[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3948 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3948

 To improve implementation of the National Fire Plan on Federal lands 
  managed by the Forest Service and agencies of the Department of the 
                               Interior.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 12, 2002

 Mr. Udall of Colorado (for himself, Mr. Hefley, and Mr. Udall of New 
   Mexico) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
     Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To improve implementation of the National Fire Plan on Federal lands 
  managed by the Forest Service and agencies of the Department of the 
                               Interior.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS, PURPOSE, AND DEFINITIONS.

    (a) Findings.--The Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) A primary purpose of the National Fire Plan is to 
        reduce the risk of severe wild fires in the areas, known as the 
        ``wildland/urban interface'', where communities adjoin or 
        intermingle with Federal public lands.
            (2) Substantial amounts of funds have been appropriated to 
        the Forest Service and agencies of the Department of the 
        Interior to implement the National Fire Plan.
            (3) The Comptroller General has found that implementation 
        of the National Fire Plan still lacks clearly defined and 
        effective leadership and that the Forest Service and agencies 
        of the Department of the Interior do not have adequate data for 
        making informed decisions and for measuring their progress.
            (4) In a December 2001 report to the Secretary of the 
        Interior, the National Academy of Public Information 
        recommended establishment of an interagency council to 
        implement both the Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy and 
        the National Fire Plan.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to improve implementation 
of the National Fire Plan with respect to reducing the buildup of 
vegetative fuels in the wildland/urban interface.
    (c) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Federal public lands.--The term ``Federal public 
        lands'' means lands managed by the Forest Service or an agency 
        of the Department of the Interior.
            (2) National fire plan.--The term ``National Fire Plan'' 
        means the plans, strategies, projects, and activities of the 
        Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior to 
        respond to adverse impacts on communities and the environment 
        from wildfires on Federal public lands, which are based on and 
        reflect the following:
                    (A) The report of the Secretary of Agriculture and 
                the Secretary of the Interior entitled ``Managing the 
                Impact of Wildfires on Communities and the 
                Environment'', dated September 8, 2000.
                    (B) Congressional direction accompanying 
                appropriations to the Department of Agriculture and the 
                Department of the Interior for wildland fire management 
                for fiscal year 2001 and subsequent years.
            (3) Wildlife/urban interface.--The term ``wildland/urban 
        interface'' means a geographic area where--
                    (A) homes and other structures are immediately 
                adjacent to or intermixed with Federal public lands 
                containing flammable vegetation;
                    (B) the conditions on such lands are conducive to 
                large-scale disturbance events; and
                    (C) there is a significant probability of a fire 
                ignition and a resulting spread of the disturbance 
                event.

SEC. 2. INTERAGENCY COUNCIL TO COORDINATE IMPLEMENTATION OF NATIONAL 
              FIRE PLAN.

    (a) Establishment and Membership.--The Secretary of the Interior 
and the Secretary of Agriculture shall establish an interagency council 
to coordinate implementation of the National Fire Plan. The council 
shall include at a minimum the following members, or their designees:
            (1) The Chief of the Forest Service.
            (2) The Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Indian 
        Affairs.
            (3) The Director of the Bureau of Land Management.
            (4) The Director of the National Park Service.
            (5) The Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife 
        Service.
    (b) Duties.--
            (1) Criteria to identify affected communities.--Not later 
        than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
        council shall define consistent criteria to identify the 
        communities within the wildland/urban interface that are most 
        at risk from severe wildfires.
            (2) Goals and objectives of plan.--The council shall 
        establish clearly defined and outcome-oriented goals and 
        objectives for agencies responsible for implementation of the 
        National Fire Plan.
            (3) Measurement of results.--The council shall establish 
        quantifiable annual and long-term performance measures to 
        assess progress in reducing the risks to communities identified 
        pursuant to criteria required by paragraph (1).
            (4) Long-term implementation strategy.--The council shall 
        develop a comprehensive long-term strategy for implementation 
        of the National Fire Plan that incorporates the criteria, goals 
        and objectives, and performance measures defined or established 
        under paragraphs (1), (2), and (3).
            (5) Use of removed materials.--The council shall provide 
        for collection of data necessary to assist the Secretary of 
        Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to determine the 
        most effective and appropriate methods of utilizing fuel 
        materials removed from Federal public lands covered by the 
        National Fire Plan.
    (c) Consultation.--In defining the criteria and establishing the 
goals and objectives required by subsection (b), the council shall 
consult with appropriate State, local, and tribal officials and shall 
provide an opportunity for receipt and consideration of public comments 
and suggestions.

SEC. 3. FOCUS OF FUEL-REDUCTION EFFORTS.

    In implementing the National Fire Plan, the Secretary of 
Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior shall assure that--
            (1) in conducting fuel-reduction efforts, priority is given 
        to the communities identified pursuant to the criteria required 
        by section 2(b)(1); and
            (2) no other projects to reduce fuels are carried out in a 
        State until all necessary fuel-reduction efforts with respect 
        to such communities in that State are completed.

SEC. 4. PROGRESS REPORT.

    Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior 
shall submit to Congress a report on the steps taken to implement this 
Act.
                                 <all>