[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2541 Reported in House (RH)]

                                                 Union Calendar No. 495
112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 2541

                          [Report No. 112-684]

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to exempt the conduct 
     of silvicultural activities from national pollutant discharge 
              elimination system permitting requirements.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 14, 2011

   Ms. Herrera Beutler (for herself, Mr. Schrader, Mr. Michaud, Mrs. 
McMorris Rodgers, Ms. Pingree of Maine, and Mr. Walden) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
                           and Infrastructure

                           September 20, 2012

   Additional sponsors: Mr. Simpson, Mr. Hastings of Washington, Mr. 
  Boren, Mr. Rahall, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. McIntyre, Mrs. 
Myrick, Mr. Ross of Arkansas, Mr. Kissell, Mr. Holden, Mr. Barrow, Mr. 
Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Owens, Mrs. Emerson, Ms. Sewell, Mr. Ribble, Mr. 
 Thompson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Dicks, Mrs. Hartzler, Mr. Butterfield, 
Mr. Peterson, Mr. Goodlatte, Mr. Jones, Mrs. Capito, Mr. Mulvaney, Mr. 
   Rogers of Alabama, Mr. Westmoreland, Mr. Labrador, Mr. Duffy, Mr. 
Duncan of South Carolina, Mr. Nunnelee, Mr. Reichert, Mr. Guthrie, Mrs. 
Roby, Mrs. Lummis, Mrs. Ellmers, Mr. Cravaack, Mr. Rogers of Michigan, 
 Mr. McKinley, Mr. Benishek, Mr. Wittman, Mr. Fleming, Mr. Huizenga of 
    Michigan, Mr. Gibson, Mr. Walberg, Mr. Denham, Mr. Griffith of 
Virginia, Mr. Aderholt, Mr. Petri, Mr. Bonner, Mr. Tipton, Mr. Coffman 
of Colorado, Mr. Southerland, Mr. Hurt, Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Landry, and Mr. 
                                 Bachus

                           September 20, 2012

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]


_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to exempt the conduct 
     of silvicultural activities from national pollutant discharge 
              elimination system permitting requirements.


 


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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Silviculture Regulatory 
Consistency Act''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. SILVICULTURAL ACTIVITIES.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    Section 402(l) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
(33 U.S.C. 1342(l)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    ``(3) Silvicultural activities.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(A) NPDES permit requirements for 
                silvicultural activities.--The Administrator shall 
                neither require a permit under this section, nor 
                directly or indirectly require any State to require a 
                permit under this section, for a discharge resulting 
                from the conduct of any silvicultural activity, such as 
                nursery operations, site preparation, reforestation and 
                subsequent cultural treatment, thinning, prescribed 
                burning, pest and fire control, harvesting operations, 
                surface drainage, or road use, construction, and 
                maintenance, from which there is runoff.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    ``(B) Permits for dredged or fill 
                material.--Nothing in this paragraph exempts the 
                conduct of a silvicultural activity resulting in the 
                discharge of dredged or fill material from any 
                permitting requirement under section 404.''.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Silviculture Regulatory Consistency 
Act''.

SEC. 2. SILVICULTURAL ACTIVITIES.

    Section 402(l) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 
U.S.C. 1342(l)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Silvicultural activities.--
                    ``(A) NPDES permit requirements for silvicultural 
                activities.--The Administrator shall neither require a 
                permit under this section, nor directly or indirectly 
                require any State to require a permit under this 
                section, for a discharge resulting from the conduct of 
                the following silvicultural activities: nursery 
                operations, site preparation, reforestation and 
                subsequent cultural treatment, thinning, prescribed 
                burning, pest and fire control, harvesting operations, 
                surface drainage, or road use, construction, and 
                maintenance, from which there is runoff.
                    ``(B) Permits for dredged or fill material.--
                Nothing in this paragraph exempts the conduct of a 
                silvicultural activity resulting in the discharge of 
                dredged or fill material from any permitting 
                requirement under section 404.''.
                                                 Union Calendar No. 495

112th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                               H. R. 2541

                          [Report No. 112-684]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to exempt the conduct 
     of silvicultural activities from national pollutant discharge 
              elimination system permitting requirements.

_______________________________________________________________________

                           September 20, 2012

  Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
       House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed