I 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6528 
To amend the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act 
of 1974 and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 
to discourage litigation against the Forest Service and the Bureau of 
Land Management relating to land management projects. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 12, 2016 
Mr. ZINKE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, 
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 Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 
Planning Act of 1974 and the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 to discourage litigation against 
the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management 
relating to land management projects. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Litigation Relief for 
Forest Management Projects Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FOREST AND RANGELAND RENEWABLE RESOURCES 
PLANNING ACT OF 1974. 
(a) CONSULTATION REGARDING LAND MANAGEMENT 
PLANS.—Section 6(d) of the Forest and Rangeland Re-
newable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 
1604(d)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(d) The Secretary’’ and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(d) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AND CONSULTATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) NO
ADDITIONAL
CONSULTATION
RE-
QUIRED AFTER APPROVAL OF LAND MANAGEMENT 
PLANS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, no additional consulta-
tion shall be required under this subsection or 
any other provision of law (including section 7 
of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
U.S.C. 1536) and section 402.16 of title 50, 
Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor 
regulation)) with respect to— 
‘‘(i) the listing of a species as threat-
ened or endangered, or a designation of 
critical habitat pursuant to the Endan-
gered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
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1531 et seq.), if a land management plan 
has been adopted by the Secretary as of 
the date of designation; or 
‘‘(ii) any provision of a land manage-
ment plan adopted as described in clause 
(i). 
‘‘(B) EFFECT
OF
PARAGRAPH.—Nothing 
in this paragraph affects any applicable require-
ment of the Secretary to consult with the head 
of any other Federal department or agency— 
‘‘(i) regarding a project carried out, 
or proposed to be carried out, in an area 
designated as critical habitat pursuant to 
the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); or 
‘‘(ii) with respect to the development 
of a new land management plan or the re-
vision of an existing land management 
plan.’’. 
(b) DEFINITION
OF
SECRETARY; CONFORMING 
AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) DEFINITION OF SECRETARY.—Section 3(a) 
of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 
Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1601(a)) is 
amended, in the first sentence of the matter pre-
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ceding paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘(referred to in 
this Act as the ‘Secretary’)’’ after ‘‘Secretary of Ag-
riculture’’. 
(2) CONFORMING
AMENDMENTS.—The Forest 
and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act 
of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.) is amended, in sec-
tions 4 through 9, 12, 13, and 15, by striking ‘‘Sec-
retary of Agriculture’’ each place it appears and in-
serting ‘‘Secretary’’. 
SEC. 3. FEDERAL LAND POLICY AND MANAGEMENT ACT OF 
1976. 
Section 202(f) of the Federal Land Policy and Man-
agement Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712(f)) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(f) The Secretary’’ and insert-
ing the following: 
‘‘(f) PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) NO
ADDITIONAL
CONSULTATION
RE-
QUIRED AFTER APPROVAL OF LAND USE PLANS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, no additional consulta-
tion shall be required under this subsection or 
any other provision of law (including section 7 
of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
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U.S.C. 1536) and section 402.16 of title 50, 
Code of Federal Regulations (or a successor 
regulation)), with respect to— 
‘‘(i) the listing of a species as threat-
ened or endangered, or a designation of 
critical habitat, pursuant to the Endan-
gered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1531 et seq.), if a land use plan has been 
adopted by the Secretary as of the date of 
listing or designation; or 
‘‘(ii) any provision of a land use plan 
adopted as described in clause (i). 
‘‘(B) EFFECT
OF
PARAGRAPH.—Nothing 
in this paragraph affects any applicable require-
ment of the Secretary to consult with the head 
of any other Federal department or agency— 
‘‘(i) regarding a project carried out, 
or proposed to be carried out, with respect 
to a species listed as threatened or endan-
gered, or in an area designated as critical 
habitat, pursuant to the Endangered Spe-
cies Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); 
or 
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‘‘(ii) with respect to the development 
of a new land use plan or the revision of 
an existing land use plan.’’. 
Æ 
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