(4) improve, maintain, or restore snowpack; 
(5) adapt the forest landscape to an increased 
threat of drought; or 
(6) any combination of the purposes specified in 
paragraphs (1) through (5). 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary concerned may use the categorical exclusion es-
tablished under subsection (a) in accordance with this sec-
tion. 
(d) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except in the case of a for-
est management activity described in paragraph (2), 
a forest management activity covered by the categor-
ical exclusion established under subsection (a) may 
not contain treatment units exceeding a total of 
10,000 acres. 
(2) LARGER
AREAS
AUTHORIZED.—A forest 
management activity covered by the categorical ex-
clusion established under subsection (a) may contain 
treatment units exceeding a total of 10,000 acres 
but not more than a total of 30,000 acres if the for-
est management activity is located in an area that, 
at the time of such activity— 
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(A) is in a severe, extreme, or exceptional 
drought; or 
(B) has been in a severe, extreme, or ex-
ceptional drought in the previous 5 years. 
SEC. 218. CLARIFICATION OF EXISTING CATEGORICAL EX-
CLUSION AUTHORITY RELATED TO INSECT 
AND DISEASE INFESTATION. 
(a) INSECT
AND DISEASE CATEGORICAL EXCLU-
SION.—Section 603(c) of the Healthy Forests Restoration 
Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591b(c)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘3000 acres’’ 
and inserting ‘‘10,000 acres’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ‘‘Fire Re-
gime Groups I, II, or III,’’ and inserting ‘‘Fire Re-
gime I, Fire Regime II, Fire Regime III, Fire Re-
gime IV, or Fire Regime V,’’. 
SEC. 219. CLARIFICATION OF EXISTING CATEGORICAL EX-
CLUSION AUTHORITY RELATED TO WILDFIRE 
RESILIENCE PROJECTS. 
Section 605(c) of the Healthy Forests Restoration 
Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591d(c)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘3000 acres’’ 
and inserting ‘‘10,000 acres’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking ‘‘Fire Re-
gime Groups I, II, or III’’ and inserting ‘‘Fire Re-
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gime I, Fire Regime II, Fire Regime III, Fire Re-
gime IV, or Fire Regime V’’. 
SEC. 220. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR JOINT PROJECTS. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—For-
est management activities described in subsection (b) are 
a category of actions hereby designated as being categori-
cally 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). 
(b) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES DESIGNATED 
FOR CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—The forest management 
activities designated under this section for a categorical 
exclusion are forest management activities— 
(1) carried out by the Secretary concerned 
jointly with the head of another Federal agency on 
National Forest System lands or public lands; 
(2) for which a categorical exclusion applies 
with respect to such other Federal agency. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary concerned may use the categorical exclusion es-
tablished under subsection (a) in accordance with this sec-
tion after obtaining written confirmation from the other 
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Federal agency that the categorical exclusion applies to 
the proposed forest management activity. 
SEC. 221. USE OF ESTABLISHED CATEGORICAL EXCLU-
SIONS. 
Title I of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) is amended by adding at 
the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 106. USE OF ESTABLISHED CATEGORICAL EXCLU-
SIONS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.— 
‘‘(1) AUTHORITY
ESTABLISHED.—A Federal 
agency may designate any covered category of ac-
tions as being categorically excluded from the prepa-
ration of an environmental assessment or an envi-
ronmental impact statement under section 102 of 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4332) without further substantiation. 
‘‘(2) COVERED
CATEGORY
OF
ACTIONS.—For 
purposes of paragraph (1), the term ‘covered cat-
egory of actions’ means, with respect to a Federal 
agency, a category of action identified by another 
Federal agency as being categorically excluded from 
the preparation of an environmental assessment or 
an environmental impact statement under section 
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102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). 
‘‘(b) JUDICIAL REVIEW.—A categorical exclusion es-
tablished pursuant to subsection (a)(1) shall not be sub-
ject to judicial review. 
‘‘(c) EXCLUSION.—The authorities provided by this 
section do not apply with respect to any National Forest 
System lands or public lands— 
‘‘(1) that are included in the National Wilder-
ness Preservation System; 
‘‘(2) that are located within a national or State 
specific inventoried roadless area established by the 
Secretary of Agriculture through regulation, un-
less— 
‘‘(A) the forest management activity to be 
carried out under such authority is consistent 
with the forest plan applicable to the area; or 
‘‘(B) the Secretary concerned determines 
the activity is allowed under the applicable 
roadless rule governing such lands; or 
‘‘(3) on which timber harvesting for any pur-
pose is prohibited by Federal statute.’’. 
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Subtitle C—General Provisions for 
Forest Management Activities 
SEC. 231. COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST PLANS. 
A forest management activity carried out pursuant 
to this Act shall be conducted in a manner consistent with 
the forest plan applicable to the National Forest System 
land or public lands covered by the forest management ac-
tivity. 
SEC. 232. CONSULTATION UNDER THE NATIONAL HISTORIC 
PRESERVATION ACT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 12 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the 
Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall each de-
velop, in consultation with relevant consulting parties, a 
programmatic agreement or other appropriate program al-
ternative pursuant to section 800.14 of title 36, Code of 
Federal Regulations (or successor regulations) for expe-
diting reviews under section 306108 of title 54, United 
States Code, for forest management activities carried out 
pursuant to this Act. 
