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104TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 596

To require the identification of certain high-fire-risk Federal forest lands

in the State of Nevada, the clearing of forest fuels in such areas,

and the submission of a fire prevention plan and budget.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 19, 1995

Mrs. VUCANOVICH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Agriculture and, in addition, to the Committee on Resources, 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

A BILL

To require the identification of certain high-fire-risk Federal

forest lands in the State of Nevada, the clearing of

forest fuels in such areas, and the submission of a fire

prevention plan and budget.

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 ‘‘Nevada Forest Protec5 tion Act’’.

6 SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS.

7 The Congress finds that—
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1 (1) persistent drought and large areas of accu2 mulated fuels in forest lands have caused the 1994

3 wildfire season to be one of the most severe in

4 history;

5 (2) an extreme wildfire danger exists in many

6 of the forest lands in Nevada, including such lands

7 in the Lake Tahoe area, which have suffered years

8 of drought and insect infestation that have resulted

9 in a forest that is overloaded with fuels;

10 (3) over 780 wildfires have occurred throughout

11 the State of Nevada in the 1994 wildfire season and

12 have involved more than 215,000 acres, including

13 areas near Caliente, Hallelujah Junction, Panaca,

14 Lone Mountain, Bull Run, Mahogany Springs, Hol15 brook Junction, and Verdi;

16 (4) the risk of intense wildfires that pose a seri17 ous threat to the health of forest lands and water18 sheds can be significantly reduced by the reduction

19 of excessive fuel accumulations, including slash piles

20 and dead trees that become fuel ladders;

21 (5) the highest priority for fuel removal should

22 be placed on areas where the population is greatest

23 and the interface between urban and wild land cre24 ates a great fire threat to persons and property; and
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1 (6) timber sales and fuels reduction projects

2 should result in major decreases in fuel loading and

3 emphasis should be placed on handpiling and burn4 ing as well as the removal or burning of

5 nonmerchantable, smaller, dead trees that are likely

6 to become fuel ladders.

7 SEC. 3. IDENTIFICATION OF RISK AREAS AND CLEARING OF

8 FUELS.

9 The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior shall,

10 in cooperation with appropriate State and local agencies—

11 (1) identify any area in the State of Nevada,

12 within forest lands under the respective jurisdictions

13 of the Secretaries, that is extremely vulnerable to

14 wildfire due to the accumulation of forest fuels and

15 a combination of fire history, extent of human settle16 ment, weather patterns, topography, accessibility,

17 and visitor intensity; and

18 (2) take action to reduce excessive accumula19 tions of fuel, including slash piles and dead trees

20 that become fuel ladders, in such areas.

21 SEC. 4. FIRE PLAN AND BUDGET.

22 The Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior shall

23 jointly prepare, in consultation and coordination with

24 other Federal agencies and the State of Nevada, a strate25 gic plan regarding fire prevention for forest lands in the
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1 State of Nevada under the respective jurisdictions of the

2 Secretaries and an annual budget for the plan. The Sec3 retaries shall submit the plan and budget to the Congress

4 not later than March 1, 1995, for inclusion in the 1996

5 appropriations request.

6 SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

7 There are authorized to be appropriated such sums

8 as may be necessary to carry out this Act.

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