I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1997 
To require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture 
to provide certain Western States assistance in the development of state-
wide conservation and management plans for the protection and recovery 
of sage-grouse species, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 23, 2015 
Mr. STEWART (for himself, Mrs. LOVE, Mr. TIPTON, Mrs. MCMORRIS ROD-
GERS, Mr. CHAFFETZ, Mr. LABRADOR, Mr. SIMPSON, Mrs. LUMMIS, Mr. 
NEWHOUSE, Mr. ZINKE, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. HARDY, Mr. BUCK, and Mr. 
CRAMER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To require the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary 
of Agriculture to provide certain Western States assist-
ance in the development of statewide conservation and 
management plans for the protection and recovery of 
sage-grouse species, 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 ‘‘Sage-Grouse Protec-
tion and Conservation Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. GREATER SAGE-GROUSE PROTECTION AND CON-
SERVATION MEASURES. 
(a) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this section are— 
(1) to allow States— 
(A) to determine the appropriate manage-
ment of sage-grouse species according to State- 
created conservation and management plans 
that address the key threats to sage-grouse spe-
cies and the habitat of sage-grouse species with-
in the States; and 
(B) to demonstrate that those Statewide 
plans can protect and recover sage-grouse spe-
cies within the States; and 
(2) to require the Secretary to implement rec-
ommendations contained in Statewide plans for the 
management of sage-grouse species and the habitat 
of sage-grouse species on Federal land. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COVERED
WESTERN
STATE.—The term 
‘‘covered Western State’’ means each of the States 
of California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, 
North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Wash-
ington, and Wyoming. 
(2) NATIONAL
FOREST
SYSTEM
LAND.—The 
term ‘‘National Forest System land’’ means the 
Federal land within the National Forest System, as 
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described in section 11(a) of the Forest and Range-
land Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 
U.S.C. 1609(a)). 
(3) PUBLIC
LAND.—The term ‘‘public land’’ 
has the meaning given the term ‘‘public lands’’ in 
section 103 of the Federal Land Policy and Manage-
ment Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702). 
(4) SAGE-GROUSE SPECIES.—The term ‘‘sage- 
grouse species’’ means— 
(A) the greater sage-grouse (Centrocercus 
urophasianus) (including all distinct population 
segments); and 
(B) 
the 
Gunnison 
sage-grouse 
(Centrocercus minimus). 
(5) 
SECRETARY.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary’’ 
means— 
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with re-
spect to National Forest System land; and 
(B) the Secretary of the Interior, with re-
spect to public land. 
(6) STATEWIDE PLAN.—The term ‘‘Statewide 
plan’’ means a conservation and management plan 
or plans developed and submitted to the Secretary 
by a covered Western State for the protection and 
recovery of any sage-grouse species and the habitat 
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of the sage-grouse species within the covered West-
ern State in response to invitations from the Sec-
retary of the Interior in December 2011 to submit 
to the Secretary those plans. 
(c) PARTICIPATION IN STATE PLANNING PROCESS.— 
(1) LIST OF DESIGNEES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 days 
after that date of receipt from a covered West-
ern State of a notice described in subparagraph 
(B), the Secretary shall provide to the Governor 
of the covered Western State a list of designees 
of the Department of the Interior or the De-
partment of Agriculture, as applicable, who will 
represent the Secretary in assisting in the de-
velopment and implementation of the Statewide 
plan. 
(B) DESCRIPTION OF NOTICE.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—A notice referred to 
in subparagraph (A) is a notice that a cov-
ered Western State— 
(I) is initiating, or has previously 
initiated, development of a Statewide 
plan in accordance with clause (ii); or 
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(II) has previously submitted to 
the Secretary a Statewide plan in ac-
cordance with clause (ii). 
