[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1111 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1111

To promote as a renewable energy source the use of biomass removed from 
 forest lands in connection with hazardous fuel reduction projects on 
             certain Federal land, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 23, 2009

 Mr. Rehberg introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To promote as a renewable energy source the use of biomass removed from 
 forest lands in connection with hazardous fuel reduction projects on 
             certain Federal land, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wildfire Risk Reduction and 
Renewable Biomass Utilization Act''.

SEC. 2. PROMOTION OF USE OF BIOMASS REMOVED THROUGH HAZARDOUS FUEL 
              REDUCTION PROJECTS AS ENERGY SOURCE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) Large-scale insect infestations in several regions of 
        the United States, combined with other factors, such as 
        accumulation of fuel materials, increased settlement in and 
        near forested areas, and prolonged drought, have increased the 
        likelihood of unusually severe wildfires that pose a threat to 
        lives and property in nearby communities.
            (2) The Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (Public Law 
        108-148; 16 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) is intended to facilitate 
        removal of biomass from forest lands, particularly those 
        located within the wildland-urban interface, in order to reduce 
        the fuels for severe wildfires.
            (3) Reducing the risk of severe wildfires would be further 
        facilitated if the biomass removed in connection with hazardous 
        fuel reduction projects under the Healthy Forests Restoration 
        Act of 2003 were considered a source of renewable fuel for 
        purposes of the renewable fuel standard established by subtitle 
        A of title II of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 
        2007 (Public Law 110-140).
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this section is to revise the 
definition of renewable biomass established by section 201 of the 
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 so as to facilitate and 
encourage the use of biomass removed from certain additional forest 
lands as an energy source, in order to reduce the risk of severe 
wildfire to communities, infrastructure, and water supplies.
    (c) Expansion of Definition of Renewable Biomass To Include Certain 
Forest Biomass.--Subparagraph (I) of section 211(o)(1) of the Clean Air 
Act (42 U.S.C. 7545(o)(1)), as amended by section 201 of the Energy 
Independence and Security Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-140; 121 Stat. 
1519), is amended by adding at the end the following new clause:
                            ``(viii) Biomass removed in connection with 
                        an authorized hazardous fuel reduction project, 
                        as defined in paragraph (2) of section 101 of 
                        the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 
                        U.S.C. 6511), from lands within the wildland-
                        urban interface, as defined in paragraph (16) 
                        of such section, except that the term--
                                    ``(I) does not include biomass 
                                removed from Federal land containing 
                                old growth forest or late successional 
                                forest unless the Secretary of the 
                                Interior or the Secretary of 
                                Agriculture, as appropriate, determines 
                                that the removal of organic material 
                                from such land is appropriate for the 
                                applicable forest type and maximizes 
                                the retention of late-successional and 
                                large and old growth trees, late-
                                successional and old growth forest 
                                structure, and late-successional and 
                                old growth forest composition; and
                                    ``(II) does not apply to biomass 
                                removed from Federal land on which the 
                                removal of vegetation is prohibited, 
                                including components of the National 
                                Wilderness Preservation System, 
                                wilderness study areas, inventoried 
                                roadless areas, components of the 
                                National Landscape Conservation System, 
                                units of the National Park System, or 
                                National Monuments.''.
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