IB 
Union Calendar No. 137 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2647 
[Report No. 114–185, Parts I and II] 
To expedite under the National Environmental Policy Act and improve forest 
management activities in units of the National Forest System derived 
from the public domain, on public lands under the jurisdiction of the 
Bureau of Land Management, and on tribal lands to return resilience 
to overgrown, fire-prone forested lands, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 4, 2015 
Mr. WESTERMAN (for himself, Mrs. KIRKPATRICK, Mr. THOMPSON of Penn-
sylvania, and Mr. ZINKE) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee 
on Natural Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
JUNE 25, 2015 
Additional sponsors: Mr. GOSAR, Mr. LAMALFA, Mr. ABRAHAM, Mr. RIBBLE, 
Mr. TIPTON, Mr. MCCLINTOCK, Mrs. MCMORRIS
RODGERS, Mr. 
BENISHEK, Mr. SIMPSON, and Mr. PALMER 
JUNE 25, 2015 
Reported from the Committee on Agriculture with amendments 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
JUNE 25, 2015 
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with amendments 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in boldface roman] 
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on June 4, 2015] 
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A BILL 
To expedite under the National Environmental Policy Act 
and improve forest management activities in units of 
the National Forest System derived from the public do-
main, on public lands under the jurisdiction of the Bu-
reau of Land Management, and on tribal lands to return 
resilience to overgrown, fire-prone forested lands, and 
for other purposes. 
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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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Re-
silient Federal Forests Act of 2015’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
TITLE 
I—EXPEDITED 
ENVIRONMENTAL 
ANALYSIS 
AND 
AVAIL-
ABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSIONS TO EXPEDITE FOREST 
MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 101. Analysis of only two alternatives (action versus no action) in proposed 
collaborative forest management activities. 
Sec. 102. Categorical exclusion to expedite certain critical response actions. 
Sec. 103. Categorical exclusion to expedite salvage operations in response to cata-
strophic events. 
Sec. 104. Categorical exclusion to meet forest plan goals for early successional for-
ests. 
Sec. 105. Clarification of existing categorical exclusion authority related to insect 
and disease infestation. 
Sec. 106. Categorical exclusion to improve, restore, and reduce the risk of wildfire. 
Sec. 107. Compliance with forest plan. 
TITLE II—SALVAGE AND REFORESTATION IN RESPONSE TO 
CATASTROPHIC EVENTS 
Sec. 201. Expedited salvage operations and reforestation activities following 
large-scale catastrophic events. 
Sec. 202. Compliance with forest plan. 
Sec. 203. Prohibition on restraining orders, preliminary injunctions, and injunc-
tions pending appeal. 
Sec. 204. Exclusion of certain lands. 
TITLE III—COLLABORATIVE PROJECT LITIGATION REQUIREMENT 
Sec. 301. Definitions. 
Sec. 302. Bond requirement as part of legal challenge of certain forest manage-
ment activities. 
TITLE IV—SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY SELF- 
DETERMINATION ACT AMENDMENTS 
Sec. 401. Use of reserved funds for title II projects on Federal land and certain 
non-Federal land. 
Sec. 402. Resource advisory committees. 
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Sec. 403. Program for title II self-sustaining resource advisory committee 
projects. 
Sec. 404. Additional authorized use of reserved funds for title III county projects. 
TITLE V—STEWARDSHIP END RESULT CONTRACTING 
Sec. 501. Cancellation ceilings for stewardship end result contracting projects. 
Sec. 502. Excess offset value. 
Sec. 503. Payment of portion of stewardship project revenues to county in which 
stewardship project occurs. 
Sec. 504. Submission of existing annual report. 
TITLE VI—ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES FOR FOREST 
MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 601. Definitions. 
Sec. 602. Availability of stewardship project revenues and Collaborative Forest 
Landscape Restoration Fund to cover forest management activ-
ity planning costs. 
Sec. 603. State-supported planning of forest management activities. 