(ii) CONTENTS.—A notice under this 
subparagraph shall include— 
(I) an invitation to the Secretary 
to participate in the development or 
implementation of the Statewide plan 
of the applicable covered Western 
State; and 
(II) a statement that the covered 
Western State— 
(aa) has prepared or will 
prepare, by not later than 1 year 
after the date of submission of 
the notice, a Statewide plan that 
will protect and manage sage- 
grouse species and the habitat of 
sage-grouse species to the point 
that designation of sage-grouse 
species as a threatened or endan-
gered species under the Endan-
gered Species Act of 1973 (16 
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) is no longer 
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necessary in the covered Western 
State; and 
(bb) will— 
(AA) collect monitoring 
data such as sage-grouse 
species population trends, 
fuel reduction, predator con-
trol, invasive species control, 
the condition of sage-grouse 
species habitat, or other pa-
rameters that address the 
primary threats to sage- 
grouse species in the covered 
Western State to address 
how the threats identified in 
the Statewide plan are being 
reduced and how the objec-
tives identified in the State-
wide plan are being met; 
and 
(BB) provide to the 
Secretary relevant data re-
garding the health of sage- 
grouse species populations, 
the condition of sage-grouse 
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species habitat, and activi-
ties relating to the imple-
mentation of the Statewide 
plan on an annual basis 
under this section. 
(iii) TIMING.—To be eligible to par-
ticipate in a planning process under this 
section, not later than 120 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, a covered 
Western State shall submit to the Sec-
retary a notice described in subparagraph 
(B). 
(2) ACCESS TO INFORMATION.—Not later than 
60 days after the date of receipt from a covered 
Western State of a notice described in paragraph 
(1)(B), the Secretary shall provide to the covered 
Western State all relevant scientific data, research, 
and information regarding sage-grouse species and 
habitat within the covered Western State for use by 
appropriate State personnel to assist the covered 
Western State in the development and implementa-
tion of the Statewide plan. 
(d) RECOGNITION OF STATEWIDE PLAN.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law or equity, if the Sec-
retary receives from a covered Western State a Statewide 
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plan by the date that is 1 year after the date of receipt 
of a notice under subsection (c)(1) from the covered West-
ern State, the Secretary shall— 
(1) when taking any action that could impact 
the sage-grouse species or the habitat of the species, 
manage all public land and National Forest System 
land within the covered Western State in accordance 
with the Statewide plan for a period of not less than 
6 years, beginning on the date of submission to the 
Secretary of the Statewide plan in accordance with 
this section; 
(2) annually— 
(A) review the Statewide plan using the 
best available science and data, using the objec-
tives and goals contained in the Statewide plan 
as a measure of success; and 
(B) provide to the Governor of the covered 
Western State recommendations regarding im-
provement of the Statewide plan; 
(3) use the Statewide plan as the basis for all 
relevant determinations under the National Environ-
mental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); 
(4) permit and assist the covered Western State 
to implement adaptive management, if required by 
the Statewide plan, to respond to sage-grouse spe-
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cies conditions as indicated by monitoring data, me-
teorological conditions, or fire or other events neces-
sitating adaptation of the Statewide plan; 
(5) require the covered Western State to submit 
to the Secretary annual reports regarding the imple-
mentation of the Statewide plan, including relevant 
data regarding— 
(A) actions carried out pursuant to the 
Statewide plan; and 
(B) population trends, fuel reductions, 
predator control, invasive species control, the 
condition of sage-grouse habitat, and other pa-
rameters that address the primary threats to 
sage-grouse species in the covered Western 
State; 
(6) require the covered Western State— 
(A) to monitor appropriate sage-grouse 
species and habitat data for a period of not less 
than 5 years, beginning on the date of submis-
sion of the Statewide plan; and 
(B) to submit to the Secretary, not later 
than 6 years after the date of submission of the 
Statewide plan and in accordance with applica-
ble scientific protocols, a report that includes— 
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(i) a description of the status of im-
plementation of the Statewide plan and 
progress made in achieving the objectives 
and goals of the Statewide plan, including 
relevant data regarding sage-grouse species 
population trends, fuel reductions, predator 
control, invasive species control, the condi-
tion of sage-grouse species habitat, and 
other parameters that address the primary 
threats to sage-grouse in the covered West-
ern State; 
(ii) an estimate of additional time 
needed, if any, for implementation of the 
Statewide plan; and 
(iii) necessary modifications to the 
Statewide plan to enhance the achievement 
of the objectives and goals of the Statewide 
plan; and 
(7) assist the covered Western State in moni-
toring and collecting relevant data on Federal land 
to assess sage-grouse species population trends, fuel 
reductions, predator control, invasive species control, 
the condition of sage-grouse species habitat, and 
other parameters that address the primary threats 
to sage-grouse in the covered Western State. 
