cation for a certificate of public conven-
ience and necessity under section 7. 
‘‘(B) PROJECT.—The term ‘project’ means 
a project for the construction or extension of fa-
cilities for the transportation in interstate com-
merce of natural gas that requires Federal au-
thorization. 
‘‘(2) SUPPLEMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT 
STATEMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—With respect to an ap-
plication for Federal authorization, the Com-
mission shall prepare a supplement to a draft 
environmental impact statement or a final envi-
ronmental impact statement if— 
‘‘(i) the Commission makes a substan-
tial change in the proposed action that is 
relevant to environmental concerns; or 
‘‘(ii) there are significant new cir-
cumstances or information relevant to envi-
ronmental concerns and bearing on the 
proposed action or its impacts. 
‘‘(B) MITIGATION PLANS.—If a draft envi-
ronmental impact statement prepared with re-
spect to an application for Federal authoriza-
tion does not include information about mitiga-
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tion plans for adverse impacts that cannot rea-
sonably be avoided, a supplemental environ-
mental impact statement shall be prepared that 
includes such information. 
‘‘(3) PUBLIC
MEETING
REQUIREMENTS.—In 
complying with the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) with respect 
to an application for Federal authorization, the 
Commission shall ensure that any public meeting 
shall be held— 
‘‘(A) in each county or equivalent subdivi-
sion in which the project will be located; and 
‘‘(B) during each period of public comment 
following, if applicable, publication of— 
‘‘(i) a draft environmental impact 
statement; 
‘‘(ii) a final environmental impact 
statement; and 
‘‘(iii) any supplemental environmental 
impact statement.’’. 
SEC. 4. IMPACTS ON CRITICAL NATURAL RESOURCES. 
Subsection (g) of section 15 of the Natural Gas Act 
(15 U.S.C. 717n) (as added by section 3) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) NATIONAL SCENIC TRAILS.— 
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‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In preparing an envi-
ronmental impact statement with respect to an 
application for Federal authorization for a 
project, any evaluation of the visual impacts of 
the project on a national scenic trail designated 
by the National Trails System Act (16 U.S.C. 
1241 et seq.) in the environmental impact 
statement shall— 
‘‘(i) consider the cumulative visual im-
pacts of any similar proposed project— 
‘‘(I) for which an application for 
Federal authorization is in the pre-fil-
ing or filing stage; and 
‘‘(II) that impacts the same na-
tional scenic trail within 100 miles of 
the first project; and 
‘‘(ii) include visual impact simulations 
depicting leaf-on and leaf-off views at each 
location where major visual impacts occur, 
as identified, authenticated, and justified 
during the period of public comment pre-
ceding the publication of a draft environ-
mental impact statement by the head of 
the Federal agency or independent agency 
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administering the land at the applicable lo-
cation. 
‘‘(B) NATIONAL
FOREST
MANAGEMENT 
PLANS.—No amendment to a National Forest 
management plan under the Forest and Range-
land Renewable Resources Planning Act of 
1974 (16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.) shall be consid-
ered, pursuant to an application for Federal au-
thorization, if the result of the amendment 
would substantially interfere with the nature 
and purposes of a national scenic trail des-
ignated by the National Trails System Act (16 
U.S.C. 1241 et seq.).’’. 
Æ 
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