TITLE VII—TRIBAL FORESTRY PARTICIPATION AND PROTECTION 
Sec. 701. Protection of tribal forest assets through use of stewardship end result 
contracting and other authorities. 
Sec. 702. Management of Indian forest land authorized to include related Na-
tional Forest System lands and public lands. 
TITLE VIII—MISCELLANEOUS FOREST MANAGEMENT PROVISIONS 
Sec. 801. Balancing short- and long-term effects of forest management activities 
in considering injunctive relief. 
Sec. 802. Conditions on Forest Service road decommissioning. 
Sec. 803. Prohibition on application of Eastside Screens requirements on Na-
tional Forest System lands. 
Sec. 804. Use of site-specific forest plan amendments for certain projects and ac-
tivities. 
Sec. 805. Knutson-Vandenberg Act modifications. 
Sec. 806. Exclusion of certain National Forest System lands and public lands. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CATASTROPHIC
EVENT.—The term ‘‘cata-
strophic event’’ means any natural disaster (such as 
hurricane, tornado, windstorm, snow or ice storm, 
rain storm, high water, wind-driven water, tidal 
wave, 
earthquake, 
volcanic 
eruption, 
landslide, 
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mudslide, drought, or insect or disease outbreak) or 
any fire, flood, or explosion, regardless of cause. 
(2) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—The term ‘‘cat-
egorical exclusion’’ refers to an exception to the re-
quirements of the National Environmental Policy Act 
of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4331 et seq.) for a project or activ-
ity relating to the management of National Forest 
System lands or public lands. 
(3) COLLABORATIVE PROCESS.—The term ‘‘col-
laborative process’’ refers to a process relating to the 
management of National Forest System lands or pub-
lic lands by which a project or activity is developed 
and implemented by the Secretary concerned through 
collaboration with interested persons, as described in 
section 603(b)(1)(C) of the Healthy Forests Restora-
tion Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591b(b)(1)(C)). 
(4) COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN.— 
The term ‘‘community wildfire protection plan’’ has 
the meaning given that term in section 101(3) of the 
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 
6511(3)). 
(5) COOS BAY WAGON ROAD GRANT LANDS.—The 
term ‘‘Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands’’ means 
the lands reconveyed to the United States pursuant to 
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the first section of the Act of February 26, 1919 (40 
Stat. 1179). 
(6) FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY.—The term 
‘‘forest management activity’’ means a project or ac-
tivity carried out by the Secretary concerned on Na-
tional Forest System lands or public lands in concert 
with the forest plan covering the lands. 
(7) FOREST
PLAN.—The term ‘‘forest plan’’ 
means— 
(A) a land use plan prepared by the Bureau 
of Land Management for public lands pursuant 
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 Resources 
Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604). 
(8) LARGE-SCALE
CATASTROPHIC
EVENT.—The 
term ‘‘large-scale catastrophic event’’ means a cata-
strophic event that adversely impacts at least 5,000 
acres of reasonably contiguous National Forest Sys-
tem lands or public lands. 
(9) NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM.—The term ‘‘Na-
tional Forest System’’ has the meaning given that 
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term in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland 
Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 
U.S.C. 1609(a)). 
(10) OREGON AND CALIFORNIA RAILROAD GRANT 
LANDS.—The term ‘‘Oregon and California Railroad 
Grant lands’’ means the following lands: 
(A) All lands in the State of Oregon re-
vested in the United States under the Act of 
June 9, 1916 (39 Stat. 218), that are adminis-
tered by the Secretary of the Interior, acting 
through the Bureau of Land Management, pur-
suant to the first section of the Act of August 28, 
1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181a). 
(B) All lands in that State obtained by the 
Secretary of the Interior pursuant to the land ex-
changes authorized and directed by section 2 of 
the Act of June 24, 1954 (43 U.S.C. 1181h). 
(C) All lands in that State acquired by the 
United States at any time and made subject to 
the provisions of title II of the Act of August 28, 
1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181f). 