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(e) SECRETARIAL ACTIONS.—Notwithstanding any 
other provision of law, not later than 30 days after the 
date of receipt of a Statewide plan under this section, and 
annually thereafter during the period in which the Sec-
retary determines that the applicable covered Western 
State is implementing the Statewide plan, the Secretary 
shall— 
(1) take necessary steps to maintain or restore 
the candidate species status for any sage-grouse spe-
cies in the covered Western State under the Endan-
gered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), 
for a period of not less than 6 years— 
(A) to allow for appropriate monitoring 
and collection of data; and 
(B) to assess the achievement of the objec-
tives of the Statewide plan; 
(2) stay any land use planning activities relat-
ing to Federal management of sage-grouse species 
on public land or National Forest System land with-
in the covered Western State; 
(3) take immediate action to amend all Federal 
land use plans under the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) 
and the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 
Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.) to 
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comply with the Statewide plan with respect to that 
covered Western State; 
(4) manage all public land and National Forest 
System land with habitat for any sage-grouse species 
in the covered Western State in a manner consistent 
with sections 102(a)(12) and 103(c) of the Federal 
Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 
U.S.C. 1701(a)(12), 1702(c)) and section 4 of the 
Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Plan-
ning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1602); 
(5) immediately reverse any withdrawals or 
land use restrictions carried out for purposes of pro-
tecting or conserving sage-grouse on public land or 
National Forest System land that are not consistent 
with a Statewide plan; and 
(6) use State annual reports regarding the im-
plementation of the Statewide plans submitted to the 
Secretary under subsection (d)(5) to prepare the an-
nual Candidate Notice of Review of the Secretary 
pursuant to section 4 of the Endangered Species Act 
of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533). 
(f) EXISTING STATE PLANS.—The Secretary shall— 
(1) give effect to a Statewide conservation and 
management plan for the protection and recovery of 
sage-grouse species within a covered Western State 
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that is submitted by the covered Western State and 
approved or endorsed by the United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service before the date of enactment of this 
Act; and 
(2) for purposes of subsections (d) and (e), 
treat such a plan as a Statewide plan in accordance 
with that subsection. 
(g) ACTIONS PURSUANT TO NEPA.—An action pro-
posed to be carried out pursuant to the National Environ-
mental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) in 
a covered Western State may not be denied or restricted 
solely on the basis of the presence or protection of sage- 
grouse species in the covered Western State, if the action 
is consistent with the Statewide plan of the covered West-
ern State. 
(h) AUTHORITY TO EXTEND PLAN IMPLEMENTA-
TION.—On review of the report of a covered Western State 
under subsection (d)(6)(B), the Secretary may extend the 
provisions of this Act for a period not to exceed an addi-
tional 6 years with the consent of the covered Western 
State. 
SEC. 3. RANGELAND FIRE PREVENTION, MANAGEMENT, 
AND RESTORATION. 
The Secretary of the Interior shall for a period of 
not less than 6 years, beginning on the date of enactment 
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of this Act, fully implement the order of the Secretary 
numbered 3336 and dated January 5, 2015, to prevent 
and suppress rangeland fire and restore sagebrush land-
scapes impacted by fire across the Western United States, 
including controlling the spread of invasive species in land-
scapes impacted by fire. 
Æ 
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