[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 107 (Tuesday, June 26, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S4452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 3206. Mr. HELLER submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 2, to provide for the reform and continuation of 
agricultural and other programs of the Department of Agriculture 
through fiscal year 2023, and for other purposes; which was ordered to 
lie on the table; as follows:

       At the end of part II of subtitle F of title VIII, add the 
     following:

     SEC. 86__. EXPEDITED REVIEW OF PROJECTS ON FEDERAL LAND.

       (a) Purposes.--The purposes of this section are--
       (1) to expedite wildfire prevention projects to reduce the 
     risk of wildfire on certain high-risk Federal land adjacent 
     to communities, private property, and critical 
     infrastructure;
       (2) to improve forest and wildland health; and
       (3) to promote the recovery of threatened or endangered 
     species or other species under consideration to be listed 
     under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
     seq.), including the sage-grouse species, the habitat of 
     which is negatively impacted by wildland fire.
       (b) Expedited Review.--Section 104 of the Healthy Forests 
     Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6514) is amended--
       (1) by redesignating subsections (e) through (h) as 
     subsections (f) through (i), respectively;
       (2) in subsection (c)(1)(C)(i), by striking ``subsection 
     (f)'' and inserting ``subsection (g)''; and
       (3) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:
       ``(e) Categorical Exclusion of Certain Projects.--
       ``(1) In general.--An authorized hazardous fuel reduction 
     project shall be categorically excluded from the requirements 
     of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
     4321 et seq.) if the project--
       ``(A) involves the removal of--
       ``(i) insect-infected trees;
       ``(ii) dead or dying trees;
       ``(iii) trees presenting a threat to public safety; or
       ``(iv) other hazardous fuels threatening--

       ``(I) utility or communications infrastructure;
       ``(II) municipal water supply systems;
       ``(III) campgrounds;
       ``(IV) roadsides;
       ``(V) schools; or
       ``(VI) other infrastructure;

       ``(B) is conducted on Federal land that--
       ``(i) is not located in the wildland-urban interface;
       ``(ii) is located within not more than 1.5 miles of non-
     Federal land; and
       ``(iii) on which the Secretary determines that conditions, 
     such as the risk of wildfire, an insect or disease epidemic, 
     or the presence of invasive species, pose a risk to adjacent 
     non-Federal land; or
       ``(C) treats 10,000 acres or less of Federal land that--
       ``(i) is at particular risk for wildfire;
       ``(ii) contains threatened and endangered species habitat; 
     or
       ``(iii) provides conservation benefits to--

       ``(I) a species that is not listed as an endangered species 
     or a threatened species under section 4 of the Endangered 
     Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533), but is under 
     consideration to be listed;
       ``(II) a State-listed species; or
       ``(III) a special concern species.

       ``(2) Applicability.--This subsection shall not apply to 
     Federal land--
       ``(A) that is a component of the National Wilderness 
     Preservation System;
       ``(B) on which the removal of vegetation is specifically 
     prohibited by Federal statute; or
       ``(C) that is within a National Monument as of the date of 
     enactment of this subsection.''.
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