(2) valid and existing rights regarding National 
Forest System land, including rights of any federally 
recognized Indian tribe. 
SEC. 402. MANAGEMENT OF FOREST RESERVE REVENUE 
AREAS. 
(a) REQUIREMENT TO ACHIEVE ANNUAL VOLUME 
REQUIREMENT.—The Secretary shall manage the Forest 
Reserve Revenue Area established under section 401 in 
the manner necessary to achieve the annual volume re-
quirement for the Forest Reserve Revenue Area. 
(b) TIMING.—The Secretary is authorized and en-
couraged to commence covered forest reserve projects as 
soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this 
Act to begin generating forest reserve revenues. 
(c) APPLICATION OF NEPA.—Except as provided in 
subsection (d), the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4331 et seq.) shall not apply to covered 
forest reserve projects under this section. 
(d) ENVIRONMENTAL
ANALYSIS
PROCESS
FOR 
PROJECTS IN FOREST RESERVE REVENUE AREAS.— 
(1) ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.—The Sec-
retary shall give published notice and complete an 
environmental 
assessment 
pursuant 
to 
section 
102(2) of the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)) for a covered forest re-
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serve project proposed to be conducted within a For-
est Reserve Revenue Area, except that the Secretary 
is not required to study, develop, or describe any al-
ternative to the proposed agency action. 
(2) CUMULATIVE
EFFECTS.—The Secretary 
shall consider cumulative effects solely by evaluating 
the impacts of a proposed covered forest reserve 
project combined with the impacts of any other 
projects that were approved with a Decision Notice 
or Record of Decision before the date on which the 
Secretary published notice of the proposed covered 
project. The cumulative effects of past projects may 
be considered in the environmental assessment by 
using a description of the current environmental 
conditions. 
(3) LENGTH.—The environmental assessment 
prepared for a proposed covered forest reserve 
project shall not exceed 100 pages in length. The 
Secretary may incorporate in the environmental as-
sessment, by reference, any documents that the Sec-
retary determines, in the sole discretion of the Sec-
retary, are relevant to the assessment of the environ-
mental effects of the covered project. 
(4) DEADLINE
FOR
COMPLETION.—The Sec-
retary shall complete the environmental assessment 
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for a covered forest reserve project within 180 days 
after the date on which the Secretary published no-
tice of the proposed covered project. 
(5) TREATMENT
OF
DECISION
NOTICE.—The 
decision notice for a covered forest reserve project 
shall be considered a final agency action and no ad-
ditional analysis under the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4331 et seq.) shall be 
required to implement any portion of the covered 
project. 
(e) APPLICATION OF LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGE-
MENT PLAN.—The Secretary may modify the standards 
and guidelines contained in the land and resource manage-
ment plan for the unit of the National Forest System in 
which the covered forest reserve project will be carried out 
as necessary to achieve the requirements of this Act. Sec-
tion 6(g)(3)(E)(iv) of the Forest and Rangeland Renew-
able Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 
1604(g)(3)(E)(iv)) shall not apply to a covered forest re-
serve project. 
SEC. 403. DISTRIBUTION OF FOREST RESERVE REVENUES. 
(a) 25-PERCENT PAYMENTS.—The Secretary shall 
use forest reserve revenues generated by a covered forest 
reserve project to make 25 percent payments to the one 
or more counties within the boundaries of which the rev-
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enue is derived, to be allocated among the counties based 
on the percentage of land from which the revenue is de-
rived. 
(b) PAYMENTS IN LIEU OF TAXES.—A payment to 
a county under paragraph (1) shall be in addition to a 
payment in lieu of taxes received by the county under 
chapter 69 of title 31, United States Code. 
(c) SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS.—A payment to a 
county under subsection (a) shall be in addition to a Se-
cure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination 
Act payment received by the county under section 102 of 
the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determina-
tion Act (16 U.S.C. 7112). 
(d) DEPOSIT IN KNUTSON-VANDENBERG AND SAL-
VAGE SALE FUNDS.—In the case of funds remaining after 
the Secretary makes the payments required in subsection 
(a), the Secretary shall use forest reserve revenues to 
make deposits into the fund established under section 3 
of the Act of June 9, 1930 (16 U.S.C. 576b; commonly 
known as the Knutson-Vandenberg Fund), and the fund 
established under section 14(h) of the National Forest 
Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a(h); commonly 
known as the salvage sale fund) in contributions equal to 
the monies otherwise collected under those Acts for 
projects conducted on National Forest System land. 
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(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated 25 percent of all reve-
nues generated for the Treasury from covered forest re-
serve projects to help carry out landscape-scale-forest res-
toration projects authorized by this title. 
(f) DEPOSIT IN GENERAL FUND OF THE TREAS-
URY.—In the case of funds remaining after the Secretary 
makes the payments required in subsections (a) and (b), 
the Secretary shall deposit remaining forest reserve reve-
nues into the general fund of the Treasury. 
SEC. 404. ANNUAL REPORT. 
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 60 days 
after the end of each fiscal year, the Secretary shall sub-
mit to Congress an annual report specifying the annual 
volume requirement in effect for that fiscal year for each 
Forest Reserve Revenue Area, the volume of board feet 
actually harvested for each Forest Reserve Revenue Area, 
the average cost of preparation for timber sales, the forest 
reserve revenues generated from such sales, and the 
amount of receipts distributed to each beneficiary county. 
