,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bhfg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #bj1
 #bjbc,mr4 ,barrasso 7for himself and   
,mr4 ,manchin7 introduced the following 
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,energy and        
,natural ,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
address the forest health crisis on the 
,national ,forest ,system and public    
lands1 and for other purposes4  #a4     
,short title2 table of contents  7a7    
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,promoting ,effective ,forest       
,management ,act of #bjbc4  7b7 ,table  
of contents ,the table of contents for  
this ,act is as follows3 ,sec4 #a4      
,short title2 table of contents4,sec4   
#b4 ,definitions4,,title                
,i--,accomplishments ,over              
,rhetoric,sec4 #aja4 ,thinning          
targets4,sec4 #ajb4 ,annual             
reports4,sec4 #ajc4 ,transparency in    
fire mitigation reporting4,sec4 #ajd4   
,regional forest carbon accounting4,sec4

 #aje4 ,targets for wildlife habitat    
improvement4,,title ,,ii--,forest       
,management,sec4 #bja4 ,land and        
resource management plans4,sec4 #bjb4   
,management of old growth and mature    
forests4,sec4 #bjc4 ,assessment of      
processed-based restoration             
techniques4,sec4 #bjd4 ,intervenor      
status4,sec4 #bje4 ,utilizing grazing   
for wildfire prevention4,,title         
,,iii--,workforce,sec4 #cja4 ,logging   
workforce4,sec4 #cjb4 ,break-in-service 
consideration for firefighter           
retirements4,sec4 #cjc4 ,firefighter    
rental housing4,,title ,,iv--,cultural  
,change in ,agencies,sec4 #dja4         
,mandatory use of existing              
authorities4,sec4 #djb4 ,curtailing     
employee relocations4,sec4 #djc4 ,repeal
 of ,,flame reports4  #b4 ,definitions  
,in this ,act3 7#a7 ,national ,forest   
,system  7,a7 ,in general ,the term     
,national ,forest ,system has the       
meaning given the term in section       
#aa7;a7 of the ,forest and ,rangeland   

,renewable ,resources ,planning ,act of 
#aigd 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #afji7;a774  7,b7  
,exclusions ,the term ,national ,forest 
,system does not include-- 7i7 any      
forest reserve not created from the     
public domain2 or  7ii7 any national    
grassland or land utilization project   
administered under title ,,iii of the   
,bankhead-,jones ,farm ,tenant ,act 7#g 
,u4,s4,c4 #ajaj et seq474  7#b7 ,public 
lands  7,a7 ,in general ,except as      
provided in subparagraph 7,b71 the term 
public lands has the meaning given the  
term in section #ajc of the ,federal    
,land ,policy and ,management ,act of   
#aigf 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #agjb74  7,b7      
,exclusion ,the term public lands does  
not include land governed by the ,act of
 ,august #bh1 #aicg 7#ej ,stat4 #hgd1   
chapter #hgf2 #dc ,u4,s4,c4 #bfja et    
seq474  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 ,national     

,forest ,system land2 and  7,b7 the     
,secretary of the ,interior1 acting     
through the ,director of the ,bureau of 
,land ,management1 with respect to      
public lands4  ,i ,accomplishments ,over
 ,rhetoric  #aja4 ,thinning targets  7a7
 ,baseline ,for the ,national ,forest   
,system and for public lands1 the       
,secretary concerned shall determine--  
7#a7 for each of fiscal years #bjag     
through #bjba1 the number of acres      
mechanically thinned1 for acres         
commercially thinned and for acres      
pre-commercially thinned2 and  7#b7 the 
average of the numbers described in     
paragraph 7#a7 over the period of fiscal
 years #bjag through #bjba4  7b7 ,annual
 targets  7#a7 ,in general ,the         
,secretary concerned shall establish    
annual mechanical thinning targets for  
acres commercially thinned and for acres
 pre-commercially thinned for fiscal    
year #bjbd1 and annually thereafter1 for
 the ,national ,forest ,system and for  
public lands4  7#b7 ,requirements  7,a7 

