119-hr184

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 184 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 184

 To require that only two alternatives be considered with respect to 
 certain proposed collaborative forest management activities, and for 
 other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 January 3, 2025

Mr. McClintock introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on 
Agriculture, 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 require that only two alternatives be considered with respect to 
 certain proposed collaborative forest management activities, and for 
 other purposes.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Action Versus No Action Act''.

SEC. 2. ANALYSIS OF ONLY TWO ALTERNATIVES (ACTION VERSUS NO ACTION) IN 
 PROPOSED COLLABORATIVE FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES.

    (a) Application to Certain Environmental Assessments and 
Environmental Impact Statements.--This section shall apply whenever the 
Secretary concerned prepares an environmental assessment or an 
environmental impact statement pursuant to 

section 102 of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332) for a forest 
management activity that--

    (1) will occur on lands identified as the Secretary 
 concerned as suitable for timber production; and

    (2) meets at least one of the following conditions:
        (A) The forest management activity will occur on 
 lands designated by the Secretary (or designee thereof) 
 pursuant to 

section 602

    (b) of the Healthy Forests 
 Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591a

    (b) ), 
 notwithstanding whether such forest management activity 
 is initiated prior to the date of enactment of this 
 Act.
        (B) The forest management activity is developed 
 through a collaborative process.
            (C) The forest management activity is proposed by a 
 resource advisory committee.
            (D) The forest management activity is covered by a 
 community wildfire protection plan.

    (b) Consideration of Alternatives.--In the case of an environmental 
assessment or environmental impact statement described in subsection

    (a) , the Secretary concerned shall study, develop, and describe only 
the following two alternatives:

    (1) The forest management activity.

    (2) The alternative of no action.
            (c) Elements of No Action Alternative.--In the case of the 
alternative of no action described in subsection

    (b)

    (2) , the Secretary 
concerned shall consider whether to evaluate--

    (1) the effect of no action on--
        (A) forest health;
        (B) potential losses of life and property;
            (C) habitat diversity;
            (D) wildfire potential;
        (E) insect and disease potential; and
        (F) timber production; and

    (2) the implications of a resulting decline in forest 
 health, loss of habitat diversity, wildfire, or insect or 
 disease infestation (given fire and insect and disease historic 
 cycles) on--
        (A) potential losses of life and property;
        (B) domestic water supply in the project area;
            (C) wildlife habitat loss; and
            (D) other economic and social factors.
            (d) === Definitions. ===
-In this section:

    (1) Collaborative process.--The term ``collaborative 
 process'' means a process relating to the management of 
 National Forest System lands or public lands by which a project 
 or forest management activity is developed and implemented by 
 the Secretary concerned through collaboration with interested 
 persons, as described in 

section 603

    (b)

    (1)
            (C) of the Healthy 
 Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591b

    (b)

    (1)
            (C) ).

    (2) Community wildfire protection plan.--The term 
 ``community wildfire protection plan'' has the meaning given 
 the term in 

section 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 
 of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511).

    (3) Resource advisory committee.--The term ``resource 
 advisory committee'' has the meaning given the term in 

section 201 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-
 Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7121).

    (4) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned'' 
 means--
        (A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to 
 National Forest System lands; and
        (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to 
 public lands.
 <all>