(11) PUBLIC LANDS.—The term ‘‘public lands’’ 
has the meaning given that term in section 103(e) of 
the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702(e)), except that the term in-
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cludes Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands and Or-
egon and California Railroad Grant lands. 
(12) REFORESTATION ACTIVITY.—The term ‘‘re-
forestation activity’’ means a project or activity car-
ried out by the Secretary concerned whose primary 
purpose is the reforestation of fire-impacted lands fol-
lowing a large-scale wildfire. The term includes 
planting, evaluating and enhancing natural regenera-
tion, clearing competing vegetation, and other activi-
ties related to reestablishment of forest species on the 
fire-impacted lands. 
(13) RESOURCE
ADVISORY
COMMITTEE.—The 
term ‘‘resource advisory committee’’ has the meaning 
given that term in section 201(3) of the Secure Rural 
Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 
2000 (16 U.S.C. 7121(3)). 
(14) SALVAGE OPERATION.—The term ‘‘salvage 
operation’’ means a forest management activity un-
dertaken in response to a catastrophic event whose 
primary purpose— 
(A) is to prevent wildfire as a result of the 
catastrophic event, or, if the catastrophic event 
was wildfire, to prevent a re-burn of the fire-im-
pacted area; 
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(B) is to provide an opportunity for utiliza-
tion of forest materials damaged as a result of 
the catastrophic event; or 
(C) is to provide a funding source for refor-
estation and other restoration activities for the 
National Forest System lands or public lands 
impacted by the catastrophic event. 
(15) 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. 
TITLE I—EXPEDITED ENVIRON-
MENTAL 
ANALYSIS 
AND 
AVAILABILITY OF CATEGOR-
ICAL EXCLUSIONS TO EXPE-
DITE FOREST MANAGEMENT 
ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 101. 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 STATEMENTS.— 
This section shall apply whenever the Secretary concerned 
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prepares an environmental assessment or an environmental 
impact statement pursuant to section 102(2) of the National 
Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)) for 
a forest management activity that— 
(1) is developed through a collaborative process; 
(2) is proposed by a resource advisory com-
mittee; or 
(3) is covered by a community wildfire protec-
tion 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, as proposed 
pursuant to paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of subsection 
(a). 
(2) The alternative of no action. 
(c) ELEMENTS OF NON-ACTION ALTERNATIVE.—In the 
case of the alternative of no action, the Secretary concerned 
shall evaluate— 
(1) the effect of no action on— 
(A) forest health; 
(B) habitat diversity; 
(C) wildfire potential; and 
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(D) insect and disease potential; and 
(2) the implications of a resulting decline in for-
est health, loss of habitat diversity, wildfire, or insect 
or disease infestation, given fire and insect and dis-
ease historic cycles, on— 
(A) domestic water costs; 
(B) wildlife habitat loss; and 
(C) other economic and social factors. 
SEC. 102. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO EXPEDITE CERTAIN 
CRITICAL RESPONSE ACTIONS. 
(a) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—A 
categorical exclusion is available to the Secretary concerned 
to develop and carry out a forest management activity on 
National Forest System lands or public lands when the pri-
mary purpose of the forest management activity is— 
(1) to address an insect or disease infestation; 
(2) to reduce hazardous fuel loads; 
(3) to protect a municipal water source; 
(4) to maintain, enhance, or modify critical 
habitat to protect it from catastrophic disturbances; 
(5) to increase water yield; or 
(6) any combination of the purposes specified in 
paragraphs (1) through (5). 
(b) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—Except in the case of a forest 
management activity described in paragraph (2), a 
forest management activity covered by the categorical 
exclusion granted by subsection (a) may not contain 
harvest units exceeding a total of 5,000 acres. 
(2) LARGER
AREAS
AUTHORIZED.—A forest 
management activity covered by the categorical exclu-
sion granted by subsection (a) may not contain har-
vest units exceeding a total of 15,000 acres if the for-
est management activity— 
(A) is developed through a collaborative 
process; 
(B) is proposed by a resource advisory com-
mittee; or 
(C) is covered by a community wildfire pro-
tection plan. 
