3.0.0 1731 2023-01-11T13:38:47Z 2023-01-11T13:38:47Z Senate S 2017-08-02 115 ssev00 Environment and Public Works Committee Senate Standing Hearings by 2017-09-27T14:00:36Z Referred to 2017-08-02T22:52:03Z Wildfire Prevention and Mitigation Act of 2017 115 2068 S 2017-11-02 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. Related bill CRS 2017-09-27 ssev00 Environment and Public Works Committee Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 115-112. Committee 2017-08-02 ssev00 Environment and Public Works Committee Senate Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works. IntroReferral 2017-08-02 Introduced in Senate IntroReferral 10000 9 Library of Congress T000250 Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] John Thune R SD R. N Public Lands and Natural Resources Alternative dispute resolution, mediation, arbitration Civil actions and liability Environmental assessment, monitoring, research Forests, forestry, trees Insects Judicial review and appeals Legal fees and court costs Pest management Watersheds Wildlife conservation and habitat protection Public Lands and Natural Resources 00 2017-08-02 Introduced in Senate 2018-04-19T21:55:46Z Forest Management Improvement Act of 2017

This bill makes categorical exclusions, from requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) to conduct environmental assessment and environmental impact statements, available to the Forest Service to conduct forest management activities on up to 10,000 acres of National Forest System land for each exclusion to:

  • create early seral habitat forests;
  • improve wildlife habitats;
  • commercially thin forest stands on suited timberlands; and
  • salvage trees that are dead and/or dying and were damaged by such events as wind, fire, or construction.

For a forest management activity, the Forest Service:

  • in an NEPA-prepared environmental impact statement, shall study, develop, and describe only the activity and the alternative of no action; and
  • in an NEPA-prepared environmental assessment, shall not be required to study, develop, and describe the alternative of no action.

The bill makes permanent the authority to designate, at state request, treatment areas in national forests that are experiencing an insect or disease epidemic.

The bill revises authorities for watershed restoration and protection services.

The Department of Agriculture shall establish a pilot arbitration program under which specified forest management projects challenged in a civil action may be designated for an alternative dispute resolution procedure instead of judicial review.

]]> Forest Management Improvement Act of 2017 Display Title Forest Management Improvement Act of 2017 Short Titles as Introduced Forest Management Improvement Act of 2017 Official Title as Introduced A bill to address the forest health crisis on National Forest System land, and for other purposes. Introduced in Senate 2017-08-02T04:00:00Z https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-115s1731is/xml/BILLS-115s1731is.xml 2017-09-27 Committee on Environment and Public Works. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 115-112. 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. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress This file contains bill summaries and statuses for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.