H.R. 2026 — Introduced in House

I 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2026 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 16, 2013 Ms. Herrera Beutler (for herself, Mr. Schrader, Mr. Benishek, Mrs. McMorris Rodgers, Mr. Ribble, Mr. Simpson, Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Walden, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Larsen of Washington, Mr. Rahall, Ms. Sewell of Alabama, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Duncan of South Carolina, Mr. Kingston, Mr. Jones, Mr. Michaud, Mr. Barrow of Georgia, Mr. Peterson, and Mr. Hastings of Washington) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to exempt certain silvicultural activities from national pollutant discharge elimination system permitting requirements, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Silviculture Regulatory Consistency Act of 2013. 2. 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: (3) Silvicultural activities (A) 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 silviculture 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. (B) 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. .