SEC. 103. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO EXPEDITE SALVAGE 
OPERATIONS 
IN 
RESPONSE 
TO 
CATA-
STROPHIC EVENTS. 
(a) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—A 
categorical exclusion is available to the Secretary concerned 
to develop and carry out a salvage operation as part of the 
restoration of National Forest System lands or public lands 
following a catastrophic event. 
(b) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—A salvage operation covered 
by the categorical exclusion granted by subsection (a) 
may not contain harvest units exceeding a total of 
5,000 acres. 
(2) HARVEST AREA.—In addition to the limita-
tion imposed by paragraph (1), the harvest units cov-
ered by the categorical exclusion granted by subsection 
(a) may not exceed one-third of the area impacted by 
the catastrophic event. 
(c) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) ROAD BUILDING.—A salvage operation cov-
ered by the categorical exclusion granted by subsection 
(a) may not include any new permanent roads. Tem-
porary roads constructed as part of the salvage oper-
ation shall be retired before the end of the second fis-
cal year beginning after the completion of the salvage 
operation. 
(2) STREAM BUFFERS.—A salvage operation cov-
ered by the categorical exclusion granted by subsection 
(a) shall comply with the standards and guidelines 
for stream buffers contained in the applicable forest 
plan unless waived by the Regional Forester, in the 
case of National Forest System lands, or the State Di-
rector of the Bureau of Land Management, in the case 
of public lands. 
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(3) REFORESTATION PLAN.—A reforestation plan 
shall be developed under section 3 of the Act of June 
9, 1930 (commonly known as the Knutson-Vanden-
berg Act; 16 U.S.C. 576b), as part of a salvage oper-
ation covered by the categorical exclusion granted by 
subsection (a). 
SEC. 104. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO MEET FOREST 
PLAN GOALS FOR EARLY SUCCESSIONAL FOR-
ESTS. 
(a) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—A 
categorical exclusion is available to the Secretary concerned 
to develop and carry out a forest management activity on 
National Forest System lands or public lands when the pri-
mary purpose of the forest management activity is to mod-
ify, improve, enhance, or create early successional forests 
for wildlife habitat improvement and other purposes, con-
sistent with the applicable forest plan. 
(b) PROJECT GOALS.—To the maximum extent prac-
ticable, the Secretary concerned shall design a forest man-
agement activity under this section to meet early succes-
sional forest goals in such a manner so as to maximize pro-
duction and regeneration of priority species, as identified 
in the forest plan and consistent with the capability of the 
activity site. 
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(c) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.—A forest management ac-
tivity covered by the categorical exclusion granted by sub-
section (a) may not contain harvest units exceeding a total 
of 5,000 acres. 
SEC. 105. 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 inserting 
‘‘Fire Regime I, Fire Regime II, Fire Regime III, or Fire 
Regime IV’’. 
SEC. 106. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO IMPROVE, RE-
STORE, AND REDUCE THE RISK OF WILDFIRE. 
(a) AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION.—A 
categorical exclusion is available to the Secretary concerned 
to carry out a forest management activity described in sub-
section (c) on National Forest System Lands or public 
lands when the primary purpose of the activity is to im-
prove, restore, or reduce the risk of wildfire on those lands. 
(b) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.—A forest management ac-
tivity covered by the categorical exclusion granted by sub-
section (a) may not exceed 5,000 acres. 
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(c) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—The following activi-
ties may be carried out using a categorical exclusion grant-
ed by subsection (a): 
(1) Removal of juniper trees, medusahead rye, 
conifer trees, pin˜on pine trees, cheatgrass, and other 
noxious or invasive weeds specified on Federal or 
State noxious weeds lists through late-season livestock 
grazing, targeted livestock grazing, prescribed burns, 
and mechanical treatments. 
(2) Performance of hazardous fuels management. 
