I 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4331 
To respond to the extreme fire hazard and unsafe conditions resulting from 
pine beetle infestation, drought, disease, or storm damage by declaring 
a state of emergency and directing the Secretary of Agriculture to imme-
diately implement hazardous fuels reduction projects in the manner pro-
vided in title I of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 29, 2012 
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 respond to the extreme fire hazard and unsafe conditions 
resulting from pine beetle infestation, drought, disease, 
or storm damage by declaring a state of emergency and 
directing the Secretary of Agriculture to immediately 
implement hazardous fuels reduction projects in the man-
ner provided in title I of the Healthy Forests Restoration 
Act of 2003, 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. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Forest Emer-
gency Response Act’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds that— 
(1) forest health and human safety in certain 
national forests have deteriorated dangerously due to 
pine beetle infestation, disease, storm damage, and 
drought; and 
(2) the resulting fire hazard in those national 
forests endangers adjacent communities, ranches, 
State parks, and several units of the National Park 
System and poses a significant threat to the eco-
nomic stability of surrounding areas and the health, 
safety, and well-being of residents and visitors to 
those areas. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) DESIGNATED
NATIONAL
FOREST.—The 
term ‘‘designated national forest’’ means a national 
forest designated by the Secretary under section 
4(b). 
(2) EMERGENCY
CIRCUMSTANCES.—The term 
‘‘emergency circumstances’’ has the meaning given 
the term in section 1506.11 of title 40, Code of Fed-
eral Regulations (or a successor regulation). 
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(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture. 
SEC. 4. DECLARATION OF EMERGENCY AND SELECTION OF 
PILOT PROJECT NATIONAL FORESTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—In recognition of deteriorating 
forest health conditions, extreme fire hazard, and the sig-
nificant number of dead and dying trees in certain na-
tional forests due to pine beetle infestation, drought, dis-
ease, or storm damage, and the resulting imminent risk 
of devastating wildfire that poses a significant threat to 
the economic stability of surrounding areas and the health, 
safety, and well-being of residents, firefighters, and visi-
tors to the areas, Congress declares that the fire hazard 
and human endangerment in those national forests des-
ignated by the Secretary under subsection (b) constitute 
emergency circumstances. 
(b) DESIGNATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall designate not less than 1 national forest in 
each applicable State that is experiencing conditions 
that constitute emergency circumstances due to pine 
beetle infestation, drought, disease, or storm damage 
and the resulting imminent risk of devastating wild-
fire that poses a significant threat to the economic 
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