,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ddi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #f        
7legislative day1 ,february #e71        
#bjbe,mr4 ,thune 7for himself and ,mr4  
,risch7 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 require the ,secretary of      
,agriculture to expedite hazardous fuel 
or insect and disease risk reduction    
projects on certain ,national ,forest   
,system land1 and for other purposes4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,expediting ,forest ,restoration
 and ,recovery ,act of #bjbe4  #b4      
,application by ,forest ,service of     
authorities to expedite environmental   
analyses in carrying out hazardous fuel 
and insect and disease risk reduction   
projects ,section #ajd of the ,healthy  
,forests ,restoration ,act of #bjjc 7#af
 ,u4,s4,c4 #fead7 is amended by adding  

at the end the following3  7i7          
,application by ,forest ,service of     
authorities ,to expedite environmental  
analyses in carrying out hazardous fuel 
and insect and disease risk reduction   
projects  7#a7 ,definitions ,in this    
subsection3 7,a7 ,insect and disease    
treatment area ,the term insect and     
disease treatment area means an area    
that-- 7i7 is designated by the         
,secretary as an insect and disease     
treatment area under this title2 or     
7ii7 is designated as at-risk or a      
hazard on the most recent ,national     
,insect and ,disease ,risk ,map         
published by the ,forest ,service4  7,b7
 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary has the
 meaning given the term in section      
#aja7ad77;,a74  7#b7 ,use of authorities
 ,in carrying out a hazardous fuel or   
insect and disease risk reduction       
project authorized under this ,act in an
 insect and disease treatment area1 the 
,secretary shall-- 7,a7 apply the       
categorical exclusion established by    

section #fjc if the project is carried  
out in an insect and disease treatment  
area-- 7i7 designated as suitable for   
timber production within the applicable 
forest plan2 or  7ii7 where timber      
harvest activities are not prohibited2  
7,b7 conduct applicable environmental   
assessments and environmental impact    
statements in accordance with this      
section if the project is carried out   
in-- 7i7 an insect and disease treatment
 area-- 7,i7 outside of an area         
described in subparagraph 7,a72 or      
7,,ii7 where other significant resource 
concerns exist1 as determined           
exclusively by the ,secretary2 or  7ii7 
an insect and disease treatment area    
equivalent to not less than a           
,hydrologic ,unit code #e watershed1 as 
defined by the ,united ,states          
,geological ,survey2 and  7,c7          
notwithstanding subsection 7d71 in the  
case of any other hazardous fuel or     
insect and disease risk reduction       
project1 in the environmental assessment

 or environmental impact statement      
prepared under subsection 7b71 study1   
develop1 and describe-- 7i7 the proposed
 agency action2 and  7ii7 the           
alternative of no action4  7#c7         
,priority for reducing risks of insect  
infestation and wildfire ,except where  
established as a mandatory standard that
 constrains project and activity        
decisionmaking in a resource management 
plan 7as defined in section             
#aja7ac77;,a77 in effect on the date of 
enactment of this ,act1 in the case of  
an insect and disease treatment area1   
the ,secretary shall prioritize reducing
 the risks of insect and disease        
infestation and wildfire over other     
planning objectives4  7#d7 ,inclusion of
 ,fire ,regime ,group ,,iv              
,notwithstanding section                
#fjc7;c77#b77;,b71 the ,secretary shall 
apply the categorical exclusion         
described in paragraph 7#b77;,a7 to     
areas in ,fire ,regime ,group ,,iv4     
7#e7 ,excluded areas ,this subsection   

shall not apply to-- 7,a7 a component of
 the ,national ,wilderness ,preservation
 ,system2 or  7,b7 an inventoried       
roadless area1 except in the case of an 
activity that is permitted under-- 7i7  
the final rule of the ,secretary        
entitled ,special ,areas2 ,roadless     
,area ,conservation 7#ff ,fed4 ,reg4    
#cbdd 7,january #ab1 #bjja772 or  7ii7 a
 ,state-specific roadless area          
conservation rule4  7#f7 ,reports ,the  
,secretary shall annually make publicly 
available data describing the acreage   
treated under hazardous fuel or insect  
and disease risk reduction projects in  
insect and disease treatment areas      
during the previous year4  4  #c4 ,good 
neighbor authority ,section             
#hbjf7;b77#b7 of the ,agricultural ,act 
of #bjad 7#af ,u4,s4,c4 #baac;a7b77#b77 
is amended by striking subparagraph 7,c7
 and inserting the following3  7,c7     
,treatment of revenue ,funds received   
from the sale of timber by a ,governor  
of a ,state under a good neighbor       

agreement shall be retained and used by 
the ,governor-- 7i7 to carry out        
authorized restoration services under   
that good neighbor agreement2 and  7ii7 
if funds remain after carrying out      
authorized restoration services under   
clause 7i71 to carry out authorized     
restoration services within the ,state  
under other good neighbor agreements4  4