#aae? ,,congress  #b;d ,session  ,s4    
#adag  ,,an ,,act  ,to require !        
,secret>y ( ! ,int]ior to develop a     
categorical exclusion = cov]$ vegetative
 managem5t activities c>ri$ out to      
e/abli% or improve habitat = great]     
sage-gr\se & mule de]1 & = o!r purposes4
  #a4 ,%ort title ,?is ,act may be cit$ 
z ! ,sage-,gr\se & ,mule ,de] ,habitat  
,cons]vation & ,re/oration ,act ( #bjah4
  #b4 ,def9itions ,9 ?is ,act3 7#a7     
,cov]$ vegetation managem5t activity    
7,a7 ,9 g5]al ,! t]m cov]$ vegetation   
managem5t activity means any activity   
describ$ 9 subp>agraph 7,b7 t-- 7i7 is  
c>ri$ out on public l& adm9i/]$ by !    
,bureau ( ,l& ,managem5t2  7ii7 meets ! 
objectives ( ! ord] ( ! ,secret>y numb]$
 #cccf & dat$ ,janu>y #e1 #bjae2  7iii7 
con=ms to an applicable l& use plan2    
7iv7 protects1 re/ores1 or improves     
great] sage-gr\se or mule de] habitat 9 
a sagebru% /eppe ecosy/em z describ$ 9--
 7,i7 ,circul> #adaf ( ! ,unit$ ,/ates  
,geological ,survey entitl$ ,re/oration 

,h&book = ,sagebru% ,/eppe ,ecosy/ems ) 
,emphasis on ,great] ,sage-,gr\se       
,habitat--,"p #a4 ,concepts = ,und]/&+ &
 ,apply+ ,re/oration 7#bjae72 or  7,,ii7
 ! habitat guidel9es = mule de] publi%$ 
by ! ,mule ,de] ,work+ ,gr\p ( ! ,we/]n 
,association ( ,fi% & ,wildlife         
,ag5cies2  7v7 w n p]man5tly impair--   
7,i7 ! natural /ate ( ! treat$ area2    
7,,ii7 out/&+ opportunities = solitude2 
7,,iii7 out/&+ opportunities =          
primitive1 unconf9$ recreation2  7,,iv7 
economic opportunities consi/5t )       
multiple-use managem5t2 or  7,v7 !      
id5tifi$ values ( a unit ( ! ,national  
,l&scape ,cons]vation ,sy/em2 &  7vi7   
7,i7 re/ores native vegetation foll[+ a 
natural di/urbance2  7,,ii7 prev5ts !   
expansion into great] sage-gr\se or mule
 de] habitat (-- 7aa7 junip]1 p9yon p9e1
 or o!r associat$ conif]s2 or  7bb7     
nonnative or invasive vegetation2       
7,,iii7 r$uces ! risk ( loss ( great]   
sage-gr\se or mule de] habitat f        
wildfire or any o!r natural di/urbance2 

or  7,,iv7 provides em]g5cy /abilization
 ( soil res\rces aft] a natural         
di/urbance4  7,b7 ,description (        
activities ,an activity ref]r$ to 9     
subp>agraph 7,a7 is-- 7i7 manual cutt+ &
 removal ( junip] trees1 p9yon p9e      
trees1 o!r associat$ conif]s1 or o!r    
nonnative or invasive vegetation2  7ii7 
me*anical ma/ication1 cutt+1 or m[+1    
me*anical pil+ & burn+1 *a9+1 broadca/  
burn+1 or y>d+2  7iii7 removal ( *eat   
grass1 m$usa head rye1 or o!r nonnative1
 invasive vegetation2  7iv7 collection &
 se$+ or plant+ ( native vegetation us+ 
a manual1 me*anical1 or a]ial me?od2    
7v7 se$+ ( nonnative1 non9vasive1 rud]al
 vegetation only = ! purpose ( em]g5cy  
/abilization2  7vi7 t>get$ use ( an     
h]bicide1 subject to ! condition t ! use
 %all be 9 accordance ) applicable legal
 requirem5ts1 ,f$]al ag5cy proc$ures1 & 
l& use plans2  7vii7 t>get$ live/ock    
graz+ to mitigate haz>d\s fuels &       
control noxi\s & invasive we$s2  7viii7 
tempor>y removal ( wild horses or burros

 9 ! area 9 :i* ! activity is be+ c>ri$ 
out to ensure treatm5t objectives are   
met2  7ix7 9 coord9ation ) ! affect$    
p]mit hold]1 modification or adju/m5t ( 
p]missible usage "u an annual plan ( use
 ( a graz+ p]mit issu$ by ! ,secret>y to
 a*ieve re/oration treatm5t objectives2 
7x7 in/allation ( new1 or modification (
 exi/+1 f5c+ or wat] s\rces int5d$ to   
control use or improve wildlife habitat2
 or  7xi7 necess>y ma9t5ance (1 repairs 
to1 rehabilitation (1 or recon/ruction (
 an exi/+ p]man5t road or con/ruction ( 
tempor>y roads to accompli% ! activities
 describ$ 9 ?is subp>agraph4  7,c7      
,exclusions ,! t]m cov]$ vegetation     
managem5t activity does n include-- 7i7 
any activity conduct$ 9 a wild]ness area
 or wild]ness /udy area2 or  7ii7 any   
activity = ! con/ruction ( a p]man5t    
road or p]man5t trail4  7#b7 ,secret>y  
,! t]m ,secret>y means ! ,secret>y ( !  
,int]ior4  7#c7 ,tempor>y road ,! t]m   
tempor>y road means a road t is-- 7,a7  
au?oriz$-- 7i7 by a contract1 p]mit1    