,fiscal years #bjbd and #bjbe ,for each 
of fiscal years #bjbd and #bjbe1 the    
annual mechanical thinning targets      
established under paragraph 7#a7 shall  
be not less than the number of acres    
described in subsection 7a77#b74  7,b7  
,fiscal years #bjbf and #bjbg ,for each 
of fiscal years #bjbf and #bjbg1 the    
annual mechanical thinning targets      
established under paragraph 7#a7 shall  
be not less than twice the number of    
acres described in subsection 7a77#b74  
7,c7 ,fiscal year #bjbh ,for fiscal year
 #bjbh and each fiscal year thereafter1 
the annual mechanical thinning targets  
established under paragraph 7#a7 shall  
be not less than #d times the number of 
acres described in subsection 7a77#b74  
7c7 ,regional assignments ,not later    
than #ij days after the date of         
enactment of this ,act1 and annually    
thereafter1 the ,secretary concerned    
shall assign annual acreage targets for 
mechanical thinning on ,national ,forest
 ,system land and public lands1         

categorized by ,national ,forest ,system
 region or by ,state1 as appropriate4   
7d7 ,publication ,the ,secretary        
concerned shall make publicly available 
the data described in subsections 7a71  
7b71 and 7c71 including by publishing   
that data on the website of the ,forest 
,service and the website of the ,bureau 
of ,land ,management4  #ajb4 ,annual    
reports ,not later than ,january #a1    
#bjbd1 and annually thereafter1 the     
,secretary concerned shall publish on   
the website of the ,forest ,service and 
the website of the ,bureau of ,land     
,management the following information   
with respect to the ,national ,forest   
,system or public lands during the      
preceding fiscal year3 7#a7 ,the number 
of acres treated to meet the requirement
 described in section #djhjc7;b7 of the 
,infrastructure ,investment and ,jobs   
,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #feib7;b774  7#b7   
7,a7 ,the number of acres mechanically  
thinned2 and  7,b7 whether the number of
 acres described in subparagraph 7,a7   

met or exceeded the requirements        
described in section #aja7;b77#b74  7#c7
 ,any limitations or challenges1        
including litigation or permitting      
delays1 that hindered the ,secretary    
concerned from meeting or exceeding the 
annual target established under section 
#aja7;b77#a71 if applicable4  7#d7 ,the 
number of acres that have undergone a   
regeneration harvest4  7#e7 ,the number 
of acres described in paragraphs        
7#b77;,a7 and 7#d7 that are in an area  
identified as having-- 7,a7 the         
expectation that1 without remediation1  
at least #be percent of standing live   
basal area greater than #a inch in      
diameter may die over a #ae-year time   
frame due to insects and diseases1 as   
depicted on the ,national ,insect and   
,disease ,composite ,risk ,map2 or  7,b7
 a very high or high wildfire hazard    
potential4  7#f7 ,the number of acres   
described in paragraphs 7#b77;,a7 and   
7#d7 that use either of the following   
streamlined authorities for             

environmental review3 7,a7 ,a           
categorical exclusion4  7,b7 ,an        
emergency determination of the          
,secretary concerned4  7#g7 ,the number 
of acres described in paragraphs        
7#b77;,a7 and 7#d7 that use partners to 
carry out the work through-- 7,a7 a good
 neighbor agreement2  7,b7 a master     
stewardship agreement2  7,c7 a contract 
or agreement entered into under the     
,tribal ,forest ,protection ,act of     
#bjjd 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #caae;a72 or  7,d7 
a stewardship end-result contract4      
#ajc4 ,transparency in fire mitigation  
reporting  7a7 ,exclusion from annual   
budget and performance reports  7#a7 ,in
 general ,the ,secretary concerned shall
 not include in any appropriations      
request submitted to the ,president for 
purposes of preparing the budget of the 
,united ,states ,government under       
section #aaje of title #ca1 ,united     
,states ,code1 or any annual performance
 report submitted to ,congress any      
output measures for acres of land on    

