Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes requirements for managing forests on federal land, including requirements concerning reducing wildfire threats, expediting the review of certain forest management projects, and implementing forest management projects and other activities.

Highlights:

• Establishes requirements for managing forests on federal land, including requirements concerning reducing wildfire threats, expediting the review of certain forest management projects, and implementing forest management projects and other activities, including (Title I, Sec. 101-122):

• Designating certain firesheds at high risk for wildfires as fireshed management areas;

• Directing the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Geological Survey to jointly establish an interagency Fireshed Center that is responsible for duties related to assessing and predicting fire, including maintaining a fireshed registry on a publicly accessible website that provides interactive geospatial data on individual firesheds; and

• Making other requirements related to reducing wildfire.

• Amends and expedites the review of certain forest management projects under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 and exempts certain activities from NEPA review (Title II, Sec. 201-207).

• Establishes intra-agency strike teams to accelerate the review and any interagency consultation processes under NEPA, the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and the National Historic Preservation Act (Title II, Sec. 201-207).

• Limits consultation requirements concerning threatened and endangered species under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 and the Federal Land Management and Policy Act of 1976 (Title III, Sec. 301-318).

• Limits litigation involving fire-shed management projects and limits remedies that courts may provide (Title III, Sec. 301-318).

• Reduces community wildfire risks, including (Title III, Sec. 301-318):

• Carrying out forest restoration and stewardship activities (including watershed protection and restoration);

• Conducting biochar demonstration projects, advancing technologies to address forest wildfires; and 

• Assisting wildland firefighters and their families.

• Specifies that the provisions of this bill shall take effect immediately upon passage and approval by the President (Title IV, Sec. 401).

Full Bill Text

Full Bill Text