I 
113TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1511 
To amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to promote timely 
emergency rehabilitation and restoration of Federal forest land impacted 
by catastrophic events, to redirect for a 5-year period funding normally 
made available for land acquisition to mechanical forest treatment and 
salvage operations due to catastrophic events, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 11, 2013 
Mrs. NOEM introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural 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 amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 
to promote timely emergency rehabilitation and restora-
tion of Federal forest land impacted by catastrophic 
events, to redirect for a 5-year period funding normally 
made available for land acquisition to mechanical forest 
treatment and salvage operations due to catastrophic 
events, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. EMERGENCY FOREST REHABILITATION AND 
RESTORATION. 
Title VI of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 
2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 602. EMERGENCY FOREST REHABILITATION AND 
RESTORATION. 
‘‘(a) DEFINITION.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) CATASTROPHIC EVENT.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘cata-
strophic event’ means any natural disaster or 
any fire, flood, or explosion, regardless of cause, 
that the Secretary determines has caused or 
has the potential to cause damage of significant 
severity and magnitude to Federal land. 
‘‘(B) NATURAL DISASTER.—For purposes 
of subparagraph (A), a natural disaster, as de-
termined by the Secretary, may include a hurri-
cane, tornado, windstorm, snow or ice storm, 
rain storm, high water, wind-driven water, tidal 
wave, earthquake, volcanic eruption, landslide, 
mudslide, drought, or insect or disease out-
break. 
‘‘(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘Secretary’ has 
the meaning given the term in section 101. 
‘‘(b) MECHANICAL FOREST TREATMENT.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall imple-
ment such procedures as are necessary to ensure 
that not less than 600,000 acres of Federal land 
each fiscal year are treated with mechanical treat-
ments intended to produce merchantable wood. 
‘‘(2) FUNDING.—The Secretary shall use to 
carry out paragraph (1)— 
‘‘(A) funds described in subsection (f)(3); 
and 
‘‘(B) any other funds made available for 
the purposes described in paragraph (1). 
‘‘(c) EMERGENCY CIRCUMSTANCES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) declare that emergency circumstances 
exist for all Federal land subject to the effects 
of a catastrophic event, including on Federal 
land outside urban interface areas; and 
‘‘(B) as soon as practicable, take all ac-
tions necessary for the rehabilitation or restora-
tion of the Federal land, with highest priority 
given to Federal land impacted by large-scale 
beetle infestations. 
‘‘(2) EMERGENCY
ALTERNATIVE
ARRANGE-
MENTS.—In accordance with section 220.4 of title 
36, Code of Federal Regulations and section 
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1506.11 of title 40, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
successor regulations), for any Federal land for 
which the Secretary declares the existence of emer-
gency circumstances under paragraph (1), the Sec-
retary may use emergency alternative arrangements 
to comply with the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.). 
‘‘(3) LIMITATION
ON
ADMINISTRATIVE
AP-
PEALS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of 
law, no administrative appeal shall be allowed for 
any action classified as an emergency alternative ar-
rangement under paragraph (2) or a categorical ex-
clusion under the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) due to emergency 
circumstances declared under paragraph (1). 
‘‘(d) CATASTROPHIC EVENTS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—As soon as practicable dur-
ing but not later than 30 days after the conclusion 
of a catastrophic event, the Secretary shall initiate 
timely salvage activities on the Federal land affected 
by the catastrophic event so as to prevent significant 
deterioration of timber values, development of sig-
nificant fire hazard, or other forest mortality that 
would prevent the Federal land from regenerating to 
forest within 5 years. 
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‘‘(2) FUNDING.—The Secretary shall use to 
carry out paragraph (1)— 
‘‘(A) funds described in subsection (f)(3); 
and 
‘‘(B) any other funds made available for 
the purposes described in paragraph (1). 
‘‘(e) EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN FEDERAL LAND.— 
This section shall not apply to— 
‘‘(1) a component of the National Wilderness 
Preservation System; 
‘‘(2) Federal land on which the removal of vege-
tation is prohibited or restricted by Act of Congress, 
Presidential proclamation, or the applicable land 
management plan; or 
‘‘(3) a wilderness study area. 
‘‘(f) LIMITATION ON ACQUISITION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, except as provided in paragraph 
(2), beginning on the date of enactment of this sec-
tion and during each of the subsequent 5 full fiscal 
years, none of the funds made available to the Sec-
retary under any law may be used— 
‘‘(A) to survey land for future acquisition 
as Federal land; or 
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‘‘(B) to enter into discussions with non- 
Federal landowners to identify land for acquisi-
tion as Federal land. 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (1) does not 
apply to the use of funds— 
‘‘(A) to complete land transactions under-
way on the date of enactment of this section; 
‘‘(B) to exchange Federal land for non- 
Federal land; or 
‘‘(C) to accept donations of non-Federal 
land as Federal land. 
‘‘(3) USE OF FUNDS.—The Secretary shall use 
funds that would otherwise have been used for pur-
chase of non-Federal land by the Forest Service to 
carry out— 
‘‘(A) mechanical forest treatments de-
scribed in subsection (b); and 
‘‘(B) salvage activities described in sub-
section (d).’’. 
Æ 
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