which hazardous fuels treatments were   
conducted if the land needs to be       
treated more than once-- 7,a7 to meet   
the requirement described in section    
#djhjc7;b7 of the ,infrastructure       
,investment and ,jobs ,act 7#af         
,u4,s4,c4 #feib7;b772 or  7,b7 to       
effectively mitigate wildfire risk4     
7#b7 ,annual budget ,the ,president     
shall not include in the budget of the  
,united ,states ,government submitted to
 ,congress under section #aaje of title 
#ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 any output  
measures described in paragraph 7#a74   
7#c7 ,inclusions ,output measures       
described in paragraph 7#a7 include--   
7,a7 acres of hazardous fuels reduction 
on ,national ,forest ,system land and   
adjacent areas to mitigate wildfire     
risk2 and  7,b7 annual acreage treated  
to reduce or maintain fuel conditions on
 ,national ,forest ,system land and     
non-,federal land4  7b7 ,inclusion in   
annual budget and performance reports   
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary        

concerned shall include in an           
appropriations request submitted to the 
,president for purposes of preparing the
 budget of the ,united ,states          
,government under section #aaje of title
 #ca1 ,united ,states ,code1 and an     
annual performance report submitted to  
,congress-- 7,a7 the number of acres of 
land meeting the requirement described  
in section #djhjc7;b7 of the            
,infrastructure ,investment and ,jobs   
,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #feib7;b772 and     
7,b7 the annual acreage of ,national    
,forest ,system land where final        
treatment effectively mitigates wildfire
 risk4  7#b7 ,annual budget ,the        
,president shall include in the budget  
of the ,united ,states ,government      
submitted to ,congress under section    
#aaje of title #ca1 ,united ,states     
,code1 the information described in     
paragraph 7#a74  #ajd4 ,regional forest 
carbon accounting ,not later than       
,january #a1 #bjbe1 and every #c years  
thereafter1 the ,secretary of           

,agriculture1 acting through the ,chief 
of the ,forest ,service1 shall-- 7#a7   
using data from the forest inventory and
 analysis program1 determine the net    
forest carbon balance on the land in the
 ,national ,forest ,system of each      
,forest ,service region1 including      
whether the ,national ,forest ,system   
land is-- 7,a7 a carbon source2 or  7,b7
 a carbon sink2 and  7#b7 publish the   
information described in paragraph 7#a7 
on the website of the ,forest ,service4 
#aje4 ,targets for wildlife habitat     
improvement  7a7 ,in general ,to improve
 wildlife habitat function on ,national 
,forest ,system land and public lands1  
not later than #ah months after the date
 of enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary concerned shall-- 7#a7       
evaluate the extent to which the        
specific management goals and objectives
 relating to wildlife habitat in        
existing land management plans or       
resource management plans1 as           
applicable1 have been met through       

implementation of the applicable land   
management plan or resource management  
plan2 and  7#b7 establish and implement 
a strategy1 including establishing      
annual targets1 to meet the specific    
management goals and objectives         
described in paragraph 7#a74  7b7       
,reporting ,beginning in fiscal year    
#bjbe1 the ,secretary concerned shall   
annually-- 7#a7 establish targets       
associated with the strategy developed  
under subsection 7a77#b72 and  7#b7     
submit to the ,committee on ,energy and 
,natural ,resources of the ,senate and  
the ,committee on ,natural ,resources of
 the ,house of ,representatives a report
 on the implementation of the strategy  
developed under subsection 7a77#b74     
,,ii ,forest ,management  #bja4 ,land   
and resource management plans ,not later
 than #ahj days after the date of       
enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller
 ,general of the ,united ,states shall  
submit to the ,committee on ,energy and 
,natural ,resources of the ,senate and  

