I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 567 
To expedite certain activities related to salvage operations and reforestation 
activities on National Forest System lands or public lands in response 
to catastrophic events, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 26, 2023 
Mr. OBERNOLTE
(for himself, Mr. NEWHOUSE, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. 
ROSENDALE, Mr. MOYLAN, and Mr. ZINKE) 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 expedite certain activities related to salvage operations 
and reforestation activities on National Forest System 
lands or public lands in response to catastrophic events, 
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 ‘‘Salvaging American 
Lumber Via Action with Greater Efficiency Act’’ or the 
‘‘SALVAGE Act’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:25 Feb 09, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H567.IH
H567
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO EXPEDITE SALVAGE 
OPERATIONS 
IN 
RESPONSE 
TO 
CATA-
STROPHIC EVENTS. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION ESTABLISHED.—Sal-
vage operations carried out by the Secretary concerned on 
National Forest System lands or public lands are a cat-
egory of actions hereby designated as being categorically 
excluded from the preparation of an environmental assess-
ment or an environmental impact statement under section 
102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4332). 
(b) 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. 
(c) ACREAGE LIMITATION.—A salvage operation cov-
ered by the categorical exclusion established under sub-
section (a) may not contain treatment units exceeding a 
total of 10,000 acres. 
(d) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) STREAM
BUFFERS.—A salvage operation 
covered by the categorical exclusion established 
under subsection (a) shall comply with the standards 
and guidelines for stream buffers contained in the 
applicable forest plan unless waived by the Regional 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:25 Feb 09, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H567.IH
H567
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
Forester, in the case of National Forest System 
lands, or the State Director of the Bureau of Land 
Management, in the case of public lands. 
(2) REFORESTATION
PLAN.—A reforestation 
plan shall be developed under section 3 of the Act 
of June 9, 1930 (commonly known as the Knutson- 
Vandenberg Act; 16 U.S.C. 576b), as part of a sal-
vage operation covered by the categorical exclusion 
established under subsection (a). 
SEC. 3. EXPEDITED SALVAGE OPERATIONS AND REFOREST-
ATION ACTIVITIES FOLLOWING LARGE-SCALE 
CATASTROPHIC EVENTS. 
(a) EXPEDITED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.— 
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an environ-
mental assessment prepared by the Secretary concerned 
pursuant to section 102 of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332) for a salvage oper-
ation or reforestation activity proposed to be conducted 
on National Forest System lands or public lands adversely 
impacted by a large-scale catastrophic event shall be com-
pleted within 60 days after the conclusion of the cata-
strophic event. 
(b) EXPEDITED IMPLEMENTATION
AND COMPLE-
TION.—In the case of reforestation activities conducted on 
National Forest System lands or public lands adversely 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:25 Feb 09, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H567.IH
H567
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
impacted by a large-scale catastrophic event, the Secretary 
concerned shall, to the maximum extent practicable, 
achieve reforestation of at least 75 percent of the impacted 
lands during the 5-year period following the conclusion of 
the catastrophic event. 
(c) 
AVAILABILITY
OF
KNUTSON-VANDENBERG 
FUNDS.—Amounts in the special fund established pursu-
ant to section 3 of the Act of June 9, 1930 (commonly 
known as the Knutson-Vandenberg Act; 16 U.S.C. 576b), 
shall be available to the Secretary of Agriculture for refor-
estation activities authorized by this section. 
(d) TIMELINE FOR PUBLIC INPUT PROCESS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 
provision of law, in the case of a salvage operation 
or reforestation activity proposed to be conducted on 
National Forest System lands or public lands ad-
versely impacted by a large-scale catastrophic event, 
the Secretary concerned shall allow— 
(A) 30 days for public scoping and com-
ment; 
(B) 15 days for filing an objection; and 
(C) 15 days for the agency response to the 
filing of an objection. 
(2) IMPLEMENTATION.—On the final day of the 
process required in paragraph (1), the Secretary 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:25 Feb 09, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H567.IH
H567
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
concerned shall implement the project for which the 
process was initiated. 
(e) CONVERSION OF TIMBER SALES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after 
a wildfire is contained on National Forest System 
lands, the Secretary of Agriculture shall convert any 
timber sales on lands impacted by such wildfire to 
salvage sales. 
(2) ANALYSIS
DEEMED
SUFFICIENT.—If the 
Regional Forester determines that a proposed timber 
sale has been sufficiently analyzed under the Na-
tional Environmental Policy Act, such analysis shall 
be deemed to fulfill the requirements of section 
102(2)(C) of the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)(C)) with respect to such 
salvage sale. 
SEC. 4. COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST PLAN. 
A salvage operation or reforestation activity author-
ized by this Act shall be conducted in a manner consistent 
with the forest plan applicable to the National Forest Sys-
tem lands or public lands covered by the salvage operation 
or reforestation activity. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:25 Feb 09, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H567.IH
H567
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
SEC. 5. PROHIBITION ON RESTRAINING ORDERS, PRELIMI-
NARY 
INJUNCTIONS, 
AND 
INJUNCTIONS 
PENDING APPEAL. 
No restraining order, preliminary injunction, or in-
junction pending appeal shall be issued by any court of 
the United States with respect to any decision to prepare 
or conduct a salvage operation or reforestation activity in 
response to a large-scale catastrophic event. 
SEC. 6. EXCLUSIONS. 
The authorities provided by this Act do not apply 
with respect to any National Forest System lands or pub-
lic 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— 
(A) the forest management activity to be 
carried out under such authority is consistent 
with the forest plan applicable to the area; or 
(B) the Secretary concerned determines 
the activity is allowed under the applicable 
roadless rule governing such lands; or 
(3) on which timber harvesting for any purpose 
is prohibited by Federal statute. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:25 Feb 09, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H567.IH
H567
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
SEC. 7. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(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-
land Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 
U.S.C. 1609(a)). 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:25 Feb 09, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H567.IH
H567
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(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. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
04:25 Feb 09, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H567.IH
H567
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS