Sec. 202. Recovery and restoration treatments following stand-replacing disturbances
418 words·~2 min read·
/bill/118/s/2991/is/section-202A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
In this section, the term stand-replacing disturbance means a natural disturbance event, including a wildland fire or other event, that kills all or most of the living overstory trees in a stand and initiates forest succession or regrowth on a unit of the National Forest System. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service (referred to in this section as the Secretary ), shall identify units of the National Forest System that the Secretary determines to be at high or very high risk of experiencing a stand-replacing disturbance during the 10-year period following the date of enactment of this Act.
Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish an interdisciplinary post-disturbance planning team (referred to in this section as the team ) to assist in carrying out the requirements of this section. The Secretary may employ a Forest Service enterprise team or a regional planning center to meet the requirement of this subsection. Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, in cooperation with the team, shall develop a model land and resource management plan amendment establishing plan content for future site-specific project-level decisions if a stand-replacing disturbance occurs on units of the National Forest System identified under subsection (b).
The model amendment required under paragraph
(1)shall include direction regarding post-disturbance management, including salvage logging and reforestation activities, to achieve desired conditions, objectives, standards, guidelines, suitability of lands, and other plan content, including goals and monitoring provisions, of the existing land and resource management plan on the applicable unit of the National Forest System, if a stand-replacing disturbance occurs. The Secretary shall utilize the Model Land and Resource Management Plan Amendment, as adapted to the unique ecological and socioeconomic setting for each unit of the National Forest System identified under subsection (b), in carrying out subsection (e). As soon as practicable, but not later than 10 years, after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary, assisted by the team, shall amend the applicable land and resource management plan of each unit of the National Forest System identified under subsection (b). The Secretary shall comply with all relevant laws in carrying out this section. The Secretary may comply with the provisions of this section by incorporating the requirements of this section into an ongoing land and resource management plan revision or amendment process.