,,ii #aacth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #ffa ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,march #bb1 #bjac ,mr4 ,thune 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 promote timely emergency rehabilitation and restoration of ,federal forest land impacted by catastrophic events1 to redirect for a #e-year-period funding normally made available for land acquisition to mechanical forest treatment and salvage operations due to catastrophic events1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,emergency forest rehabilitation and restoration ,title ,,vi of the ,healthy ,forests ,restoration ,act of #bjjc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #feia7 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #fjb4 ,emergency forest rehabilitation and restoration 7a7 ,definition ,in this section3 7#a7 ,catastrophic event 7,a7 ,in general ,the term catastrophic event means any natural disaster or any fire1 flood1 or explosion1 regardless of cause1 that the ,secretary determines has caused or has the potential to cause damage of significant severity and magnitude to ,federal land4 7,b7 ,natural disaster ,for purposes of subparagraph 7,a71 a natural disaster1 as determined by the ,secretary1 may include a hurricane1 tornado1 windstorm1 snow or ice storm1 rain storm1 high water1 wind-driven water1 tidal wave1 earthquake1 volcanic eruption1 landslide1 mudslide1 drought1 or insect or disease outbreak4 7#b7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary has the meaning given term in section #aja4 7b7 ,mechanical forest treatment 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall implement such procedures as are necessary to ensure that not less than #fjj1jjj acres of ,federal land each fiscal year are treated with mechanical treatments intended to produce merchantable wood4 7#b7 ,funding ,the ,secretary shall use to carry out paragraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 funds described in subsection 7f77#c72 and 7,b7 any other funds made available for the purposes described in paragraph 7#a74 7c7 ,emergency circumstances 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall-- 7,a7 declare that emergency circumstances exist for all ,federal land subject to the effects of a catastrophic event1 including on ,federal land outside urban interface areas2 and 7,b7 as soon as practicable1 take all actions necessary for the rehabilitation or restoration of the ,federal land1 with highest priority given to ,federal land impacted by large-scale beetle infestations4 7#b7 ,emergency alternative arrangements ,in accordance with section #bbj4d of title #cf1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations and section #aejf4aa of title #dj1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or successor regulations71 for any ,federal land for which the ,secretary declares the existence of emergency circumstances under paragraph 7#a71 the ,secretary may use emergency alternative arrangements to comply with the ,national ,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et seq474 7#c7 ,limitation on administrative appeals ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 no administrative appeal shall be allowed for any action classified as an emergency alternative arrangement under paragraph 7#b7 or a categorical exclusion under the ,national ,environmental ,policy ,act of #aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et seq47 due to emergency circumstances declared under paragraph 7#a74 7d7 ,catastrophic events 7#a7 ,in general ,as soon as practicable during but not later than #cj days after the conclusion of a catastrophic event1 the ,secretary shall initiate timely salvage activities on the ,federal land affected by the catastrophic event so as to prevent significant deterioration of timber values1 development of significant fire hazard1 or other forest mortality that would prevent the ,federal land from regenerating to forest within #e years4 7#b7 ,funding ,the ,secretary shall use to carry out paragraph 7#a7-- 7,a7 funds described in subsection 7f77#c72 and 7,b7 any other funds made available for the purposes described in paragraph 7#a74 7e7 ,exclusion of certain federal land ,this section shall not apply to-- 7#a7 a component of the ,national ,wilderness ,preservation ,system2 7#b7 ,federal land on which the removal of vegetation is prohibited or restricted by ,act of ,congress1 ,presidential proclamation1 or the applicable land management plan2 or 7#c7 a wilderness study area4 7f7 ,limitation on acquisition 7#a7 ,in general ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 except as provided in paragraph 7#b71 beginning on the date of enactment of this section and during each of the subsequent #e full fiscal years1 none of the funds made available to the ,secretary under any law may be used-- 7,a7 to survey land for future acquisition as ,federal land2 or 7,b7 to enter into discussions with non-,federal landowners to identify land for acquisition as ,federal land4 7#b7 ,exception ,paragraph 7#a7 does not apply to the use of funds-- 7,a7 to complete land transactions underway on the date of enactment of this section2 7,b7 to exchange ,federal land for non-,federal land2 or 7,c7 to accept donations of non-,federal land as ,federal land4 7#c7 ,use of funds ,the ,secretary shall use funds that would otherwise have been used for purchase of non-,federal land by the ,forest ,service to carry out-- 7,a7 mechanical forest treatments described in subsection 7b72 and 7,b7 salvage activities described in subsection 7d74 4