,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dgaf  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #bb1 #bjad ,mr4 
,gardner 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,bishop of  
,utah1 ,mrs4 ,lummis1 ,mr4 ,stewart1    
,mr4 ,chaffetz1 ,mr4 ,tipton1 ,mr4      
,amodei1 and ,mr4 ,daines7 introduced   
the following bill2 which was referred  
to the ,committee on ,natural ,resources
  ,a ,,bill  ,to require the ,secretary 
of the ,interior and the ,secretary of  
,agriculture to provide certain ,western
 ,states assistance in the development  
of statewide conservation and management
 plans for the protection and recovery  
of sage grouse species1 and for other   
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,sage ,grouse       
,protection and ,conservation ,act4  #b4
 ,greater sage-grouse protection and    
conservation measures  7a7 ,definitions 
,in this section3  7#a7 ,covered western
 ,state ,the term covered western ,state
 means each of the ,states of           
,california1 ,colorado1 ,idaho1         

,montana1 ,nevada1 ,north ,dakota1      
,oregon1 ,south ,dakota1 ,utah1         
,washington1 and ,wyoming4  7#b7        
,national ,forest ,system lands ,the    
term ,national ,forest ,system lands    
means the ,federal lands within the     
,national ,forest ,system1 as described 
in section #aa7;a7 of the ,forest and   
,rangeland ,renewable ,resources        
,planning ,act of #aigd 7#af ,u4,s4,c4  
#afji7;a774  7#c7 ,public lands ,the    
term public lands has the meaning given 
that term in section #ajc7;e7 of the    
,federal ,land ,policy and ,management  
,act of #aigf 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #agjb7;e774
  7#d7 ,sage ,grouse ,species ,the term 
sage grouse species means the greater   
sage-grouse 7,centrocercus urophasianus7
 and the ,gunnison sage-grouse          
7,centrocercus minimus74  7#e7          
,secretary ,the term ,secretary means-- 
7,a7 the ,secretary of ,agriculture1    
with respect to ,national ,forest       
,system lands2 and  7,b7 the ,secretary 
of the ,interior1 with respect to public

 lands4  7#f7 ,statewide plan ,the term 
statewide plan means a statewide        
conservation and management plan for the
 protection and recovery of sage grouse 
species within a covered western ,state4
  7b7 ,secretarial participation in     
,state planning process  7#a7 ,in       
general ,not later than #cj days after  
receipt of notice from a covered western
 ,state that the ,state is initiating or
 has initiated development of a         
statewide conservation and management   
plan for the protection and recovery of 
the sage grouse species within the      
,state1 the ,secretary shall provide to 
the ,governor of that covered western   
,state--  7,a7 a commitment of the      
,secretary's willingness to participate 
in such development2  7,b7 a list of    
designees from the ,department of the   
,interior or ,department of             
,agriculture1 as applicable1 who shall  
represent the ,secretary as a           
participant in such development2 and    
7,c7 a list of other ,federal           

departments that could be invited by the
 covered western ,state to participate4 
7#b7 ,access to information ,not later  
than #fj days after receipt of such     
notice from the covered western ,state1 
the ,secretary shall provide to the     
,state all relevant scientific data1    
research1 or information regarding sage 
grouse species and habitat within the   
,state for use by appropriate ,state    
personnel to assist the ,state in such  
development4  7#c7 ,availability of     
,department personnel ,the ,secretary   
shall make personnel from ,department of
 the ,interior agencies or ,department  
of ,agriculture agencies1 respectively1 
available1 on at least a monthly basis1 
to meet with officials of the ,state to 
develop or implement such a plan4  7c7  
,contents of notice ,a notice under     
subsection 7b7 shall--  7#a7 be         
submitted by a ,governor of any covered 
western ,state2 and  7#b7 include--     
7,a7 an invitation for the ,secretary to
 participate in development of the      

statewide plan2 and  7,b7 a commitment  
that1 not later than #b years after the 
submission of a notice under this       
section1 the ,state shall present to the
 ,secretary for review a #aj-year 7or   
longer7 sage grouse species conservation
 and management plan for the entire     
,state4  7d7 ,review of ,state plan ,if 
the ,secretary receives such a statewide
 plan from a covered western ,state not 
later than #b years after receiving such
 notice from the ,state1 the ,secretary 
shall--  7#a7 review the statewide plan 
using the best available science and    
data to determine if the statewide plan 
is likely to--  7,a7 conserve the sage  
grouse species to the point at which the
 measures provided pursuant to the      
,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af 
,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq47 are no longer  
necessary in the ,state2 and  7,b7      
conserve the habitat essential to       
conserve the sage grouse species within 
the ,state2 and  7#b7 approve or        
endorse1 or make comments on1 the       

statewide plan not later than #abj days 
after it is submitted4  7e7 ,actions    
after statewide plan is submitted  7#a7 
,hold on certain actions ,not later than
 #cj days after receipt of such a       
statewide conservation and management   
plan from a covered western ,state1 the 
,secretary shall--  7,a7 take necessary 
steps to place on hold--  7i7 all       
actions with respect to listing any sage
 grouse species in that ,state under the
 ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af
 ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq471 for a period 
of not less than #aj years2  7ii7       
enforcement of any current listing of   
sage grouse species within that ,state  
under such ,act2 and  7iii7 designation 
of any critical habitat for any sage    
grouse species within that ,state under 
such ,act2 and  7,b7 withdraw any land  
use planning activities related to      
,federal management of sage grouse on   
,federal lands within that ,state and   
take immediate steps to amend all       
,federal land use plans to comply with  

such plan with respect to that ,state1  
if--  7i7 the ,state presents to the    
,secretary its conservation and         
management plan not later than #b years 
after the ,state submits notice to the  
,secretary under subsection 7b72 and    
7ii7 the ,state is implementing the     
plan4  7#b7 ,actions pursuant to ,,nepa 
,any proposed action pursuant to the    
,national ,environmental ,policy ,act of
 #aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et seq47    
that occurs within a covered western    
,state may not be denied or restricted  
solely on the basis of sage-grouse if   
such action is consistent with a        
statewide plan that has been submitted  
by the ,state to the ,secretary4  7f7   
,existing ,state plans ,the ,secretary  
shall--  7#a7 except as provided in     
paragraph 7#b71 give effect to a        
statewide conservation and management   
plan for the protection and recovery of 
sage grouse species within a covered    
western ,state that is submitted by such
 ,state and approved or endorsed by the 

,united ,states ,fish and ,wildlife     
,services before the date of the        
enactment of this ,act1 in accordance   
with the terms of approval or           
endorsement of the plan by the ,united  
,states ,fish and ,wildlife ,services2  
and  7#b7 for purposes of subsections   
7b77#c7 and 7e71 treat such a plan as a 
plan referred to in each such           
subsection4