119-s449

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 449 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 S. 449

 To amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to require the 
 Secretary of Agriculture to expedite hazardous fuel or insect and 
disease risk reduction projects on certain National Forest System land, 
 and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

 February 6 (legislative day, February 5), 2025

 Mr. Thune (for himself and Mr. Risch) introduced the following bill; 
 which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, 
 Nutrition, and Forestry

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

 To amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to require the 
 Secretary of Agriculture to expedite hazardous fuel or insect and 
disease risk reduction projects on certain National Forest System land, 
 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 ``Expediting Forest Restoration and 
Recovery Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. APPLICATION BY FOREST SERVICE OF AUTHORITIES TO EXPEDITE 
 ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSES IN CARRYING OUT HAZARDOUS FUEL AND 
 INSECT AND DISEASE RISK REDUCTION PROJECTS.

 

Section 104 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 
U.S.C. 6514) is amended by adding at the end the following:
 ``
            (i) Application by Forest Service of Authorities To Expedite 
Environmental Analyses in Carrying Out Hazardous Fuel and Insect and 
Disease Risk Reduction Projects.--
 ``

    (1) === Definitions. ===
-In this subsection:
 ``
        (A) Insect and disease treatment area.--The term 
 `insect and disease treatment area' means an area 
 that--
 ``
            (i) is designated by the Secretary as an 
 insect and disease treatment area under this 
 title; or
 ``
            (ii) is designated as at-risk or a hazard 
 on the most recent National Insect and Disease 
 Risk Map published by the Forest Service.
 ``
        (B) Secretary.--The term `Secretary' has the 
 meaning given the term in 

section 101

    (14)
        (A) .
 ``

    (2) Use of authorities.--In carrying out a hazardous fuel 
 or insect and disease risk reduction project authorized under 
 this Act in an insect and disease treatment area, the Secretary 
 shall--
 ``
        (A) apply the categorical exclusion established 
 by 

section 603 if the project is carried out in an 
 insect and disease treatment area--
 ``
            (i) designated as suitable for timber 
 production within the applicable forest plan; 
 or
 ``
            (ii) where timber harvest activities are 
 not prohibited;
 ``
        (B) conduct applicable environmental assessments 
 and environmental impact statements in accordance with 
 this section if the project is carried out in--
 ``
            (i) an insect and disease treatment 
 area--
 ``
            (I) outside of an area described 
 in subparagraph
        (A) ; or
 ``
            (II) where other significant 
 resource concerns exist, as determined 
 exclusively by the Secretary; or
 ``
            (ii) an insect and disease treatment area 
 equivalent to not less than a Hydrologic Unit 
 code 5 watershed, as defined by the United 
 States Geological Survey; and
 ``
            (C) notwithstanding subsection
            (d) , in the case 
 of any other hazardous fuel or insect and disease risk 
 reduction project, in the environmental assessment or 
 environmental impact statement prepared under 
 subsection

    (b) , study, develop, and describe--
 ``
            (i) the proposed agency action; and
 ``
            (ii) the alternative of no action.
 ``

    (3) Priority for reducing risks of insect infestation and 
 wildfire.--Except where established as a mandatory standard 
 that constrains project and activity decisionmaking in a 
 resource management plan (as defined in 

section 101

    (13)
        (A) ) in 
 effect on the date of enactment of this Act, in the case of an 
 insect and disease treatment area, the Secretary shall 
 prioritize reducing the risks of insect and disease infestation 
 and wildfire over other planning objectives.
 ``

    (4) Inclusion of fire regime group iv.--Notwithstanding 
 

section 603
            (c) (2)
        (B) , the Secretary shall apply the categorical 
 exclusion described in paragraph

    (2)
        (A) to areas in Fire Regime 
 Group IV.
 ``

    (5) Excluded areas.--This subsection shall not apply to--
 ``
        (A) a component of the National Wilderness 
 Preservation System; or
 ``
        (B) an inventoried roadless area, except in the 
 case of an activity that is permitted under--
 ``
            (i) the final rule of the Secretary 
 entitled `Special Areas; Roadless Area 
 Conservation' (66 Fed. Reg. 3244 (January 12, 
 2001)); or
 ``
            (ii) a State-specific roadless area 
 conservation rule.
 ``

    (6) Reports.--The Secretary shall annually make publicly 
 available data describing the acreage treated under hazardous 
 fuel or insect and disease risk reduction projects in insect 
 and disease treatment areas during the previous year.''.

SEC. 3. GOOD NEIGHBOR AUTHORITY.

 

Section 8206

    (b)

    (2) of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 
2113a

    (b)

    (2) ) is amended by striking subparagraph
            (C) and inserting the 
following:
 ``
            (C) Treatment of revenue.--Funds received from 
 the sale of timber by a Governor of a State under a 
 good neighbor agreement shall be retained and used by 
 the Governor--
 ``
            (i) to carry out authorized restoration 
 services under that good neighbor agreement; 
 and
 ``
            (ii) if funds remain after carrying out 
 authorized restoration services under clause
            (i) , to carry out authorized restoration 
 services within the State under other good 
 neighbor agreements.''.
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