,i  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #aiig  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #bc1 #bjae    
,mr4 ,stewart 7for himself1 ,mrs4 ,love1
 ,mr4 ,tipton1 ,mrs4 ,mc,morris         
,rodgers1 ,mr4 ,chaffetz1 ,mr4          
,labrador1 ,mr4 ,simpson1 ,mrs4 ,lummis1
 ,mr4 ,newhouse1 ,mr4 ,zinke1 ,mr4      
,lamborn1 ,mr4 ,hardy1 ,mr4 ,buck1 and  
,mr4 ,cramer7 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 ,purposes    
,the purposes of this section are--     

7#a7 to allow ,states-- 7,a7 to         
determine the appropriate management of 
sage-grouse species according to        
,state-created conservation and         
management plans that address the key   
threats to sage-grouse species and the  
habitat of sage-grouse species within   
the ,states2 and  7,b7 to demonstrate   
that those ,statewide plans can protect 
and recover sage-grouse species within  
the ,states2 and  7#b7 to require the   
,secretary to implement recommendations 
contained in ,statewide plans for the   
management of sage-grouse species and   
the habitat of sage-grouse species on   
,federal land4  7b7 ,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 land ,the term
 ,national ,forest ,system land means   

the ,federal land 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 land ,the term public land has  
the meaning given the term public lands 
in section #ajc of the ,federal ,land   
,policy and ,management ,act of #aigf   
7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #agjb74  7#d7            
,sage-grouse species ,the term          
sage-grouse species means--  7,a7 the   
greater sage-grouse 7,centrocercus      
urophasianus7 7including all distinct   
population segments72 and  7,b7 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 land2 and     
7,b7 the ,secretary of the ,interior1   
with respect to public land4  7#f7      
,statewide plan ,the term ,statewide    
plan means a conservation and management
 plan or plans developed and submitted  

to the ,secretary by a covered ,western 
,state for the protection and recovery  
of any sage-grouse species and the      
habitat of the sage-grouse species      
within the covered ,western ,state in   
response to invitations from the        
,secretary of the ,interior in ,december
 #bjaa to submit to the ,secretary those
 plans4  7c7 ,participation in ,state   
planning process  7#a7 ,list of         
designees  7,a7 ,in general ,not later  
than #cj days after that date of receipt
 from a covered ,western ,state of a    
notice described in subparagraph 7,b71  
the ,secretary shall provide to the     
,governor of the covered ,western ,state
 a list of designees of the ,department 
of the ,interior or the ,department of  
,agriculture1 as applicable1 who will   
represent the ,secretary in assisting in
 the development and implementation of  
the ,statewide plan4  7,b7 ,description 
of notice  7i7 ,in general ,a notice    
referred to in subparagraph 7,a7 is a   
notice that a covered ,western ,state-- 

7,i7 is initiating1 or has previously   
initiated1 development of a ,statewide  
plan in accordance with clause 7ii72 or 
7,,ii7 has previously submitted to the  
,secretary a ,statewide plan in         
accordance with clause 7ii74  7ii7      
,contents ,a notice under this          
subparagraph shall include--  7,i7 an   
invitation to the ,secretary to         
participate in the development or       
implementation of the ,statewide plan of
 the applicable covered ,western ,state2
 and  7,,ii7 a statement that the       
covered ,western ,state-- 7aa7 has      
prepared or will prepare1 by not later  
than #a year after the date of          
submission of the notice1 a ,statewide  
plan that will protect and manage       
sage-grouse species and the habitat of  
sage-grouse species to the point that   
designation of sage-grouse species as a 
threatened or endangered species under  
the ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc  
7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et seq47 is no     
longer necessary in the covered ,western

