Sec. 604. National Forest System accelerated landscape restoration pilot program
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Title VI of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6591 et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: In this section: The term collaborative group means a group of individuals, operating in a transparent and inclusive manner, that represent a balance of the interests of entities including— conservation organizations; timber and forest products organizations; local and tribal governments; community organizations; and other multiple-use groups with an interest in the National Forest System, as determined by the Secretary.
The term designated landscape means a landscape-scale area designated for the pilot program under subsection (b)(2). The term forest health means the state in which a forest— is durable, resilient, and less prone to wildfire, insect, or pathogen outbreaks of a severity, size, or quantity that exceeds the natural range of variation, taking into account the anticipated future conditions of the forest; supports— ecosystem services and functions; and populations of native plant species; and allows for natural disturbances; or can maintain or develop, within acceptable ranges, regimes of— species composition; ecosystem function and structure; hydrologic function; and sediment.
The term pilot program means the National Forest System accelerated landscape restoration pilot program established by the Secretary under subsection (b)(1). The term Secretary means the Secretary of Agriculture. The Secretary shall establish a National Forest System accelerated landscape restoration pilot program to restore or maintain designated landscapes. The Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall, in accordance with this subsection, designate for the pilot program not fewer than 10 landscape-scale areas within the National Forest System (as defined in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 ( 16 U.S.C. 1609(a) )).
Each designated landscape shall— include not less than 75,000 acres and not more than 1,000,000 acres; be identified by a collaborative group; not include any inventoried roadless area; and include forests that— are not in a state of forest health; are at increased risk of high-severity wildfire; or are at increased risk of an insect or disease infestation. In designating landscape-scale areas for the pilot program under paragraph (2), the Secretary shall— prioritize landscape-scale areas in which social, ecological, and economic conditions support landscape-scale restoration; and consider the factors described in subparagraph (B).
The factors referred to in subparagraph (A)(ii) are the following factors: The existence of strong collaborative support for landscape-scale restoration. The ecological conditions that are conducive to landscape-scale decisions, such as broad categories of land that would benefit from similar restoration treatments. Economic conditions, such as the existence of infrastructure in proximity to the landscape-scale area that can make economic use of the forest byproducts of restoration.
The extent to which the landscape-scale area is important to support, maintain, or improve water quality and watershed function. Other considerations, as determined by the Secretary. Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a notice of the process for the designation of landscape-scale areas for the pilot program under paragraph (2). Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall publish in the Federal Register a notice describing— each designated landscape; the rationale for designating, in accordance with the requirements described in paragraph (3), each designated landscape; any collaborative group used to identify a designated landscape; an overview of any forest health problem with respect to each designated landscape; a discussion of the purpose of, and need for, restoration of each designated landscape; a summary of the management actions necessary to achieve restoration of each designated landscape; findings relating to the short-term and long-term risks and impacts of no action compared to restoration of each designated landscape; and a notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement for treatment within each designated landscape.
The Secretary shall prepare, for each designated landscape, a landscape-scale environmental impact statement for purposes of compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ) that— is commensurate with the geographic scope of the designated landscape; is sufficient to allow— project-scale implementation; adaptive management, including site-specific options, to ensure that project implementation stays within the documented range of impacts; site descriptions or land allocations that identify locations within the landscape in which specific restoration or maintenance treatments can be used appropriately; and standards and guidelines, consistent with the appropriate forest plan and project-level design criteria, for management or other project activities; and includes— an identification of any forest health problem; an identification of the purpose of the treatment, and need, to restore to more resilient and healthy conditions, or to maintain, forest health in the designated landscape; an estimate of the time needed to satisfy the purpose and need described in subparagraph
(B)and the scale of the restoration or maintenance treatment needed to satisfy that purpose and need; a description of potential restoration or maintenance treatment that would contribute to the satisfaction of the purpose and need described in subparagraph (B); and a description of possible changes in circumstances or new information that would require supplemental documentation under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ). There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $40,000,000 for each fiscal year beginning with the first full fiscal year after the date of enactment of the Emergency Wildfire and Forest Management Act of 2016 through fiscal year 2018. . The table of contents for the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. prec. 6501) is amended by adding at the end of the items relating to title VI the following: Sec. 602. Designation of treatment areas. Sec. 603. Administrative review. Sec. 604. Stewardship end result contracting projects. Sec. 605. National Forest System accelerated landscape restoration pilot program. .
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Sec. 604
National Forest System accelerated landscape restoration pilot program
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