Amendment puts a moratorium on the use of prescribed fires in the Mark Twain National Forest until the Secretary of Agriculture submits a report to Congress on the economic impacts of such fires. Amendment also does not prohibit the use of prescribed fire as part of wildfire suppression activities.

1. Adds SEC. 207. MORATORIUM ON USE OF PRESCRIBED FIRE IN MARK TWAIN NATIONAL FOREST, MISSOURI, PENDING REPORT at the end of title II

   Adds a section

   Inserted: SEC. 207. MORATORIUM ON USE OF PRESCRIBED FIRE IN MARK TWAIN NATIONAL FOREST, MISSOURI, PENDING REPORT.

   Inserted: (a) Moratorium.--Except as provided in subsection (b), the Secretary of Agriculture may not conduct any prescribed fire in Mark Twain National Forest, Missouri, under the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project until the report required by subsection (c) is submitted to Congress.

   Inserted: (b) Exception for Wildfire Suppression.--Subsection (a) does not prohibit the use of prescribed fire as part of wildfire suppression activities.

   Inserted: (c) Report Required.--Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to Congress a report containing an evaluation of recent and current Forest Service management practices for Mark Twain National Forest, including lands in the National Forest enrolled, or under consideration for enrollment, in the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project to convert certain lands into shortleaf pine-oak woodlands, to determine the impact of such management practices on forest health and tree mortality. The report shall specifically address--

   Inserted: (1) the economic costs associated with the failure to utilize hardwoods cut as part of the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project and the subsequent loss of hardwood production from the treated lands in the long term;

   Inserted: (2) the extent of increased tree mortality due to excessive heat generated by prescribed fires;

   Inserted: (3) the impacts to water quality and rate of water run off due to erosion of the scorched earth left in the aftermath of the prescribed fires; and

   Inserted: (4) a long-term plan for evaluation of the impacts of prescribed fires on lands previously burned within the Eleven Point Ranger District.

   Original wording

   At the end of title II (page 26, after line 22), add the following new section:

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As printed