 ,state2 and  7bb7 will-- 7,,aa7 collect
 monitoring data such as sage-grouse    
species population trends1 fuel         
reduction1 predator control1 invasive   
species control1 the condition of       
sage-grouse species habitat1 or other   
parameters that address the primary     
threats to sage-grouse species in the   
covered ,western ,state to address how  
the threats identified in the ,statewide
 plan are being reduced and how the     
objectives identified in the ,statewide 
plan are being met2 and 7,,bb7 provide  
to the ,secretary relevant data         
regarding the health of sage-grouse     
species populations1 the condition of   
sage-grouse species habitat1 and        
activities relating to the              
implementation of the ,statewide plan on
 an annual basis under this section4    
7iii7 ,timing ,to be eligible to        
participate in a planning process under 
this section1 not later than #abj days  
after the date of enactment of this     
,act1 a covered ,western ,state shall   

submit to the ,secretary a notice       
described in subparagraph 7,b74  7#b7   
,access to information ,not later than  
#fj days after the date of receipt from 
a covered ,western ,state of a notice   
described in paragraph 7#a77;,b71 the   
,secretary shall provide to the covered 
,western ,state all relevant scientific 
data1 research1 and information         
regarding sage-grouse species and       
habitat within the covered ,western     
,state for use by appropriate ,state    
personnel to assist the covered ,western
 ,state in the development and          
implementation of the ,statewide plan4  
7d7 ,recognition of ,statewide plan     
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law or equity1 if the ,secretary        
receives from a covered ,western ,state 
a ,statewide plan by the date that is #a
 year after the date of receipt of a    
notice under subsection 7c77#a7 from the
 covered ,western ,state1 the ,secretary
 shall--  7#a7 when taking any action   
that could impact the sage-grouse       

species or the habitat of the species1  
manage all public land and ,national    
,forest ,system land within the covered 
,western ,state in accordance with the  
,statewide plan for a period of not less
 than #f years1 beginning on the date of
 submission to the ,secretary of the    
,statewide plan in accordance with this 
section2  7#b7 annually-- 7,a7 review   
the ,statewide plan using the best      
available science and data1 using the   
objectives and goals contained in the   
,statewide plan as a measure of success2
 and  7,b7 provide to the ,governor of  
the covered ,western ,state             
recommendations regarding improvement of
 the ,statewide plan2  7#c7 use the     
,statewide plan as the basis for all    
relevant determinations under the       
,national ,environmental ,policy ,act of
 #aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et seq472   
7#d7 permit and assist the covered      
,western ,state to implement adaptive   
management1 if required by the          
,statewide plan1 to respond to          

sage-grouse species conditions as       
indicated by monitoring data1           
meteorological conditions1 or fire or   
other events necessitating adaptation of
 the ,statewide plan2  7#e7 require the 
covered ,western ,state to submit to the
 ,secretary annual reports regarding the
 implementation of the ,statewide plan1 
including relevant data regarding--     
7,a7 actions carried out pursuant to the
 ,statewide plan2 and  7,b7 population  
trends1 fuel reductions1 predator       
control1 invasive species control1 the  
condition of sage-grouse habitat1 and   
other parameters that address the       
primary threats to sage-grouse species  
in the covered ,western ,state2  7#f7   
require the covered ,western ,state--   
7,a7 to monitor appropriate sage-grouse 
species and habitat data for a period of
 not less than #e years1 beginning on   
the date of submission of the ,statewide
 plan2 and  7,b7 to submit to the       
,secretary1 not later than #f years     
after the date of submission of the     

,statewide plan and in accordance with  
applicable scientific protocols1 a      
report that includes--  7i7 a           
description of the status of            
implementation of the ,statewide plan   
and progress made in achieving the      
objectives and goals of the ,statewide  
plan1 including relevant data regarding 
sage-grouse species population trends1  
fuel reductions1 predator control1      
invasive species control1 the condition 
of sage-grouse species habitat1 and     
other parameters that address the       
primary threats to sage-grouse in the   
covered ,western ,state2  7ii7 an       
estimate of additional time needed1 if  
any1 for implementation of the          
,statewide plan2 and  7iii7 necessary   
modifications to the ,statewide plan to 
enhance the achievement of the          
objectives and goals of the ,statewide  
plan2 and  7#g7 assist the covered      
,western ,state in monitoring and       
collecting relevant data on ,federal    
land to assess sage-grouse species      