the ,committee on ,natural ,resources of
 the ,house of ,representatives an      
assessment of the time period that would
 be required for the ,secretary of      
,agriculture1 acting through the ,chief 
of the ,forest ,service1 to address the 
backlog of land and resource management 
plans that are noncompliant with section
 #f7;f77#e77;,a7 of the ,forest and     
,rangeland ,renewable ,resources        
,planning ,act of #aigd 7#af ,u4,s4,c4  
#afjd7;f77#e77;,a771 and to come into   
compliance with that section1 if the    
land and resource management plans for  
the units of the ,national ,forest      
,system were developed and revised in a 
manner consistent with the shorter      
length and development timelines of the 
land management plans for the units of  
the ,national ,park ,system4  #bjb4     
,management of old growth and mature    
forests  7a7 ,definition of old growth  
7#a7 ,in general ,except as provided in 
paragraph 7#b71 the ,secretary concerned
 shall adhere to the definitions of old 

growth forest contained in the          
regulations of the ,secretary concerned 
7as in effect on ,january #a1 #bjbb74   
7#b7 ,updates ,if the ,secretary        
concerned determines that a definition  
of old growth forest contained in a     
regulation of the ,secretary concerned  
needs to be revised1 the ,secretary     
concerned-- 7,a7 shall appoint a        
committee of scientists who are not     
officers or employees of the ,forest    
,service or the ,bureau of ,land        
,management and have a background in    
forestry and stand dynamics 7referred to
 in this paragraph as the committee of  
scientists72  7,b7 shall direct the     
committee of scientists to provide      
scientific and technical advice and     
counsel on definitions of old growth    
forest2  7,c7 shall review the          
recommendations of the committee of     
scientists2  7,d7 shall publish the     
recommendations of the committee of     
scientists for public comment2 and  7,e7
 may adopt the recommendations of the   

committee of scientists and revise the  
definition in a manner consistent with  
subchapter ,,ii of chapter #e1 and      
chapter #g1 of title #e1 ,united ,states
 ,code 7commonly known as the           
,administrative ,procedure ,act74  7b7  
,management of mature trees  7#a7       
,definition of mature forest  7,a7 ,in  
general ,consistent with section        
#f7m77#a7 of the ,forest and ,rangeland 
,renewable ,resources ,planning ,act of 
#aigd 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #afjd7m77#a771 with
 respect to ,national ,forest ,system   
land and public lands1 the ,secretary   
concerned shall define the term mature  
forest as a forest that has reached the 
merchantability standard described in   
subparagraph 7,b74  7,b7                
,merchantability standard ,the          
merchantability standard referred to in 
subparagraph 7,a7 is when a forest has  
generally reached the culmination of    
mean annual increment of growth4  7#b7  
,management ,except as provided in      
section #f7m7 of the ,forest and        

,rangeland ,renewable ,resources        
,planning ,act of #aigd 7#af ,u4,s4,c4  
#afjd7m771 on ,national ,forest ,system 
land and public lands1 the ,secretary   
concerned shall only carry out          
regeneration harvests in mature forests 
7as defined by the ,secretary concerned 
under paragraph 7#a774  7c7 ,savings    
clause ,any inventory of forests adopted
 through executive branch action shall  
not modify1 amend1 or otherwise change  
the duties of the ,secretary concerned  
to manage unreserved forests in         
accordance with1 as applicable-- 7#a7   
the ,act of ,june #d1 #ahig 7commonly   
known as the ,organic ,administration   
,act7 7#cj ,stat4 #cd1 chapter #b72     
7#b7 the ,multiple-,use                 
,sustained-,yield ,act of #aifj 7#af    
,u4,s4,c4 #ebh et seq472  7#c7 the      
,forest and ,rangeland ,renewable       
,resources ,planning ,act of #aigd 7#af 
,u4,s4,c4 #afjj et seq472  7#d7 section 
#ad of the ,national ,forest ,management
 ,act of #aigf 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #dgb;a72  