(3) Creation of fuel and fire breaks. 
(4) Modification of existing fences in order to 
distribute livestock and help improve wildlife habitat. 
(5) Installation of erosion control devices. 
(6) Construction of new and maintenance of per-
manent infrastructure, including stock ponds, water 
catchments, and water spring boxes used to benefit 
livestock and improve wildlife habitat. 
(7) Performance of soil treatments, native and 
non-native seeding, and planting of and trans-
planting sagebrush, grass, forb, shrub, and other spe-
cies. 
(8) Use of herbicides, so long as the Secretary 
concerned determines that the activity is otherwise 
conducted consistently with agency procedures, in-
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cluding any forest plan applicable to the area covered 
by the activity. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) HAZARDOUS
FUELS
MANAGEMENT.—The 
term ‘‘hazardous fuels management’’ means any vege-
tation management activities that reduce the risk of 
wildfire. 
(2) LATE-SEASON GRAZING.—The term ‘‘late-sea-
son grazing’’ means grazing activities that occur after 
both the invasive species and native perennial species 
have completed their current-year annual growth 
cycle until new plant growth begins to appear in the 
following year. 
(3) TARGETED LIVESTOCK GRAZING.—The term 
‘‘targeted livestock grazing’’ means grazing used to for 
purposes of hazardous fuel reduction. 
SEC. 107. COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST PLAN. 
A forest management activity covered by a categorical 
exclusion granted by this title shall be conducted in a man-
ner consistent with the forest plan applicable to the Na-
tional Forest System land or public lands covered by the 
forest management activity. 
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TITLE II—SALVAGE AND REFOR-
ESTATION IN RESPONSE TO 
CATASTROPHIC EVENTS 
SEC. 201. EXPEDITED SALVAGE OPERATIONS AND REFOR-
ESTATION ACTIVITIES FOLLOWING LARGE- 
SCALE CATASTROPHIC EVENTS. 
(a) EXPEDITED ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT.—Not-
withstanding any other provision of law, any environ-
mental assessment prepared by the Secretary concerned 
pursuant to section 102(2) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)) for a salvage oper-
ation or reforestation activity proposed to be conducted on 
National Forest System lands or public lands adversely im-
pacted by a large-scale catastrophic event shall be completed 
within three months after the conclusion of the catastrophic 
event. 
(b) EXPEDITED
IMPLEMENTATION
AND
COMPLE-
TION.—In the case of reforestation activities conducted on 
National Forest System lands or public lands adversely im-
pacted by a large-scale catastrophic event, the Secretary 
concerned shall achieve reforestation of at least 75 percent 
of the impacted lands during the five-year period following 
the conclusion of the catastrophic event. 
(c) 
AVAILABILITY
OF
KNUTSON-VANDENBERG 
FUNDS.—Amounts in the special fund established pursuant 
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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 reforestation 
activities authorized by this title. 
SEC. 202. COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST PLAN. 
A salvage operation or reforestation activity author-
ized by this title 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. 
SEC. 203. PROHIBITION ON RESTRAINING ORDERS, PRE-
LIMINARY 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 re-
sponse to a large-scale catastrophic event. Section 705 of 
title 5, United States Code, shall not apply to any challenge 
to the salvage operation or reforestation activity. 
SEC. 204. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN LANDS. 
In applying this title, the Secretary concerned may not 
carry out salvage operations or reforestation activities on 
National Forest System lands or public lands— 
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(1) that are included in the National Wilderness 
Preservation System; 
(2) that are located within an inventoried 
roadless area unless the reforestation activity is con-
sistent with the forest plan; or 
(3) on which timber harvesting for any purpose 
is prohibited by statute. 
TITLE 
III—COLLABORATIVE 
PROJECT 
LITIGATION 
RE-
QUIREMENT 
SEC. 301. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) COSTS.—The term ‘‘costs’’ refers to the fees 
and costs described in section 1920 of title 28, United 
States Code. 