population trends1 fuel reductions1     
predator control1 invasive species      
control1 the condition of sage-grouse   
species habitat1 and other parameters   
that address the primary threats to     
sage-grouse in the covered ,western     
,state4  7e7 ,secretarial actions       
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
law1 not later than #cj days after the  
date of receipt of a ,statewide plan    
under this section1 and annually        
thereafter during the period in which   
the ,secretary determines that the      
applicable covered ,western ,state is   
implementing the ,statewide plan1 the   
,secretary shall--  7#a7 take necessary 
steps to maintain or restore the        
candidate species status for any        
sage-grouse species in the covered      
,western ,state under the ,endangered   
,species ,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4   
#aeca et seq471 for a period of not less
 than #f years--  7,a7 to allow for     
appropriate monitoring and collection of
 data2 and  7,b7 to assess the          

achievement of the objectives of the    
,statewide plan2  7#b7 stay any land use
 planning activities relating to        
,federal management of sage-grouse      
species on public land or ,national     
,forest ,system land within the covered 
,western ,state2  7#c7 take immediate   
action to amend all ,federal land use   
plans under the ,federal ,land ,policy  
and ,management ,act of #aigf 7#dc      
,u4,s4,c4 #agja et seq47 and the ,forest
 and ,rangeland ,renewable ,resources   
,planning ,act of #aigd 7#af ,u4,s4,c4  
#afjj et seq47 to comply with the       
,statewide plan with respect to that    
covered ,western ,state2  7#d7 manage   
all public land and ,national ,forest   
,system land with habitat for any       
sage-grouse species in the covered      
,western ,state in a manner consistent  
with sections #ajb7;a77#ab7 and #ajc7;c7
 of the ,federal ,land ,policy and      
,management ,act of #aigf 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4
 #agja7;a77#ab71 #agjb7;c77 and section 
#d of the ,forest and ,rangeland        

,renewable ,resources ,planning ,act of 
#aigd 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #afjb72  7#e7      
immediately reverse any withdrawals or  
land use restrictions carried out for   
purposes of protecting or conserving    
sage-grouse on public land or ,national 
,forest ,system land that are not       
consistent with a ,statewide plan2 and  
7#f7 use ,state annual reports regarding
 the implementation of the ,statewide   
plans submitted to the ,secretary under 
subsection 7d77#e7 to prepare the annual
 ,candidate ,notice of ,review of the   
,secretary pursuant to section #d of the
 ,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af
 ,u4,s4,c4 #aecc74  7f7 ,existing ,state
 plans ,the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7 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 the covered ,western ,state
 and approved or endorsed by the ,united
 ,states ,fish and ,wildlife ,service   
before the date of enactment of this    

,act2 and  7#b7 for purposes of         
subsections 7d7 and 7e71 treat such a   
plan as a ,statewide plan in accordance 
with that subsection4  7g7 ,actions     
pursuant to ,,nepa ,an action proposed  
to be carried out pursuant to the       
,national ,environmental ,policy ,act of
 #aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et seq47 in 
a covered ,western ,state may not be    
denied or restricted solely on the basis
 of the presence or protection of       
sage-grouse species in the covered      
,western ,state1 if the action is       
consistent with the ,statewide plan of  
the covered ,western ,state4  7h7       
,authority ,to ,extend ,plan            
,implementation ,on review of the report
 of a covered ,western ,state under     
subsection 7d77#f77;,b71 the ,secretary 
may extend the provisions of this ,act  
for a period not to exceed an additional
 #f years with the consent of the       
covered ,western ,state4  #c4 ,rangeland
 fire prevention1 management1 and       
restoration ,the ,secretary of the      

,interior shall for a period of not less
 than #f years1 beginning on the date of
 enactment of this ,act1 fully implement
 the order of the ,secretary numbered   
#cccf and dated ,january #e1 #bjae1 to  
prevent and suppress rangeland fire and 
restore sagebrush landscapes impacted by
 fire across the ,western ,united       
,states1 including controlling the      
spread of invasive species in landscapes
 impacted by fire4