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essary to promote appropriate economic development, pre-
serve landscapes, and enhance public safety. 
SEC. 402. MOUNT HOOD REGION DEFINED. 
In this title, the term ‘‘Mount Hood region’’ means 
Mount Hood and the other areas immediately surrounding 
the mountain, as well as the Highway 26 and Highway 
35 corridors in and near Mount Hood National Forest, 
other State, county, and Forest Service roads in and near 
the national forest, and the gateway communities along 
these corridors and roads. 
SEC. 403. TRANSPORTATION PLAN. 
(a) FOREST SERVICE PARTICIPATION.—The Sec-
retary of Agriculture is authorized and directed to work 
with the State of Oregon to develop an integrated, multi- 
modal transportation plan for the Mount Hood region. 
(b) PLANNING PROCESS.—The transportation plan 
shall conform with Federal and Oregon transportation 
planning requirements and be the product of a collabo-
rative process, preferably through the use of a commission 
composed of interested persons appointed by the State, 
with representation from the Forest Service and local gov-
ernments in the Mount Hood region. 
(c) SCOPE OF PLAN.—The transportation plan shall 
address both— 
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(1) transportation of people to and from areas 
outside the Mount Hood region on major corridors 
traversing the region; and 
(2) transportation of people from place to place 
within the Mount Hood region. 
(d) SPECIFIC ELEMENTS OF PLAN.—At a minimum, 
the transportation plan shall consider the following: 
(1) Transportation alternatives between and 
among recreation areas and gateway communities 
within the Mount Hood region. 
(2) Park and ride facilities at gateway commu-
nities. 
(3) Intermodal transportation centers to link 
public transportation, parking, and recreation des-
tinations. 
(4) A new interchange on Highway 26 in or 
near Government Camp. 
(5) Designation, maintenance, and improve-
ments of alternative routes utilizing Forest Service 
and or State roads for emergency routes or improved 
access to, and travel within, the Mount Hood region. 
(6) Reconstruction of Highway 35 from Mineral 
Creek to Baseline Road to address ongoing debris 
flow locations. 
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(7) Mechanisms for funding implementation of 
the plan, including Federal grants or appropriations, 
public-private partnerships, incremental tax financ-
ing, and other financing tools that link transpor-
tation infrastructure improvements with develop-
ment. 
(e) COMPLETION.—The transportation plan shall be 
completed within two years after the date on which funds 
are first made available under subsection (f) for the plan. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Agri-
culture $2,000,000, which the Secretary shall provide to 
the State of Oregon for the preparation of the transpor-
tation plan for the Mount Hood region. 
SEC. 404. STUDY REGARDING GONDOLA CONNECTION AND 
INTERMODAL TRANSPORTATION CENTER. 
(a) STUDY AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture shall conduct a study of the feasibility of estab-
lishing— 
(1) a gondola connection between Timberline 
Lodge and Government Camp, Oregon, in the vicin-
ity of the historic gondola corridor; and 
(2) an intermodal transportation center in or 
near Government Camp. 
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(b) CONSIDERATION OF SITES.—In conducting the 
study under this section, the Secretary may include con-
sideration of one or more possible sites for the gondola 
connection and intermodal transportation center. 
TITLE V—FOREST AND 
WATERSHED STEWARDSHIP 
SEC. 501. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this title is to direct the Forest Serv-
ice to prepare an assessment to promote forested land-
scapes resilient to catastrophic fire, insects, and disease, 
to protect homes and communities from property damage 
and threats to public safety, and to protect and enhance 
existing community or municipal watersheds. It is the in-
tent of Congress that site-specific forest health projects 
undertaken pursuant to this assessment shall be com-
pleted in accordance with existing law. 
SEC. 502. FOREST STEWARDSHIP ASSESSMENT. 
(a) PREPARATION OF ASSESSMENT.—The Secretary 
of Agriculture shall prepare an assessment to identify the 
forest health needs in those areas of the Mount Hood Na-
tional Forest with a high incidence of insect or disease 
infestation (or both), heavily overstocked tree stands, or 
moderate-to-high risk of unnatural catastrophic wildfire 
for the purpose of improving condition class, which signifi-
cantly improves the forest health and water quality. The 
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Secretary may utilize existing information to complete the 
assessment. The assessment shall also identify specific 
projects to address these issues. 
(b) IMPROVED MAPPING.—The assessment may in-
clude improved mapping of condition class 2 and condition 
class 3 areas and other areas identified in subsection (a) 
in Mount Hood National Forest. 
(c) COMPLETION.—The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall complete the assessment not later than one year after 
the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(d) DURATION
OF STUDY.—The assessment shall 
cover a 10-year period. 
(e) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than one year after 
completion of the assessment, the Secretary shall com-
mence implementation of projects to address the needs 
identified in the assessment. These projects shall be imple-
mented using authorities available to the Secretary to 
manage the Mount Hood National Forest to achieve the 
purpose specified in subsection (a). 
(f) DELAY.—During development of the assessment 
under this section, a forest management project that is 
unaffiliated with the assessment and has completed review 
as required under the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321) in accordance with existing law, 
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