(b) REQUIREMENT.—A programmatic agreement or 
other appropriate program alternative developed under 
subsection (a) shall incorporate the concepts of phased 
identification and evaluation in accordance with section 
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cluded before the last day of the 90-day period de-
scribed in such paragraph, the forest management 
activity for which such consultation was initiated— 
(A) shall be deemed to be in compliance 
with section 7 of the Endangered Species Act of 
1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536(a)(2)); and 
(B) may be carried out. 
SEC. 234. FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES CONSIDERED 
NON-DISCRETIONARY ACTIONS. 
For purposes of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 
(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), a forest management activity 
carried out by the Secretary concerned pursuant to this 
Act shall be considered a non-discretionary action. 
TITLE III—SALVAGE AND REFOR-
ESTATION IN RESPONSE TO 
CATASTROPHIC EVENTS 
SEC. 301. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO EXPEDITE SAL-
VAGE OPERATIONS IN RESPONSE TO CATA-
STROPHIC EVENTS. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—Sal-
vage operations carried out by the Secretary concerned on 
National Forest System lands or public lands are a cat-
egory of actions hereby designated as being categorically 
excluded from the preparation of an environmental assess-
ment or an environmental impact statement under section 
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102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary concerned may use the categorical exclusion es-
tablished under subsection (a) in accordance with this sec-
tion. 
(c) ACREAGE LIMITATION.—A salvage operation cov-
ered by the categorical exclusion established under sub-
section (a) may not contain treatment units exceeding a 
total of 10,000 acres. 
(d) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) STREAM
BUFFERS.—A salvage operation 
covered by the categorical exclusion established 
under subsection (a) shall comply with the standards 
and guidelines for stream buffers contained in the 
applicable forest plan unless waived by the Regional 
Forester, in the case of National Forest System 
lands, or the State Director of the Bureau of Land 
Management, in the case of public lands. 
(2) REFORESTATION
PLAN.—A reforestation 
plan shall be developed under section 3 of the Act 
of June 9, 1930 (commonly known as the Knutson- 
Vandenberg Act; 16 U.S.C. 576b), as part of a sal-
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vage operation covered by the categorical exclusion 
established under subsection (a). 
SEC. 302. EXPEDITED SALVAGE OPERATIONS AND REFOR-
ESTATION ACTIVITIES FOLLOWING LARGE- 
SCALE CATASTROPHIC EVENTS. 
(a) EXPEDITED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.— 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an environ-
mental assessment prepared by the Secretary concerned 
pursuant to section 102 of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332) for a salvage oper-
ation or reforestation activity proposed to be conducted 
on National Forest System lands or public lands adversely 
impacted by a large-scale catastrophic event shall be com-
pleted within 60 days after the conclusion of the cata-
strophic event. 
(b) EXPEDITED IMPLEMENTATION
AND COMPLE-
TION.—In the case of reforestation activities conducted on 
National Forest System lands or public lands adversely 
impacted by a large-scale catastrophic event, the Secretary 
concerned shall, to the maximum extent practicable, 
achieve reforestation of at least 75 percent of the impacted 
lands during the 5-year period following the conclusion of 
the catastrophic event. 
(c) 
AVAILABILITY
OF
KNUTSON-VANDENBERG 
FUNDS.—Amounts in the special fund established pursu-
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ant to section 3 of the Act of June 9, 1930 (commonly 
known as the Knutson-Vandenberg Act; 16 U.S.C. 576b) 
shall be available to the Secretary of Agriculture for refor-
estation activities authorized by this section. 
(d) TIMELINE FOR PUBLIC INPUT PROCESS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, in the case of a salvage operation 
or reforestation activity proposed to be conducted on 
National Forest System lands or public lands ad-
versely impacted by a large-scale catastrophic event, 
the Secretary concerned shall allow— 
(A) 30 days for public scoping and com-
ment; 
(B) 15 days for filing an objection; and 
(C) 15 days for the agency response to the 
filing of an objection. 
(2) IMPLEMENTATION.—On the final day of the 
process required in paragraph (1), the Secretary 
concerned shall implement the project for which the 
process was initiated. 
(e) CONVERSION OF TIMBER SALES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after 
a wildfire is contained on National Forest System 
lands, the Secretary of Agriculture shall convert any 
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timber sales on lands impacted by such wildfire to 
salvage sales. 
(2) ANALYSIS
DEEMED
SUFFICIENT.—If the 
Regional Forester determines that a proposed timber 
sale has been sufficiently analyzed under the Na-
tional Environmental Policy Act, such analysis shall 
be deemed to fulfill the requirements of section 
102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)) with respect to such 
salvage sale. 
SEC. 303. COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST PLAN. 
A salvage operation or reforestation activity author-
ized by this Act shall be conducted in a manner consistent 
with the forest plan applicable to the National Forest Sys-
tem lands or public lands covered by the salvage operation 
or reforestation activity. 
SEC. 304. PROHIBITION ON RESTRAINING ORDERS, PRE-
LIMINARY INJUNCTIONS, AND INJUNCTIONS 
PENDING APPEAL. 
No restraining order, preliminary injunction, or in-
junction pending appeal shall be issued by any court of 
the United States with respect to any decision to prepare 
or conduct a salvage operation or reforestation activity in 
response to a large-scale catastrophic event. 
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