IB 
Union Calendar No. 495 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2541 
[Report No. 112–684] 
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to exempt the conduct 
of silvicultural activities from national pollutant discharge elimination 
system permitting requirements. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 14, 2011 
Ms. HERRERA BEUTLER (for herself, Mr. SCHRADER, Mr. MICHAUD, Mrs. 
MCMORRIS RODGERS, Ms. PINGREE of Maine, and Mr. WALDEN) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Trans-
portation and Infrastructure 
SEPTEMBER 20, 2012 
Additional sponsors: Mr. SIMPSON, Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, Mr. 
BOREN, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. MCINTYRE, 
Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. ROSS of Arkansas, Mr. KISSELL, Mr. HOLDEN, Mr. 
BARROW, Mr. BISHOP of Georgia, Mr. OWENS, Mrs. EMERSON, Ms. SE-
WELL, Mr. RIBBLE, Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania, Mr. DICKS, Mrs. 
HARTZLER, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. PETERSON, Mr. GOODLATTE, Mr. 
JONES, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. MULVANEY, Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, Mr. 
WESTMORELAND, Mr. LABRADOR, Mr. DUFFY, Mr. DUNCAN of South 
Carolina, Mr. NUNNELEE, Mr. REICHERT, Mr. GUTHRIE, Mrs. ROBY, 
Mrs. LUMMIS, Mrs. ELLMERS, Mr. CRAVAACK, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, 
Mr. MCKINLEY, Mr. BENISHEK, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. FLEMING, Mr. 
HUIZENGA of Michigan, Mr. GIBSON, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. DENHAM, Mr. 
GRIFFITH of Virginia, Mr. ADERHOLT, Mr. PETRI, Mr. BONNER, Mr. 
TIPTON, Mr. COFFMAN of Colorado, Mr. SOUTHERLAND, Mr. HURT, Mr. 
GIBBS, Mr. LANDRY, and Mr. BACHUS 
SEPTEMBER 20, 2012 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole 
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
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A BILL 
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to ex-
empt the conduct of silvicultural activities from national 
pollutant discharge elimination system permitting re-
quirements. 
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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 ‘‘Silviculture Regulatory 
Consistency Act’’. 
SEC. 2. SILVICULTURAL ACTIVITIES. 
Section 402(l) of the Federal Water Pollution Control 
Act (33 U.S.C. 1342(l)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(3) SILVICULTURAL ACTIVITIES.— 
‘‘(A) NPDES PERMIT REQUIREMENTS FOR 
SILVICULTURAL
ACTIVITIES.—The
Adminis-
trator shall neither require a permit under this 
section, nor directly or indirectly require any 
State to require a permit under this section, for 
a discharge resulting from the conduct of any 
silvicultural
activity,
such
as
nursery
oper-
ations, site preparation, reforestation and sub-
sequent cultural treatment, thinning, prescribed 
burning, pest and fire control, harvesting oper-
ations, surface drainage, or road use, construc-
tion, and maintenance, from which there is run-
off. 
‘‘(B) PERMITS FOR DREDGED OR FILL MA-
TERIAL.—Nothing in this paragraph exempts 
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the conduct of a silvicultural activity resulting 
in the discharge of dredged or fill material from 
any
permitting
requirement
under
section 
404.’’. 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Silviculture Regulatory 
Consistency Act’’. 
SEC. 2. SILVICULTURAL ACTIVITIES. 
Section 402(l) of the Federal Water Pollution Control 
Act (33 U.S.C. 1342(l)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(3) SILVICULTURAL ACTIVITIES.— 
‘‘(A) NPDES PERMIT REQUIREMENTS FOR 
SILVICULTURAL ACTIVITIES.—The Administrator 
shall neither require a permit under this section, 
nor directly or indirectly require any State to 
require a permit under this section, for a dis-
charge resulting from the conduct of the following 
silvicultural activities: nursery operations, site 
preparation, reforestation and subsequent cul-
tural treatment, thinning, prescribed burning, 
pest and fire control, harvesting operations, sur-
face drainage, or road use, construction, and 
maintenance, from which there is runoff. 
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Union Calendar No. 495 
112TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 2541 
[Report No. 112–684] 
A BILL 
To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act 
to exempt the conduct of silvicultural activities 
from national pollutant discharge elimination sys-
tem permitting requirements. 
SEPTEMBER 20, 2012 
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Com-
mittee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, 
and ordered to be printed 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
20:46 Sep 20, 2012
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PO 00000
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