I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4623 
To establish a categorical exclusion for forest management activities carried 
out by the Secretary of Agriculture jointly with another Federal agency 
if such forest management activities received a categorical exclusion 
with respect to such other Federal agency, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 22, 2021 
Mr. BENTZ (for himself, Mr. STAUBER, Mrs. BOEBERT, Mr. TIFFANY, Mr. 
ROSENDALE, Mr. OBERNOLTE, Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. 
NEWHOUSE, and Mr. GARCIA of California) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addi-
tion to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish a categorical exclusion for forest management 
activities carried out by the Secretary of Agriculture 
jointly with another Federal agency if such forest man-
agement activities received a categorical exclusion with 
respect to such other Federal agency, 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 ‘‘Commonsense Coordi-
nation Act’’. 
SEC. 2. 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; and 
(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. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) FOREST
MANAGEMENT
ACTIVITY.—The 
term ‘‘forest management activity’’ means a project 
or activity carried out by the Secretary concerned on 
National Forest System lands or public lands con-
sistent with the forest plan covering such lands. 
(2) FOREST
PLAN.—The term ‘‘forest plan’’ 
means— 
(A) a land use plan prepared by the Bu-
reau of Land Management for public lands pur-
suant to section 202 of the Federal Land Policy 
and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
1712); or 
(B) a land and resource management plan 
prepared by the Forest Service for a unit of the 
National Forest System pursuant to section 6 
of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Re-
sources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 
1604). 
(3) NATIONAL
FOREST
SYSTEM.—The term 
‘‘National Forest System’’ has the meaning given 
that term in section 11(a) of the Forest and Range-
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land Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 
U.S.C. 1609(a)). 
(4) PUBLIC LANDS.—The term ‘‘public lands’’ 
has the meaning given that term in section 103 of 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702), except that the term in-
cludes Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands and Or-
egon and California Railroad Grant lands. 
(5) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Sec-
retary concerned’’ means— 
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with re-
spect to National Forest System lands; and 
(B) the Secretary of the Interior, with re-
spect to public lands. 
(e) EXCLUSIONS.—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 Wilderness 
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— 
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