IIB 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7045 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 7, 2020 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources 

AN ACT 

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to conduct a study 

on lands that could be included in a National Forest 

in Hawai’i, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. HAWAI’I NATIONAL FOREST STUDY. 

2 (a) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to identify 

3 lands within the study area that would— 

4 (1) support the conservation of biodiversity not 

5 found elsewhere in the National Forest System; 

6 (2) support or expand the research mission of 

7 the Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry; 

8 (3) promote shared stewardship with local com9 munities, including indigenous populations, the State 

10 of Hawai’i, and non-profit groups; and 

11 (4) support or expand the international pro12 grams of the Forest Service related to conservation 

13 of forest ecosystems, sustainable forestry, protection 

14 of threatened, endangered, and migratory species, 

15 controlling the spread of invasive species, inter16 national reforestation, and other forest restoration 

17 efforts. 

18 (b) STUDY REQUIRED.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after 

20 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

21 shall conduct a study to identify available land with22 in the study area that could be included in a Na23 tional Forest in Hawai’i. 

24 (2) COORDINATION REQUIREMENT.—The Sec25 retary shall conduct the study under paragraph (1) 


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1 in coordination the Hawai’i Department of Land 

2 and Natural Resources. 

3 (3) CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.—In car4 rying out the study under paragraph (1), the Sec5 retary— 

6 (A) shall consult with— 

7 (i) the Hawai’i Department of Land 

8 and Natural Resources; and 

9 (ii) the Hawai’i Department of Agri10 culture; and 

11 (B) may consult with such other govern12 mental or nonprofit entities as the Secretary 

13 determines appropriate. 

14 (4) REPORT.—Not later than 3 years after the 

15 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall 

16 submit a report to the Committee on Energy and 

17 Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee 

18 on Natural Resources of the House of Representa19 tives that identifies— 

20 (A) available land within the study area 

21 that could be included in a National Forest in 

22 Hawai’i; 

23 (B) the ownership of the land within the 

24 study area; 


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1 (C) any undeveloped land in the study area 

2 that may be at risk of development; and 

3 (D) any actions that could be carried out 

4 to preserve the open and undeveloped character 

5 of the land within the study area. 

6 (c) EFFECT.—Nothing in this section authorizes the 

7 Secretary to take any action that would affect the use of 

8 any land not owned by the United States. 

9 (d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

10 (1) AVAILABLE LAND.—The term ‘‘available 

11 land’’ means any land within the study areas that 

12 is— 

13 (A) Federally owned; 

14 (B) managed by a Federal land manage15 ment agency in partnership with a non-Federal 

16 entity; or 

17 (C) land not described in subparagraph 

18 (A) or (B) that fulfills the purpose of this sec19 tion, as determined by the Secretary. 

20 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

21 the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 

22 Chief of the Forest Service. 

23 (3) STUDY AREA.—The term ‘‘study area’’ 

24 means the islands of Hawai’i, Maui, Moloka’i, 

25 La ̄na’i, O’ahu and Kaua’i in the State of Hawai’i. 


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1 (4) UNDEVELOPED LAND.—The term ‘‘undevel2 oped land’’ means land— 

3 (A) that is located within the study area; 

4 (B) that is free or primarily free of struc5 tures; and 

6 (C) the development of which is likely to 

7 affect adversely the scenic, research, wildlife, or 

8 recreational value of the study area. 

Passed the House of Representatives December 3, 

2020. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 


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