(2) EXPENSES.—The term ‘‘expenses’’ includes 
the expenditures incurred by the staff of the Secretary 
concerned in preparing for and responding to a legal 
challenge to a collaborative forest management activ-
ity and in participating in litigation that challenges 
the forest management activity, including such staff 
time as may be used to prepare the administrative 
record, exhibits, declarations, and affidavits in con-
nection with the litigation. 
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SEC. 302. BOND REQUIREMENT AS PART OF LEGAL CHAL-
LENGE OF CERTAIN FOREST MANAGEMENT 
ACTIVITIES. 
(a) BOND REQUIRED.—In the case of a forest manage-
ment activity developed through a collaborative process or 
proposed by a resource advisory committee, any plaintiff 
or plaintiffs challenging the forest management activity 
shall be required to post a bond or other security equal to 
the anticipated costs, expenses, and attorneys fees of the Sec-
retary concerned as defendant, as reasonably estimated by 
the Secretary concerned. All proceedings in the action shall 
be stayed until the required bond or security is provided. 
(b) RECOVERY OF LITIGATION COSTS, EXPENSES, AND 
ATTORNEYS FEES.— 
(1) MOTION
FOR
PAYMENT.—If the Secretary 
concerned prevails in an action challenging a forest 
management activity described in subsection (a), the 
Secretary concerned shall submit to the court a mo-
tion for payment, from the bond or other security 
posted under subsection (a) in such action, of the rea-
sonable costs, expenses, and attorneys fees incurred by 
the Secretary concerned. 
(2) 
MAXIMUM
AMOUNT
RECOVERED.—The 
amount of costs, expenses, and attorneys fees recovered 
by the Secretary concerned under paragraph (1) as a 
result of prevailing in an action challenging the forest 
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management activity may not exceed the amount of 
the bond or other security posted under subsection (a) 
in such action. 
(3) RETURN
OF
REMAINDER.—Any funds re-
maining from the bond or other security posted under 
subsection (a) after the payment of costs, expenses, 
and attorneys fees under paragraph (1) shall be re-
turned to the plaintiff or plaintiffs that posted the 
bond or security in the action. 
(c) RETURN OF BOND TO PREVAILING PLAINTIFF.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—If the plaintiff ultimately pre-
vails on the merits in every action brought by the 
plaintiff challenging a forest management activity de-
scribed in subsection (a), the court shall return to the 
plaintiff any bond or security provided by the plain-
tiff under subsection (a), plus interest from the date 
the bond or security was provided. 
(2) ULTIMATELY PREVAILS ON THE MERITS.—In 
this subsection, the phrase ‘‘ultimately prevails on the 
merits’’ means, in a final enforceable judgment on the 
merits, a court rules in favor of the plaintiff on every 
cause of action in every action brought by the plain-
tiff challenging the forest management activity. 
(d) EFFECT OF SETTLEMENT.—If a challenge to a for-
est management activity described in subsection (a) for 
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which a bond or other security was provided by the plaintiff 
under such subsection is resolved by settlement between the 
Secretary concerned and the plaintiff, the settlement agree-
ment shall provide for sharing the costs, expenses, and at-
torneys fees incurred by the parties. 
(e) LIMITATION
ON CERTAIN PAYMENTS.—Notwith-
standing 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 United States 
Treasury to pay any fees or other expenses under such sec-
tions to any plaintiff related to an action challenging a 
forest management activity described in subsection (a). 
TITLE 
IV—SECURE 
RURAL 
SCHOOLS 
AND 
COMMUNITY 
SELF-DETERMINATION 
ACT 
AMENDMENTS 
SEC. 
401. 
USE 
OF 
RESERVED 
FUNDS 
FOR 
TITLE 
II 
PROJECTS ON FEDERAL LAND AND CERTAIN 
NON-FEDERAL LAND. 
(a) REPEAL
OF
MERCHANTABLE
TIMBER
CON-
TRACTING PILOT PROGRAM.—Section 204(e) of the Secure 
Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 
2000 (16 U.S.C. 7124(e)) is amended by striking paragraph 
(3). 
