Clearing Lines along Electrical At-Risk Zones Act

To establish a categorical exclusion for electric utility rights-of-way, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Clearing Lines along Electrical At-Risk Zones Act 2. Vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and maintenance relating to electric transmission and distribution facility rights of way (a) Hazard trees within 50 feet of electric power line Section 512(a)(1)(B)(ii) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ( 43 U.S.C. 1772(a)(1)(B)(ii) 10 50 (b) Consultation with private landowners Section 512(c)(3)(E) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ( 43 U.S.C. 1772(c)(3)(E) (1) in clause (i), by striking and (2) in clause (ii), by striking the period and inserting ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (iii) consulting with private landowners with respect to any hazard trees identified for removal from land owned by such private landowners. . (c) Review and approval process Clause (iv) of section 512(c)(4)(A) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ( 43 U.S.C. 1772(c)(4)(A) (iv) ensures that— (I) a plan submitted without a modification under clause (iii) shall be automatically approved 60 days after review; and (II) a plan submitted with a modification under clause (iii) shall be automatically approved 67 days after review. . 3. Categorical exclusion for electric utility lines rights-of-way (a) Secretary concerned defined The term Secretary concerned (1) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to National Forest System lands; and (2) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to public lands. (b) Categorical exclusion established Forest management activities described in subsection (c) are a category of activities 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 (c) Forest management activities designated for categorical exclusion The forest management activities designated as being categorically excluded under subsection (b) are— (1) the development and approval of a vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and maintenance plan submitted under section 512(c)(1) of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ( 43 U.S.C. 1772(c)(1) (2) the implementation of routine activities conducted under the plan referred to in paragraph (1). (d) 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 subsection (b) in accordance with this section. (e) Extraordinary circumstances Use of the categorical exclusion established under subsection (b) shall not be subject to the extraordinary circumstances procedures in section 220.6, title 36, Code of Federal Regulations, or section 1508.4, title 40, Code of Federal Regulations. (f) Exclusion of certain areas The categorical exclusion established under subsection (b) shall not apply to any forest management activity conducted— (1) in a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System; or (2) on National Forest System lands on which, by Act of Congress, the removal of vegetation is restricted or prohibited. (g) Permanent roads (1) Prohibition on establishment A forest management activity designated under subsection (c) shall not include the establishment of a permanent road. (2) Existing roads The Secretary concerned may carry out necessary maintenance and repair on an existing permanent road for the purposes of conducting a forest management activity designated under subsection (c). (3) Temporary roads The Secretary concerned shall decommission any temporary road constructed for a forest management activity designated under subsection (c) not later than 3 years after the date on which the action is completed. (h) Applicable laws A forest management activity designated under subsection (c) shall not be subject to section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 ( 16 U.S.C. 1536

Summary: Clearing Lines along Electrical At-Risk Zones Act This bill revises requirements related to vegetation management practices and forest management activities. The bill redefines hazard trees as trees that come within 50 feet (rather than 10 feet, as under current law) of an electric power line. Hazard trees are subject to certain management activities under current law. A vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and maintenance plan shall describe processes for consultation with private landowners with respect to hazard trees identified for removal. Such plans must be approved according to specified deadlines. The bill generally excludes specified forest management activities from certain environmental assessment and environmental impact statement requirements. Specifically, the bill excludes from these requirements (1) the development and approval of a vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and maintenance plan; and (2) the implementation of routine activities conducted under such a plan. The use of this exclusion shall not be subject to extraordinary circumstances procedures.