,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #bgfh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ca1     
#bjad ,mr4 ,heller 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,crapo1 ,mr4 ,risch1 ,mr4 ,barrasso1 and
 ,mr4 ,hatch7 introduced the following  
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,agriculture1      
,nutrition1 and ,forestry  ,a ,,bill    
,to amend the ,healthy ,forests         
,restoration ,act of #bjjc to expand the
 use of categorical exclusions for      
hazardous fuel reduction projects4  #a4 
,short title  ,this ,act may be cited as
 the ,emergency ,fuel ,reduction ,act of
 #bjad4  #b4 ,purposes ,the purposes of 
this ,act are-- 7#a7 to expedite        
wildfire prevention projects to reduce  
the chances of wildfire on certain      
high-risk ,federal land adjacent to     
communities1 private property1 and      
critical infrastructure2  7#b7 to       
improve forest and wildland health2 and 
7#c7 to promote the recovery of         
threatened and endangered species1 or   

other species under consideration for   
listing under the ,endangered ,species  
,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et   
seq471 including sage-grouse1 whose     
habitat is negatively impacted by       
wildland fire4  #c4 ,expedited review of
 projects on ,federal land ,section #ajd
 of the ,healthy ,forests ,restoration  
,act of #bjjc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #fead7 is  
amended-- 7#a7 by redesignating         
subsections 7e7 through 7h7 as          
subsections 7f7 through 7i71            
respectively2  7#b7 in subsection       
7c77#a77;,c77i71 by striking subsection 
7f7 and inserting subsection 7g72 and   
7#c7 by inserting after subsection 7d7  
the following3  7e7 ,categorical        
exclusion of certain projects  7#a7     
,definition of adjacent ,federal land   
,in this subsection1 the term adjacent  
,federal land means an area of ,federal 
land-- 7,a7 that1 while not located in  
the wildland-urban interface1 is located
 within not more than #b miles of       
non-,federal land2 and  7,b7 on which   

the ,secretary determines that          
conditions1 such as the risk of         
wildfire1 an insect or disease epidemic1
 or the presence of invasive species1   
pose a risk to the adjacent non-,federal
 land4  7#b7 ,categorical exclusion of  
certain projects  7,a7 ,in general ,an  
authorized hazardous fuel reduction     
project shall be categorically excluded 
from the requirements of the ,national  
,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et seq47 if the    
project-- 7i7 involves the removal of   
insect-infected trees1 dead or dying    
trees1 trees presenting a threat to     
public safety or electrical reliability1
 or the removal of other hazardous fuels
 within #ejj feet of utility or         
communications infrastructure1 a        
municipal water supply system1          
campground1 roadside1 heritage site1    
recreation site1 school1 or other       
infrastructure2  7ii7 is intended to    
treat #aj1jjj acres or less of public   
land or ,national ,forest ,system land  

that-- 7,i7 contains threatened and     
endangered species habitat2 or  7,,ii7  
provides conservation benefits to       
species that are not listed as          
endangered or threatened under section  
#d of the ,endangered ,species ,act of  
#aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aecc7 but are a   
,state-listed species1 a special concern
 species1 or candidates for a listing   
under the ,endangered ,species ,act of  
#aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq472    
7iii7 is proposed to be conducted on    
adjacent ,federal land or is recommended
 in a community wildfire protection plan
 if-- 7,i7 the ,secretary determines    
that the project is consistent with the 
applicable resource management plan2 and
  7,,ii7 the decision to categorically  
exclude the project is made in          
accordance with applicable extraordinary
 circumstances procedures established   
pursuant to section #aejh4d of title    
#dj1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or 
a successor regulation74  7,b7          
,consultation ,in determining whether an

 area contains trees or other hazardous 
fuels described in clause 7i71 the      
,secretary shall consult with any       
utility or other entity that manages the
 area4  7,c7 ,priority for certain      
projects ,in providing categorical      
exclusions under subparagraph 7,a71 the 
,secretary shall give priority to       
authorized hazardous fuel reduction     
projects and other projects recommended 
in a community wildfire protection plan4
  7,d7 ,exclusions ,national ,forest    
,system land or public land eligible for
 treatment under this subsection shall  
not include land-- 7i7 that is a        
component of the ,national ,wilderness  
,preservation ,system2  7ii7 on which   
the removal of vegetation is            
specifically prohibited by ,federal law2
 or  7iii7 that is within a ,national   
,monument as of the date of the         
enactment of the ,emergency ,fuel       
,reduction ,act of #bjad4  4