(b) FORM OF REPORT.—The information required by 
subsection (a) to be provided with respect to a Forest Re-
serve Revenue Area shall be presented on a single page 
and made available on the website of the United States 
Forest Service. 
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SEC. 405. SECRETARY DEFINED. 
In this title, the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Sec-
retary of Agriculture. 
TITLE 
V—MISCELLANEOUS 
CLARIFICATIONS 
AND 
AD-
JUSTMENTS 
SEC. 501. WILDERNESS AND WILDERNESS STUDY AREAS. 
The designation of a Wilderness Area or Wilderness 
Study Area shall not interfere with the authority of the 
Secretary concerned to authorize mechanical thinning of 
trees or underbrush to prevent or control the spread of 
wildfires, or conditions creating the risk of wildfire that 
threatens areas outside the boundary of the wilderness, 
or the use of mechanized equipment for wildfire pre-sup-
pression and suppression. 
SEC. 502. EXTENSION OF STEWARDSHIP CONTRACTING 
MAXIMUM TERM LIMITS. 
Section 604(d) of the Healthy Forests Restoration 
Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(d)) is amended by striking 
paragraph (3) and inserting the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(3) TERM.—The Chief and the Director may 
enter into a contract in accordance with section 
3903 of title 41, United States Code.’’. 
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SEC. 503. CLARIFICATION OF EXISTING CATEGORICAL EX-
CLUSION AUTHORITY RELATED TO INSECT 
AND DISEASE INFESTATION. 
Section 603(c)(2)(B) of the Healthy Forests Restora-
tion Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591b(c)(2)(B)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘Fire Regime Groups I, II, or III’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘Fire Regime I, Fire Regime II, Fire Regime III, Fire 
Regime IV, or Fire Regime V’’. 
TITLE VI—ANALYSIS OF PRO-
POSED COLLABORATIVE FOR-
EST 
MANAGEMENT 
ACTIVI-
TIES 
SEC. 601. ANALYSIS OF ONLY TWO ALTERNATIVES (ACTION 
VERSUS NO ACTION) IN PROPOSED COLLABO-
RATIVE FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. 
(a) APPLICATION TO CERTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL AS-
SESSMENTS
AND
ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT
STATE-
MENTS.—This section shall apply whenever the Secretary 
concerned prepares an environmental assessment or an en-
vironmental impact statement pursuant to section 102 of 
the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4332) for a forest management activity that— 
(1) is developed through a collaborative process; 
(2) is proposed by a resource advisory com-
mittee; 
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(3) will occur on lands identified by the Sec-
retary concerned as suitable for timber production; 
and 
(4) will occur on lands designated by the Sec-
retary (or a designee thereof) pursuant to section 
602(b) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 
2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591a(b)), notwithstanding wheth-
er such forest management activity is covered by a 
community wildfire protection plan. 
(b) CONSIDERATION OF ALTERNATIVES.—In an envi-
ronmental assessment or environmental impact statement 
described in subsection (a), the Secretary concerned shall 
study, develop, and describe only the following two alter-
natives: 
(1) The forest management activity. 
(2) The alternative of no action. 
(c) ELEMENTS OF NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE.—In 
the case of the alternative of no action, the Secretary con-
cerned shall consider whether to evaluate— 
(1) the effect of no action on— 
(A) forest health; 
(B) habitat diversity; 
(C) wildfire potential; 
(D) insect and disease potential; and 
(E) timber production; and 
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(2) the implications of a resulting decline in 
forest health, loss of habitat diversity, wildfire, or in-
sect or disease infestation, given fire and insect and 
disease historic cycles, on— 
(A) domestic water supply in the project 
area; 
(B) snowpack levels in the project area; 
(C) wildlife habitat loss; and 
(D) other economic and social factors. 
TITLE VII—FOREST 
MANAGEMENT LITIGATION 
SEC. 701. NO ATTORNEY’S FEES FOR FOREST MANAGEMENT 
ACTIVITY CHALLENGES. 
Notwithstanding section 1304 of title 31, United 
States Code, no award may be made under section 2412 
of title 28, United States Code, and no amounts may be 
obligated or expended from the Claims and Judgment 
Fund of the Treasury to pay any fees or other expenses 
under such sections to any plaintiff related to an action 
challenging a forest management activity or other author-
ization carried out pursuant to this Act. 
SEC. 702. INJUNCTIVE RELIEF (BALANCE OF HARMS). 
(a) BALANCING SHORT- AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS 
OF FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES IN CONSIDERING 
INJUNCTIVE RELIEF.—As part of its weighing the equities 
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while considering any request for an injunction that ap-
plies to any agency action as part of a forest management 
activity or provision in this Act, the court reviewing the 
agency action shall balance the impact to the ecosystem 
likely affected by the forest management activity of— 
(1) the short- and long-term effects of under-
taking the agency action; against 
(2) the short- and long-term effects of not un-
dertaking the action. 
(b) TIME LIMITATIONS FOR INJUNCTIVE RELIEF.— 
Subject to paragraph (2), the length of any preliminary 
injunctive relief and stays pending appeal that applies to 
any agency action as part of a forest management activity, 
shall not exceed 60 days. 
TITLE VIII—CATEGORICAL 
EXCLUSIONS 
SEC. 801. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION FOR ELECTRIC UTIL-
ITY LINES RIGHTS-OF-WAY. 
(a) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—Forest management 
activities described in subsection (b) are a category of ac-
tivities designated as being categorically excluded from the 
preparation of an environmental assessment or an environ-
mental impact statement under section 102 of the Na-
tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4332). 
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