and  7#e7 the ,federal ,land ,policy and
 ,management ,act of #aigf 7#dc         
,u4,s4,c4 #agja et seq474  #bjc4        
,assessment of processed-based          
restoration techniques  7a7 ,wetland and
 riparian restoration pilot program     
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of the 
,interior1 acting through the ,director 
of the ,united ,states ,geological      
,survey1 and the ,secretary of          
,agriculture1 acting through the ,chief 
of the ,forest ,service 7referred to in 
this subsection as the ,secretaries71   
shall jointly establish a pilot program 
to conduct research on and evaluate     
wetland and riparian restoration        
techniques4  7#b7 ,assessments ,in      
carrying out this subsection1 the       
,secretaries shall-- 7,a7 assess the    
benefits1 including to downstream       
infrastructure1 water storage1 and      
resilience to natural hazards1 of       
process-based river and wetland         
restoration techniques when carried out 
at larger scales2 and  7,b7 make        

available to the public the results of  
the assessment described in subparagraph
 7,a74  7b7 ,experimental forests pilot 
project ,the ,secretary of ,agriculture1
 acting through the ,chief of the       
,forest ,service1 shall carry out a     
pilot project on the experimental       
forests and ranges managed by the       
,forest ,service to evaluate            
biologically driven restoration4  #bjd4 
,intervenor status  7a7 ,in general ,for
 purposes of a civil action relating to 
a qualified project described in        
subsection 7b71 a unit of local         
government shall be-- 7#a7 entitled to  
intervene1 as of right1 in any          
subsequent civil action2 and  7#b7      
considered to be a full participant in  
any settlement negotiation relating to  
the qualified project if the unit of    
local government intervenes4  7b7       
,description of qualified project ,a    
qualified project referred to in        
subsection 7a7 is a project that-- 7#a7 
is located on ,national ,forest ,system 

land or public lands2  7#b7 has been    
approved by the ,secretary concerned2   
and  7#c7 7,a7 reduces the risk posed by
 wildfire1 insect1 or disease2 or  7,b7 
generates revenue from the harvesting of
 timber4  #bje4 ,utilizing grazing for  
wildfire prevention ,the ,secretary     
concerned1 in coordination with holders 
of permits to graze livestock on        
,federal land1 shall develop a strategy 
to increase opportunities to utilize    
livestock grazing as a wildfire         
mitigation strategy1 including-- 7#a7   
completion of reviews 7as required under
 the ,national ,environmental ,policy   
,act of #aifi 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dcba et   
seq477 to allow permitted grazing on    
vacant grazing allotments during        
instances of drought1 wildfire1 or other
 natural disasters that disrupt grazing 
on allotments already permitted2  7#b7  
use of targeted grazing2  7#c7 increased
 use of temporary permits to promote    
targeted fuels reduction and reduction  
of invasive annual grasses2  7#d7       

increased use of grazing as a fire      
recovery strategy1 where appropriate2   
and  7#e7 use of all applicable         
authorities under law4  ,,iii ,workforce
  #cja4 ,logging workforce  7a7         
,training  7#a7 ,interstate training    
programs ,the ,secretary of             
,agriculture1 acting through the ,chief 
of the ,forest ,service1 shall work with
 ,states to develop a universal1 tiered 
program to train persons to enter the   
logging workforce4  7#b7 ,on-the-job    
training ,the ,secretary concerned shall
 examine potential ways to facilitate   
apprenticeship training to increase     
knowledge and skills in an emerging     
logging workforce4  7b7 ,modernizing    
machinery ,using funds made available   
under section #djhjd7;b77#c7 of the     
,infrastructure ,investment and ,jobs   
,act 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #feib;a7b77#c771 the
 ,secretary of ,agriculture shall       
provide low-interest loans or loan      
guarantees to persons1 subject to such  
conditions as the ,secretary of         

