[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6994 Introduced in House (IH)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6994

 To require the reopening of covered recreation sites closed due to a 
               natural disaster, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 16, 2024

  Mrs. Kim of California (for herself, Mr. LaMalfa, and Mr. Tiffany) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 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 require the reopening of covered recreation sites closed due to a 
               natural disaster, 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 ``Restoring Our Unopened Trails for 
Enjoyment and Safety Act'' or the ``ROUTES Act''.

SEC. 2. REOPENING OF COVERED RECREATION SITES CLOSED DUE TO NATURAL 
              DISASTERS.

    (a) Reopening Required.--In the case of a covered recreation site 
that is fully or partially closed due to damage caused by a natural 
disaster (including hazard trees), the Secretary concerned shall reopen 
such covered recreation site not later than 2 years after the date on 
which such natural disaster ends, as determined by the Secretary 
concerned.
    (b) Categorical Exclusion for Covered Recreation Site 
Restoration.--
            (1) Categorical exclusion established.--Activities 
        described in paragraph (2) are a category of actions hereby 
        designated as being categorically excluded from the preparation 
        of an environmental assessment or an environmental impact 
        statement under section 102 of the National Environmental 
        Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332).
            (2) Activities designated for categorical exclusion.--The 
        activities designated under this section for a categorical 
        exclusion are activities carried out by the Secretary concerned 
        on Interior recreational lands or National Forest System lands 
        where the primary purpose of such activity is, consistent with 
        the management plan applicable to such lands, to--
                    (A) repair and restore covered recreation sites 
                damaged by a natural disaster;
                    (B) remove hazard trees for the purpose of public 
                safety or improving access to a covered recreation 
                site;
                    (C) mitigate and reduce soil erosion impacting a 
                covered recreation site;
                    (D) restore drainage patterns to support a covered 
                recreation site; or
                    (E) any combination of the purposes specified in 
                subparagraphs (A) through (D).
            (3) Availability of categorical exclusion.--On and after 
        the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned 
        may use the categorical exclusion established under paragraph 
        (1) in accordance with this subsection.
            (4) Extraordinary circumstances.--The activities 
        categorically excluded under paragraph (1) shall be subject to 
        the extraordinary circumstances procedures established pursuant 
        to section 1501.4 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
        any successor regulation).
    (c) Emergency Hazard Tree Removal.--
            (1) National forest system lands.--With respect to hazard 
        trees located on a parcel of National Forest System lands, 
        during the 2-year period after a natural disaster on such 
        parcel ends, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture, 
        section 220.4(b) of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (as 
        in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act) shall have 
        the force and effect of law with respect to such parcel.
            (2) Interior recreational lands.--With respect to hazard 
        trees located on Interior recreational lands, during the 2-year 
        period after a natural disaster on such parcel ends, as 
        determined by the Secretary of the Interior, section 46.150 of 
        title 43, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date 
        of the enactment of this Act) shall have the force and effect 
        of law with respect to such parcel.
    (d) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall submit to Congress, and make 
publicly available on the website of the Department of the Interior and 
the Department of Agriculture, a report that includes the number of 
covered recreation sites--
            (1) that have been reopened pursuant to subsection (a); and
            (2) that, as of the date of such report, are closed due to 
        damage caused by a natural disaster and the date such natural 
        disaster ended, as determined by the Secretary concerned.
    (e) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered recreation site.--The term ``covered recreation 
        site'' means a trail, campground, developed day-use recreation 
        site, or road that is--
                    (A) located on Interior recreational lands or 
                National Forest System lands; and
                    (B) operated by the Secretary concerned.
            (2) Hazard tree.--The term ``hazard tree'' means a standing 
        tree that presents a visible hazard to people or property due 
        to conditions such as the deterioration of, or damage to--
                    (A) the root system, trunk, stem, or limbs of the 
                tree; or
                    (B) the direction or lean of the tree.
            (3) Interior recreational lands.--The term ``Interior 
        recreational lands'' means lands managed by the National Park 
        Service, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the 
        Bureau of Land Management, or the Bureau of Reclamation.
            (4) National forest system.--The term ``National Forest 
        System'' has the meaning given that term in section 11(a) of 
        the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 
        1974 (16 U.S.C. 1609(a)).
            (5) Natural disaster.--The term ``natural disaster'' 
        includes a wildfire, flood, erosion, and tornado.
            (6) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned'' 
        means--
                    (A) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to 
                Interior recreational lands; or
                    (B) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to 
                National Forest System lands.
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