I
110th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 4245
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 15, 2007
Mr. Sali introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to provide for the categorical exclusion of certain projects on Federal land located adjacent to non-Federal land from documentation in an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment when conditions on the Federal land pose a serious risk to the non-Federal land, to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to enter into contracts or agreements for forest projects on Federal land with non-Federal entities that own adjacent land, and for other purposes.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
Saving American Lives and Investing in
Protecting Land And Nature Act
.
Expedited performance of forest projects on Federal land when conditions on the Federal land pose a serious risk to adjacent non-Federal land
Categorical exclusion of certain projects
Section 104 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6514) is amended—
by redesignating subsections (e) through (h) as subsections (f) through (i), respectively; and
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
Categorical exclusion for projects To protect adjacent non-Federal land
Basis for categorical exclusion
An authorized hazardous fuel reduction project or other forest project that is proposed to be conducted on adjacent Federal land or that is recommended in a community wildfire protection plan may be categorically excluded from documentation in an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) if—
the Secretary determines that the project is consistent with the applicable resource management plan; and
the decision to categorically exclude the project is made in accordance with applicable extraordinary circumstances procedures established pursuant to section 1508.4 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations.
Priority for certain projects
In providing categorical exclusions under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to authorized hazardous fuel reduction projects and other projects recommended in a community wildfire protection plan.
Adjacent federal land defined
In this
subsection, the term adjacent Federal land
means an area of
Federal land that, while not located in the wildland-urban interface, is
located within not more than 1½ miles of non-Federal land,
and the Secretary, in the exercise of the Secretary’s sole discretion,
determines that conditions on the Federal land, such as the risk of wildfire,
an insect or disease epidemic, or the presence of invasive species, pose a risk
to the adjacent non-Federal
land.
.
Enhanced cooperation with non-Federal landowners
Title I of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
Cooperation with non-Federal landowners of land adjacent to Federal land to enhance protection of both the Federal and non-Federal land
Use of non-Federal landowners To conduct forest projects
The Secretary may enter into a contract or agreement with a non-Federal entity to conduct an authorized hazardous fuels reduction project or other project that is proposed to be conducted on Federal land that is located within not more than 1½ miles of non-Federal land owned by the non-Federal entity or that is covered by a community wildfire protection plan that also covers the non-Federal land owned by the non-Federal entity if—
the Secretary, upon request by the non-Federal entity and in the exercise of the Secretary’s sole discretion, determines that conditions on the Federal land, such as the risk of wildfire, an insect or disease epidemic, or the presence of invasive species, pose a risk to the adjacent non-Federal land;
the Secretary determines that the contract or agreement is in the interest of the Federal government and the landowner and will promote the goals of this Act; and
the authorized hazardous fuels reduction project or other project is consistent with the applicable resource management plan.
Goods for services
The Secretary may allow the exchange of goods for services in an agreement or contract entered into under this section.
.