IB 

Union Calendar No. 753 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6994 

[Report No. 118–921, Part I] 

To require the reopening of covered recreation sites closed due to a natural 

disaster, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 16, 2024 

Mrs. KIM of California (for herself, Mr. LAMALFA, and Mr. TIFFANY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 

Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period 

to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 

concerned 

DECEMBER 18, 2024 

Additional sponsor: Mr. LAWLER

DECEMBER 18, 2024 

Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with an amendment 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

DECEMBER 18, 2024 

Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the Committee of the 

Whole House on the State of the Union and ordered to be printed 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on January 16, 2024] 


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•HR 6994 RH

A BILL 

To require the reopening of covered recreation sites closed 

due to a natural disaster, and for other purposes. 


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

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Restoring Our Unopened 

5 Trails for Enjoyment and Safety Act’’ or the ‘‘ROUTES 

6 Act’’. 

7 SEC. 2. REOPENING OF COVERED RECREATION SITES 

8 CLOSED DUE TO NATURAL DISASTERS. 

9 (a) REOPENING REQUIRED.—In the case of a covered 

10 recreation site that is fully or partially closed due to per11 sonal injury or damage caused by a natural disaster, the 

12 Secretary concerned shall— 

13 (1) reopen such covered recreation site not later 

14 than 3 years after the date on which such natural dis15 aster ends, as determined by the Secretary concerned; 

16 and 

17 (2) if the covered recreation site is not reopened 

18 on or before the date described in paragraph (1), not 

19 later than 30 days after such date and every 90 days 

20 thereafter during which such site remains closed, sub21 mit to Congress a report identifying the barriers to 

22 reopening such site. 

23 (b) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR COVERED RECRE24 ATION SITE RESTORATION.— 


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1 (1) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.— 

2 Activities described in paragraph (2) are a category 

3 of actions hereby designated as being categorically ex4 cluded from the preparation of an environmental as5 sessment or an environmental impact statement 

6 under section 102 of the National Environmental Pol7 icy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 

8 (2) ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED FOR CATEGORICAL

9 EXCLUSION.—The activities designated under this sec10 tion for a categorical exclusion are activities carried 

11 out by the Secretary concerned on Interior rec12 reational lands or National Forest System lands 

13 where the primary purpose of such activity is, con14 sistent with the land use plan applicable to such 

15 lands, to— 

16 (A) repair and restore covered recreation 

17 sites damaged by a natural disaster; 

18 (B) remove or mitigate hazard trees for the 

19 purpose of public safety, protection of property, 

20 or improving access to a covered recreation site; 

21 (C) mitigate and reduce soil erosion im22 pacting a covered recreation site; 

23 (D) restore drainage patterns to support a 

24 covered recreation site; or 


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1 (E) any combination of the purposes speci2 fied in subparagraphs (A) through (D). 

3 (3) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLU4 SION.—On and after the date of the enactment of this 

5 Act, the Secretary concerned may use the categorical 

6 exclusion established under paragraph (1) in accord7 ance with this subsection. 

8 (4) EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES.—The ac9 tivities categorically excluded under paragraph (1) 

10 shall be subject to the extraordinary circumstances 

11 procedures established pursuant to section 1501.4 of 

12 title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (or any suc13 cessor regulation). 

14 (c) EMERGENCY HAZARD TREE REMOVAL.— 

15 (1) NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM LANDS.—With re16 spect to the removal or mitigation of hazard trees lo17 cated on a parcel of National Forest System land, 

18 during the 3-year period after a natural disaster on 

19 such parcel ends, as determined by the Secretary of 

20 Agriculture, section 220.4(b) of title 36, Code of Fed21 eral Regulations (as in effect on the date of the enact22 ment of this Act) shall have the force and effect of law 

23 with respect to such parcel. 

24 (2) INTERIOR RECREATIONAL LANDS.—With re25 spect to the removal and mitigation of hazard trees 


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1 located on Interior recreational lands, during the 3- 

2 year period after a natural disaster on such parcel 

3 ends, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, 

4 section 46.150 of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations 

5 (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act) 

6 shall have the force and effect of law with respect to 

7 such parcel. 

8 (d) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date 

9 of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall 

10 submit to Congress, and make publicly available on the 

11 website of the Department of the Interior and the Depart12 ment of Agriculture, a report that includes the number of 

13 covered recreation sites— 

14 (1) that have been reopened pursuant to sub15 section (a)(1); and 

16 (2) that, as of the date of such report, are closed 

17 due to damage caused by a natural disaster and the 

18 date such natural disaster ended, as determined by 

19 the Secretary concerned. 

20 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

21 (1) COVERED RECREATION SITE.—The term 

22 ‘‘covered recreation site’’ means— 

23 (A) a campground or developed day-use 

24 recreation site that— 


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1 (i) is operated by the Secretary con2 cerned; and 

3 (ii) is located on Interior recreational 

4 lands or National Forest System lands; or 

5 (B) a road or trail that— 

6 (i) is under the jurisdiction of the Sec7 retary concerned; 

8 (ii) used to access or serve a camp9 ground or developed day-use recreation site 

10 described in subparagraph (A); and 

11 (iii) is located on Interior recreational 

12 lands or National Forest System lands. 

13 (2) HAZARD TREE.—The term ‘‘hazard tree’’ 

14 means a standing tree that presents a visible hazard 

15 to people or property due to conditions such as the de16 terioration of, or damage to— 

17 (A) the root system, trunk, stem, or limbs of 

18 the tree; or 

19 (B) the direction or lean of the tree. 

20 (3) INTERIOR RECREATIONAL LANDS.—The term 

21 ‘‘Interior recreational lands’’ means lands managed 

22 by the National Park Service, the United States Fish 

23 and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Manage24 ment, or the Bureau of Reclamation. 


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1 (4) NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘Na2 tional Forest System’’ has the meaning given that 

3 term in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland 

4 Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 

5 U.S.C. 1609(a)). 

6 (5) NATURAL DISASTER.—The term ‘‘natural 

7 disaster’’ includes a wildfire, flood, hurricane, wind8 storm, erosion, and tornado. 

9 (6) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Sec10 retary concerned’’ means— 

11 (A) the Secretary of the Interior, with re12 spect to Interior recreational lands; or 

13 (B) the Secretary of Agriculture, with re14 spect to National Forest System lands. 


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Union Calendar No. 753 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 6994 

[Report No. 118–921, Part I] 

A BILL 

To require the reopening of covered recreation sites 

purposes. closed due to a natural disaster, and for other 

DECEMBER 18, 2024 

Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with 

an amendment 

DECEMBER 18, 2024 

Committee on Agriculture discharged; committed to the 

Union and ordered to be printed Committee of the Whole House on the State of the 


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