ED9B83A0F127B76490"><enum>(A)</enum><header>Deadline</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Not later than 15 days after receipt of a
request under paragraph (1) for approval of alternative arrangements for a
proposed eligible wildfire prevention project, the Council on Environmental
Quality shall submit to the Secretary concerned the alternative arrangements
under which the Secretary may proceed immediately and to completion of the
proposed wildfire prevention project.</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H7025F1A6A3B04F05B0CBDE3965EFFB3F"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Failure to
comply</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">If the Council on
Environmental Quality fails to comply with the deadline in subparagraph (A),
the Secretary concerned shall proceed immediately and to completion of the
proposed eligible wildfire prevention project notwithstanding any other
provision of law, including the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42
U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the National Forest Management Act (16 U.S.C. 1601 et
seq.).</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="HAD79E7AA8E5C406487947D8A370ECD61"><enum>(4)</enum><header>Administrative
and judicial review</header><text>Actions under this subsection shall not be
subject to—</text>
<subparagraph id="HD697D6337E764AC8B82CE5C1DECE0A45"><enum>(A)</enum><text>the notice,
comment, and appeal requirements of section 322 of <external-xref legal-doc="public-law" parsable-cite="pl/102/381">Public Law 102–381</external-xref> (the
Appeals Reform Act; <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/1612">16 U.S.C. 1612</external-xref> note); and</text>
</subparagraph><subparagraph id="H8ADC923366AC4D0681899E419DD0976A"><enum>(B)</enum><text>judicial review by
any court of the United States.</text>
</subparagraph></paragraph></subsection></section><section id="H8FB0FD1D82D04FD6B399922F58CA98F7"><enum>204.</enum><header>Administrative
and judicial review</header>
<subsection id="H72D60A9377664E648718BD1944EC96F4"><enum>(a)</enum><header>Administrative
review</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Administrative review
of an eligible wildfire prevention project shall occur in accordance with the
special administrative review process established under section 105 of the
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/6515">16 U.S.C. 6515</external-xref>).</text>
</subsection><subsection id="H9B64DB744A934DD5A9962855C67B3944"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Judicial
review</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Judicial review of an
eligible wildfire prevention project shall occur in accordance with section 106
of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (<external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/16/6516">16 U.S.C. 6516</external-xref>).</text>
</subsection></section>