I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1751 
To establish a coordinated avalanche protection program, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 28, 2007 
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska (for himself and Mr. UDALL of Colorado) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Re-
sources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture and Oversight 
and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish a coordinated avalanche protection program, 
and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Federal Land Ava-
lanche Protection Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
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(1) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ means 
the avalanche protection program established under 
section 3(a). 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture. 
SEC. 3. AVALANCHE PROTECTION PROGRAM. 
(a) 
ESTABLISHMENT.—The 
Secretary, 
acting 
through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall establish 
a coordinated avalanche protection program to— 
(1) identify the potential for avalanches on Fed-
eral lands and inform the public, including users of 
those lands and other potentially affected parties, 
about the probability of such avalanches and their 
potential adverse effects on neighboring communities 
and on transportation and utility corridors; 
(2) carry out ongoing research regarding the 
causes of avalanche development, so as to improve 
forecasting of avalanche events; and 
(3) reduce the risks of avalanches on Federal 
lands and mitigate their effects on users of those 
lands, neighboring communities, and transportation 
and utility corridors. 
(b) COORDINATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—In developing and imple-
menting the program, the Secretary shall consult 
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with the Secretary of the Interior, and coordinate 
the program to ensure adequate levels of protection 
for recreational users of public land under the juris-
diction of such Secretary. 
(2) RESOURCES.—In carrying out this section, 
the Secretary— 
(A) shall, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, use the resources of the National Ava-
lanche Center of the Forest Service; and 
(B) may use such other resources as the 
Secretary has available in the development and 
implementation of the program. 
(c) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 
an advisory committee of 15 members, appointed by 
the Secretary, to assist in the development and im-
plementation of the program. 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The membership of the ad-
visory committee established pursuant to paragraph 
(1) shall include representatives of— 
(A) Federal land management agencies 
and concessionaires or permittees that are ex-
posed to the threat of avalanches; 
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(B) State departments of transportation 
that have experience in dealing with the effects 
of avalanches; 
(C) the Alaska railroad; 
(D) the United States Geological Survey; 
(E) the National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration; 
(F) the National Weather Service; 
(G) entities with interest in the program 
that the Secretary considers appropriate for 
representation on the board; 
(H) authorized users of artillery, other 
military weapons, or weapons alternatives used 
for avalanche control; and 
(I) such other members as the Secretary 
considers appropriate. 
(d) CENTRAL DEPOSITORY.—The Secretary, the Sec-
retary of Transportation, and the Secretary of the Army 
shall establish a central depository for weapons, ammuni-
tion, and parts for avalanche control purposes, including 
an inventory that can be made available to Federal and 
non-Federal entities for avalanche control purposes under 
the program. 
(e) GRANTS.— 
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may make 
grants to carry out projects and activities under the 
program— 
(A) to assist in the prevention, forecasting, 
detection, and mitigation of avalanches for the 
safety and protection of persons, property, and 
at-risk communities; 
(B) to maintain essential transportation, 
utilities, and communications affected or poten-
tially affected by avalanches; 
(C) to assist avalanche artillery users to 
ensure the availability of adequate supplies of 
artillery and other unique explosives required 
for avalanche control in or affecting— 
(i) Federal land used for recreation 
purposes; and 
(ii) adjacent communities, and essen-
tial transportation corridors, that are at 
risk of avalanches; and 
(D) to assist public or private persons and 
entities in public education regarding ava-
lanches and in conducting research and develop-
ment activities for cost-effective and reliable al-
ternatives to minimize reliance on military 
weapons for avalanche control. 
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(2) PRIORITY.—For each fiscal year for which 
funds are made available under section 4, the Sec-
retary shall give priority to projects and activities 
carried out in avalanche zones— 
(A) with a high frequency or severity of 
avalanches; or 
(B) in which deaths or serious injuries to 
individuals, or loss or damage to public facilities 
and communities, have occurred or are likely to 
occur. 
(f) SURPLUS ORDINANCE.—Section 549(c)(3) of title 
40, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘or’’ after 
the semicolon at the end; 
(2) in subparagraph (B), by striking the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) in the case of surplus artillery ordi-
nance that is suitable for avalanche control pur-
poses, to a user of such ordinance.’’. 
SEC. 4. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 
2012. 
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SEC. 5. LIMITATION. 
Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require use 
of artillery or any other avalanche-related actions affecting 
any unit of the National Park System or any other Fed-
eral lands or to limit the applicability of any Federal law 
or regulation with respect to any such actions on such 
lands. 
Æ 
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