lease1 o!r writt5 au?orization2 or  7ii7
 pursuant to an em]g5cy op]ation2  7,b7 
n int5d$ to be "p ( ! p]man5t           
transportation sy/em ( a ,f$]al dep>tm5t
 or ag5cy2  7,c7 n necess>y = long-t]m  
res\rce managem5t2  7,d7 design$ 9      
accordance ) /&>ds appropriate = !      
int5d$ use ( ! road1 tak+ into          
consid]ation-- 7i7 safety2  7ii7 ! co/ (
 transportation2 &  7iii7 impacts to l& 
& res\rces2 &  7,e7 manag$ to m9imize-- 
7i7 erosion2 &  7ii7 ! introduction or  
spread ( invasive species4  #c4         
,improvem5t ( habitat = great]          
sage-gr\se & mule de]  7a7 ,categorical 
exclusion  7#a7 ,9 g5]al ,n lat] ?an #a 
ye> aft] ! date ( ! enactm5t ( ?is ,act1
 ! ,secret>y %all develop #a or m       
categorical exclusions 7z def9$ 9       
section #aejh4d ( title #dj1 ,code (    
,f$]al ,regulations 7or a successor     
regulation77 = cov]$ vegetation         
managem5t activities c>ri$ out to       
protect1 re/ore1 or improve habitat =   
great] sage-gr\se or mule de]4  7#b7    

,adm9i/ration ,9 develop+ & adm9i/]+ a  
categorical exclusion "u p>agraph 7#a71 
! ,secret>y %all-- 7,a7 comply ) !      
,national ,environm5tal ,policy ,act (  
#aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et seq472    
7,b7 apply ! extraord9>y circum/ances   
proc$ures "u section #bbj4f ( title #cf1
 ,code ( ,f$]al ,regulations 7or        
successor regulations71 9 det]m9+ :e!r  
to use ! categorical exclusion2 &  7,c7 
consid]-- 7i7 ! relative efficacy (     
l&scape-scale habitat projects2  7ii7 ! 
likelihood ( cont9u$ decl9es 9 !        
populations ( great] sage-gr\se & mule  
de] 9 ! abs5ce ( l&scape-scale          
vegetation managem5t2 &  7iii7 ! ne$ =  
habitat re/oration activities aft]      
wildfire or o!r natural di/urbances4    
7b7 ,implem5tation ( cov]$ vegetative   
managem5t activities )9 ! range ( great]
 sage-gr\se & mule de] ,if a categorical
 exclusion develop$ "u subsection 7a7 is
 us$ to implem5t a cov]$ vegetative     
managem5t activity 9 an area )9 ! range 
( bo? great] sage-gr\se & mule de]1 !   

cov]$ vegetative managem5t activity %all
 protect1 re/ore1 or improve habitat    
concurr5tly = bo? great] sage-gr\se &   
mule de]4  7c7 ,long-t]m monitor+ &     
ma9t5ance ,be=e comm5c+ any cov]$       
vegetation managem5t activity t is cov]$
 by a categorical exclusion "u          
subsection 7a71 ! ,secret>y %all develop
 a long-t]m monitor+ & ma9t5ance plan1  
cov]+ at lea/ ! #bj ye>-p]iod beg9n+ on 
! date ( comm5cem5t1 to ensure t        
managem5t ( ! treat$ area does n degrade
 ! habitat ga9s secur$ by ! cov]$       
vegetation managem5t activity4  7d7     
,disposal ( vegetative mat]ial ,subject 
to applicable local re/rictions1 any    
vegetative mat]ial result+ f a cov]$    
vegetation managem5t activity t is cov]$
 by a categorical exclusion "u          
subsection 7a7 may be-- 7#a7 us$ =--    
7,a7 fuel wood2 or  7,b7 o!r products2  
or  7#b7 pil$ or burn$1 or bo?4  7e7    
,treatm5t = tempor>y roads  7#a7 ,9     
g5]al ,not)/&+ section #b7a77;,b77xi71  
any tempor>y road con/ruct$ 9 c>ry+ out 

a cov]$ vegetation managem5t activity t 
is cov]$ by a categorical exclusion "u  
subsection 7a7-- 7,a7 %all be us$ by !  
,secret>y = ! cov]$ vegetation managem5t
 activity = n m ?an #b ye>s2 &  7,b7    
%all be decommission$ by ! ,secret>y n  
lat] ?an #c ye>s aft] ! e>li] ( ! date  
on :i*-- 7i7 ! tempor>y road is no long]
 ne$$2 &  7ii7 ! project is complet$4   
7#b7 ,requirem5t ,a treatm5t "u p>agraph
 7#a7 %all include ree/abli%+ native    
vegetative cov]-- 7,a7 z soon z         
practicable2 b  7,b7 n lat] ?an #aj ye>s
 aft] ! date ( completion ( ! applicable
 cov]$ vegetation managem5t activity4   
,pass$ ! ,s5ate ,septemb] #f1           
#bjah4,secret>y