,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dhce  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ac1
 #bjbb,mr4 ,king introduced the         
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,natural ,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to 
provide for the removal of              
small-diameter trees in fire hazard     
areas1 and for other purposes4  #a4     
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,small-diameter ,timber and         
,underutilized ,material ,act of #bjbb4 
#b4 ,definitions ,in this ,act3 7#a7    
,federal land ,the term ,federal land   
means land under the jurisdiction of--  
7,a7 the ,bureau of ,land ,management2  
7,b7 the ,bureau of ,reclamation2  7,c7 
the ,national ,park ,service2  7,d7 the 
,united ,states ,fish and ,wildlife     
,service2 or  7,e7 the ,forest ,service4
  7#b7 ,fire hazard area ,the term fire 
hazard area means an area that-- 7,a7   
has been identified by the ,secretary   
concerned as having a very high wildfire

 hazard potential2  7,b7 is located on  
,federal land2 and  7,c7 is located west
 of the #ajjth meridian4  7#c7          
,secretary concerned ,the term          
,secretary concerned means-- 7,a7 the   
,secretary of ,agriculture1 acting      
through the ,chief of the ,forest       
,service1 with respect to ,federal land 
administered by that ,secretary2 and    
7,b7 the ,secretary of the ,interior1   
with respect to ,federal land           
administered by that ,secretary4  7#d7  
,small-diameter tree ,the term          
small-diameter tree means a tree1 or    
portion thereof1 that has a diameter at 
breast height of not greater than #h    
inches4  #c4 ,prices  7a7 ,in general   
,except as provided in subsection 7b71  
notwithstanding any other provision of  
law-- 7#a7 the ,secretary concerned may 
not-- 7,a7 charge a fee to authorize a  
person to remove a small-diameter tree  
in a fire hazard area1 including a fee  
for a special use permit2 or  7,b7      
recover any processing or monitoring    

cost of authorizing a person to remove a
 small-diameter tree in a fire hazard   
area2 and  7#b7 if the ,secretary       
concerned authorizes a person to remove 
a small-diameter tree1 including through
 a timber sale1 in a fire hazard area1  
the ,secretary concerned shall not      
require the person to pay any amount for
 the small-diameter tree4  7b7 ,fees    
,the ,secretary concerned may charge a  
fee for removal of a small-diameter tree
 of a particular species of tree in a   
fire hazard area if the ,secretary      
concerned-- 7#a7 determines that the fee
 is appropriate2 and  7#b7 discloses    
that determination to the public4  7c7  
,no volume determinations2 appraisals   
,as part of a small-diameter tree       
removal described in subsection 7a71 the
 ,secretary concerned may not-- 7#a7    
require a volume determination1         
including by scaling1 measuring1        
weighing1 or counting small-diameter    
trees before or after cutting or        
removal2 or  7#b7 conduct a timber      

appraisal to determine the fair-market  
value of the small-diameter trees being 
removed4  7d7 ,applicability ,this      
section shall only apply to contracts   
authorizing a person to remove a        
small-diameter tree as described in     
subsection 7a7 entered into on or after 
the date of enactment of this ,act4  #d4
 ,free-use area designation ,the        
,secretary of ,agriculture1 acting      
through the ,chief of the ,forest       
,service1 shall designate as a free-use 
area under section #bbc4f of title #cf1 
,code of ,federal ,regulations 7or a    
successor regulation71 any fire hazard  
area in the ,national ,forest ,system   
that contains a small-diameter tree4    
#e4 ,tree designation ,the ,secretary   
concerned shall seek to designate for   
removal small-diameter trees in a fire  
hazard area-- 7#a7 to the maximum extent
 practicable1 through means that do not 
include physically marking a            
small-diameter tree for removal2 and    
7#b7 by providing a written description 

of-- 7,a7 the small-diameter trees to be
 removed and to be retained from a      
project area2 or  7,b7 the desired      
post-harvest stand characteristics      
within the project area from which the  
small-diameter tree would be removed4