II
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 971
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
May 16, 2013
Mr. Wyden (for himself, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Baucus, and Mr. Risch) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works
A BILL
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to exempt the conduct of silvicultural activities from national pollutant discharge elimination system permitting requirements.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
Silviculture Regulatory Consistency
Act
.
Silvicultural activities
Section 402(l) of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1342(l)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
Silvicultural activities
NPDES permit requirements for silvicultural activities
The Administrator shall not require a permit or otherwise promulgate regulations under this section or directly or indirectly require any State to require a permit under this section for a discharge of stormwater runoff resulting from the conduct of the following silvicultural activities: nursery operations, site preparation, reforestation and subsequent cultural treatment, thinning, prescribed burning, pest and fire control, harvesting operations, surface drainage, and road use, construction, and maintenance.
Permits for dredged or fill material
Nothing in this paragraph exempts a silvicultural activity resulting in the discharge of dredged or fill material from any permitting requirement under section 404.
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