Restoring Our Unopened Trails for Enjoyment and Safety Act

To require the reopening of covered recreation sites closed due to a natural disaster, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Restoring Our Unopened Trails for Enjoyment and Safety Act ROUTES Act 2. Reopening of covered recreation sites closed due to natural disasters (a) Reopening required In the case of a covered recreation site that is fully or partially closed due to damage caused by a natural disaster (including hazard trees), the Secretary concerned shall reopen such covered recreation site not later than 2 years after the date on which such natural disaster ends, as determined by the Secretary concerned. (b) Categorical exclusion for covered recreation site restoration (1) Categorical exclusion established Activities described in paragraph (2) are a category of actions hereby designated as being categorically excluded from the preparation of an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement under section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4332 (2) Activities designated for categorical exclusion The activities designated under this section for a categorical exclusion are activities carried out by the Secretary concerned on Interior recreational lands or National Forest System lands where the primary purpose of such activity is, consistent with the management plan applicable to such lands, to— (A) repair and restore covered recreation sites damaged by a natural disaster; (B) remove hazard trees for the purpose of public safety or improving access to a covered recreation site; (C) mitigate and reduce soil erosion impacting a covered recreation site; (D) restore drainage patterns to support a covered recreation site; or (E) any combination of the purposes specified in subparagraphs (A) through (D). (3) Availability of categorical exclusion On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned may use the categorical exclusion established under paragraph (1) in accordance with this subsection. (4) Extraordinary circumstances The activities categorically excluded under paragraph (1) shall be subject to the extraordinary circumstances procedures established pursuant to section 1501.4 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor regulation). (c) Emergency hazard tree removal (1) National Forest System lands With respect to hazard trees located on a parcel of National Forest System lands, during the 2-year period after a natural disaster on such parcel ends, as determined by the Secretary of Agriculture, section 220.4(b) of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act) shall have the force and effect of law with respect to such parcel. (2) Interior recreational lands With respect to hazard trees located on Interior recreational lands, during the 2-year period after a natural disaster on such parcel ends, as determined by the Secretary of the Interior, section 46.150 of title 43, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act) shall have the force and effect of law with respect to such parcel. (d) Report Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall submit to Congress, and make publicly available on the website of the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture, a report that includes the number of covered recreation sites— (1) that have been reopened pursuant to subsection (a); and (2) that, as of the date of such report, are closed due to damage caused by a natural disaster and the date such natural disaster ended, as determined by the Secretary concerned. (e) Definitions In this section: (1) Covered recreation site The term covered recreation site (A) located on Interior recreational lands or National Forest System lands; and (B) operated by the Secretary concerned. (2) Hazard tree The term hazard tree (A) the root system, trunk, stem, or limbs of the tree; or (B) the direction or lean of the tree. (3) Interior recreational lands The term Interior recreational lands (4) National forest system The term National Forest System 16 U.S.C. 1609(a) (5) Natural disaster The term natural disaster (6) Secretary concerned The term Secretary concerned (A) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to Interior recreational lands; or (B) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to National Forest System lands.

Summary: Restoring Our Unopened Trails for Enjoyment and Safety Act or the ROUTES Act This bill requires the reopening of certain recreation sites closed due to a natural disaster. In the case of a recreation site that is fully or partially closed due to damage caused by a natural disaster (including certain standing trees that present a visible hazard), the Department of the Interior (with respect to Interior recreational lands) or the Department of Agriculture (with respect to National Forest System lands) must reopen the site not later than two years after the date on which the disaster ends. The bill categorically excludes specified activities from the preparation of an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement where the primary purpose of the activity is, consistent with the applicable management plan, to repair and restore recreation sites damaged by a natural disaster, remove hazard trees for the purpose of public safety or improving access, mitigate and reduce soil erosion impacting a recreation site, restore drainage patterns to support a recreation site, or any combination of these purposes. The bill provides for emergency hazard tree removal. Interior or Agriculture must report to Congress and make the report publicly available.