[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4272 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4272

  To stop implementation and enforcement of the Forest Service travel 
 management rule and to require the Forest Service to incorporate the 
needs, uses, and input of affected communities before taking any travel 
  management action affecting access to units of the National Forest 
     System derived from the public domain, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 14, 2014

  Mr. Walden introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To stop implementation and enforcement of the Forest Service travel 
 management rule and to require the Forest Service to incorporate the 
needs, uses, and input of affected communities before taking any travel 
  management action affecting access to units of the National Forest 
     System derived from the public domain, 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 ``Forest Access in Rural Communities 
Act''.

SEC. 2. CONDITIONS ON FOREST SERVICE ACCESS TRAVEL MANAGEMENT ACTIONS 
              FOR UNITS OF THE NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM DERIVED FROM THE 
              PUBLIC DOMAIN.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Access travel management action.--The term ``access 
        travel management action'' means any Forest Service action 
        regarding a unit of the National Forest System that--
                    (A) will, or can reasonably be expected to, alter 
                public access to National Forest System lands of the 
                unit, including any change in access using motorized 
                vehicles or nonmotorized means resulting from--
                            (i) the decommissioning in whole or in part 
                        of a road, trail, or combination road and trail 
                        system;
                            (ii) a change in the status of a road as 
                        open or closed; or
                            (iii) a change in forest road densities; 
                        and
                    (B) requires the preparation of an environmental 
                impact statement or environmental assessment under the 
                National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
                4331 et seq.).
            (2) Affected county.--The term ``affected county'' means--
                    (A) a political subdivision of a State whose 
                boundaries contain National Forest System lands of a 
                unit of the National Forest System affected by an 
                access travel management action; or
                    (B) a political subdivision of a State adjacent to 
                a political subdivision of a State described in 
                subparagraph (A).
            (3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.
            (4) Travel management rule.--The term ``travel management 
        rule'' refers to subparts A, B, and C of part 212 of title 36, 
        Code of Federal Regulations, and subparts A and B of part 261 
        of such title.
            (5) Unit of the national forest system.--The terms ``unit 
        of the National Forest System'' and ``unit'' are limited to a 
        unit of the National Forest System derived from the public 
        domain.
    (b) Prohibition on Implementation or Enforcement of Travel 
Management Rule.--Immediately upon the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary shall cease all implementation and enforcement of the travel 
management rule for units of the National Forest System derived from 
the public domain.
    (c) Consultation With and Concurrence of Affected Counties.--
            (1) Consultation.--As a condition on the preparation of an 
        environmental impact statement or environmental assessment 
        under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
        4331 et seq.) for a proposed access travel management action, 
        the Secretary shall consult with each affected county for the 
        purpose of incorporating the needs, uses, and input of affected 
        counties.
            (2) Concurrence.--The Secretary may not implement an access 
        travel management action unless and until the Secretary--
                    (A) complies with the consultation requirement 
                imposed by paragraph (1); and
                    (B) obtains the concurrence of each affected county 
                for implementation of the access travel management 
                action.
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