,,ii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cjag  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #ab1 
#bjad ,mr4 ,hatch introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on          
,environment and ,public ,works  ,a     
,,bill  ,to provide a categorical       
exclusion under the ,national           
,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi to 
allow the ,director of the ,bureau of   
,land ,management and the ,chief of the 
,forest ,service to remove              
,pinyon-,juniper trees to conserve and  
restore the habitat of the greater      
sage-grouse4  #a4 ,short title  ,this   
,act may be cited as the ,sage-,grouse  
,habitat ,conservation and ,restoration 
,act of #bjad4  #b4 ,categorical        
exclusion for ,pinyon-,juniper tree     
removal  ,notwithstanding any other     
provision of law1 a vegetation          
management project by the ,director of  
the ,bureau of ,land ,management or the 
,chief of the ,forest ,service involving

 removal or treatment of any ,pinyon or 
,juniper tree for the purpose of        
conserving or restoring the habitat of  
the greater sage-grouse shall be        
eligible to be a categorical exclusion  
7as defined in section #aejh4d of title 
#dj1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or 
a successor regulation77 for purposes of
 the ,national ,environmental ,policy   
,act of #aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et   
seq474