,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ageb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #c1    
#bjag,mr4 ,heller 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,flake1 ,mr4 ,risch1 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 expedite wildfire prevention   
projects to reduce the risk of wildfire 
on certain high-risk ,federal land1 and 
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,emergency ,fuel ,reduction ,act of     
#bjag4  #b4 ,purposes ,the purposes of  
this ,act are-- 7#a7 to expedite        
wildfire prevention projects to reduce  
the risk 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 or endangered species or     
other species under consideration to be 
listed under the ,endangered ,species   
,act of #aigc 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #aeca et   
seq471 including the sage-grouse        
species1 the habitat of which 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 ,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--  7,a7 involves the removal

 of-- 7i7 insect-infected trees2  7ii7  
dead or dying trees2  7iii7 trees       
presenting a threat to public safety2 or
  7iv7 other hazardous fuels            
threatening-- 7,i7 utility or           
communications infrastructure2  7,,ii7  
municipal water supply systems2  7,,iii7
 campgrounds2  7,,iv7 roadsides2  7,v7  
schools2 or  7,,vi7 other               
infrastructure2  7,b7 is conducted on   
,federal land that--  7i7 is not located
 in the wildland-urban interface2  7ii7 
is located within not more than #a4e    
miles of non-,federal land2 and  7iii7  
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 adjacent non-,federal    
land2 or  7,c7 treats #aj1jjj acres or  
less of ,federal land that-- 7i7 is at  
particular risk for wildfire2  7ii7     
contains threatened and endangered      
species habitat2 or  7iii7 provides     
conservation benefits to--  7,i7 a      

species that is not listed as an        
endangered species or a threatened      
species under section #d of the         
,endangered ,species ,act of #aigc 7#af 
,u4,s4,c4 #aecc71 but is under          
consideration to be listed2  7,,ii7 a   
,state-listed species2 or  7,,iii7 a    
special concern species4  7#b7          
,applicability ,this subsection shall   
not apply to ,federal land-- 7,a7 that  
is a component of the ,national         
,wilderness ,preservation ,system2  7,b7
 on which the removal of vegetation is  
specifically prohibited by ,federal     
statute2 or  7,c7 that is within a      
,national ,monument as of the date of   
enactment of this subsection4  4