,agriculture determines to be necessary1
 for the acquisition of mechanized      
machinery for the purposes of decreasing
 injuries in the logging workforce4     
#cjb4 ,break-in-service consideration   
for firefighter retirements             
,notwithstanding sections #hccf7;c7 and 
#hdab7;d7 of title #e1 ,united ,states  
,code1 not later than ,may #a1 #bjbd1   
the ,secretary concerned1 in            
coordination with the ,secretary of     
,labor1 shall promulgate regulations1 as
 necessary1 to ensure that a ,federal   
wildland firefighter would not forfeit  
previously made contributions or        
eligibility for firefighter retirement  
when the wildland firefighter has a     
voluntary break in service of not more  
than #i months4  #cjc4 ,firefighter     
rental housing ,notwithstanding ,,omb   
,circular ,no4 ,a-#de,r1 when the       
,secretary concerned requires a ,federal
 wildland firefighter to occupy         
government housing1 the ,secretary      
concerned shall not deduct for          

government housing rent from the payroll
 of the wildland firefighter an amount  
that is greater than #dj percent of the 
pre-tax salary of the wildland          
firefighter4  ,,iv ,cultural ,change in 
,agencies  #dja4 ,mandatory use of      
existing authorities ,not later than #c 
years after the date of enactment of    
this ,act1 with respect to each unit of 
public lands and each unit of the       
,national ,forest ,system that contains 
land described in section #ajb7e71 the  
,secretary concerned shall use not fewer
 than #a of the following streamlined   
authorities for environmental review3   
7#a7 ,section #fjc7;a7 of the ,healthy  
,forests ,restoration ,act of #bjjc 7#af
 ,u4,s4,c4 #feia;b7a774  7#b7 ,section  
#fje7;a7 of the ,healthy ,forests       
,restoration ,act of #bjjc 7#af         
,u4,s4,c4 #feia;d7a774  7#c7 ,section   
#fjf7;b7 of the ,healthy ,forests       
,restoration ,act of #bjjc 7#af         
,u4,s4,c4 #feia;e7b774  7#d7 ,section   
#djhjf7;b7 of the ,infrastructure       

,investment and ,jobs ,act 7#af         
,u4,s4,c4 #feib;b7b774  7#e7 ,section   
#djhjg of the ,infrastructure           
,investment and ,jobs ,act 7#af         
,u4,s4,c4 #feib;c74  7#f7 ,section #bjg 
of the ,wildfire ,suppression ,funding  
and ,forest ,management ,activities ,act
 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #feia;c note2 ,public   
,law #aae-ada74  #djb4 ,curtailing      
employee relocations  7a7 ,in general   
,the ,secretary of ,agriculture1 acting 
through the ,chief of the ,forest       
,service 7referred to in this section as
 the ,secretary71 shall curtail employee
 relocations to significantly increase  
the period of time that each line       
officer works at a duty station4  7b7   
,line officer hiring eligibility ,to the
 maximum extent practicable1 the        
,secretary shall solicit applications   
for line officer positions in a manner  
that does not limit eligibility for the 
solicited position to only an applicant 
who is a current employee of the ,forest
 ,service4  7c7 ,limits on relocation   

payments ,the ,secretary shall not      
reimburse an employee or otherwise pay  
for expenses relating to a change in    
duty station in an amount that exceeds  
#ajj1jjj4  7d7 ,employment development  
,the ,secretary shall develop a program 
to provide incentives for employees to  
gain experience and skills without      
relocating 7commonly referred to as     
growing in place74  #djc4 ,repeal of    
,,flame reports ,section #ejb of the    
,,flame ,act of #bjji 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4    
#agdh;a7 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking  
subsection 7h72 and  7#b7 by            
redesignating subsection 7i7 as         
subsection 7h74