Sec. 103. Montana Forest Jobs and Restoration Pilot Initiative
769 words·~3 min read·
/bill/113/s/37/rs/section-103A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
There is established the Montana Forest Jobs and Restoration Pilot Initiative under which the Secretary shall implement authorized forest and watershed restoration projects and other land management projects on eligible land to achieve— the performance requirements under subsection (b); and the purposes of this title. Subject to subsection (g), on the eligible land, the Secretary shall place under contract for the mechanical treatment of vegetation— on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, a minimum of 5,000 acres annually until the date on which a total of 70,000 acres in the National Forest have been placed under contract; and on the Kootenai National Forest— 2,000 acres during the first year after the date of enactment of this Act; 2,500 acres during the second year after the date of enactment of this Act; and 3,000 acres during each subsequent year until the date on which a total of 30,000 acres in the National Forest have been placed under contract.
For each National Forest within the Initiative, the Secretary shall identify 1 or more collaborative groups or resource advisory committees that support the achievement of the purposes of this title. A collaborative group or resource advisory committee identified under paragraph
(1)shall include multiple interested persons representing diverse interests in forest and watershed management. The Secretary shall consult with a collaborative group or resource advisory committee identified under paragraph
(1)in the development and implementation of each authorized forest and watershed restoration project carried out under the Initiative. The Secretary shall seek to expand the public participation and diversity of interests involved in the implementation of the Initiative in each National Forest participating in the Initiative. The administrative review provisions of section 105 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6515 ) shall apply to any administrative review of authorized forest and watershed restoration projects carried out under this title. The Secretary shall provide notice of, and distribute, a proposed administrative decision with the environmental assessment or final environmental impact statement for any project subject to review under paragraph (1). If 1 or more of the parties to a special administrative review process under paragraph
(1)requests a mediator to help facilitate the process, an independent mediator may be used for the administrative review process. Any judicial proceeding arising from an authorized forest and watershed restoration project shall be conducted in accordance with section 106 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6516 ). The Secretary shall provide to the appropriate committees of Congress an annual summary of the progress of the Initiative toward accomplishing the purposes of this title, including the performance requirements established under subsection (b). Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act and every 5 years thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report that assesses the progress of the Initiative toward accomplishing the purposes of this title. The report under subparagraph
(A)shall include an analysis, with respect to the Initiative, of— fire and fuel dynamics, including changes in— condition and class; and fuel levels and distribution; biodiversity, including the selection of plant, terrestrial animals, and aquatic organisms; soil and water, including soil movement, water quality, stream flows, and soil productivity; economic effects, including job creation, labor income, and energy; and social implications, including land management practices, aesthetics, and attitudes towards land use. In preparing the report under this paragraph, the Secretary may consult with regional institutions of higher education and institutions with the capacity to coordinate, analyze, and archive the data collected as a result of monitoring under the Initiative. Amounts expended under the Initiative shall not reduce the allocations of appropriated funds to the Secretary for use in other regions of the Forest Service or other States. The Secretary may elect to include the Seeley Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest in the Initiative, if— the Seeley Ranger District no longer receives funding under section 4003(b)(1)(B) of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 ( 16 U.S.C. 7303(b)(1)(B) ); and a local collaborative group for the District requests inclusion in the Initiative. On the election by the Secretary to include the Seeley Ranger District in the Initiative, the requirements of the Initiative under this title shall apply to the District. The Initiative shall terminate on the later of— the date that is 15 years after the date of enactment of this Act; or the date on which the Secretary determines that the performance requirements under subsection
(b)have been achieved. Nothing in this subsection affects a valid contract in effect on the termination date under paragraph (1).
Connectionstraces to 3
Citation graph
cites case law
Cites 3Cited by 0 across 0 sources