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(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR PROJECT FUNDS.—Section 
204 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-De-
termination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7124) is amended by 
striking subsection (f) and inserting the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(f) REQUIREMENTS FOR PROJECT FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), the 
Secretary concerned shall ensure that at least 50 per-
cent of the project funds reserved by a participating 
county under section 102(d) shall be available only 
for projects that— 
‘‘(A) include the sale of timber or other for-
est products; and 
‘‘(B) implement stewardship objectives that 
enhance forest ecosystems or restore and improve 
land health and water quality. 
‘‘(2) APPLICABILITY.—The requirement in para-
graph (1) shall apply only to project funds reserved 
by a participating county whose boundaries include 
Federal land that the Secretary concerned determines 
has been subject to a timber or other forest products 
program within 5 fiscal years before the fiscal year 
in which the funds are reserved.’’. 
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SEC. 402. RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEES. 
(a) RECOGNITION OF RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMIT-
TEES.—Section 205(a)(4) of the Secure Rural Schools and 
Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 
7125(a)(4)) is amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ each place it 
appears and inserting ‘‘2020’’. 
(b) TEMPORARY REDUCTION IN COMPOSITION OF COM-
MITTEES.—Section 205(d) of the Secure Rural Schools and 
Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 
7125(d)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Each’’ and 
inserting ‘‘Except during the period specified in 
paragraph (6), each’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new para-
graph: 
‘‘(6) TEMPORARY REDUCTION IN MINIMUM NUM-
BER OF MEMBERS.— 
‘‘(A) TEMPORARY
6-MEMBER
MINIMUM.— 
During the period beginning on the date of the 
enactment of this paragraph and ending on Sep-
tember 30, 2020, a resource advisory committee 
established under this section may be comprised 
of 6 or more members, of which— 
‘‘(i) at least 2 shall be representative of 
interests described in subparagraph (A) of 
paragraph (2); 
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‘‘(ii) at least 2 shall be representative 
of interests described in subparagraph (B) 
of paragraph (2); and 
‘‘(iii) at least 2 shall be representative 
of interests described in subparagraph (C) 
of paragraph (2). 
‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—In ap-
pointing members of a resource advisory com-
mittee from the 3 categories described in para-
graph (2), as provided in subparagraph (A), the 
Secretary concerned shall ensure balanced and 
broad representation in each category. In the 
case of a vacancy on a resource advisory com-
mittee, the vacancy shall be filled within 90 days 
after the date on which the vacancy occurred. 
Appointments to a new resource advisory com-
mittee shall be made within 90 days after the 
date on which the decision to form the new re-
source advisory committee was made. 
‘‘(C) CHARTER.—A charter for a resource 
advisory committee with 15 members that was 
filed on or before the date of the enactment of 
this paragraph shall be considered to be filed for 
a resource advisory committee described in this 
paragraph. The charter of a resource advisory 
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committee shall be reapproved before the expira-
tion of the existing charter of the resource advi-
sory committee. In the case of a new resource ad-
visory committee, the charter of the resource ad-
visory committee shall be approved within 90 
days after the date on which the decision to form 
the new resource advisory committee was made.’’. 
(c) CONFORMING CHANGE TO PROJECT APPROVAL RE-
QUIREMENTS.—Section 205(e)(3) of the Secure Rural 
Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 
(16 U.S.C. 7125(e)(3)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new sentence: ‘‘In the case of a resource advi-
sory committee consisting of fewer than 15 members, as au-
thorized by subsection (d)(6), a project may be proposed to 
the Secretary concerned upon approval by a majority of 
the members of the committee.’’. 
(d) EXPANDING LOCAL PARTICIPATION ON COMMIT-
TEES.—Section 205(d) of the Secure Rural Schools and 
Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 
7125(d)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by inserting before the pe-
riod at the end the following: ‘‘, consistent with the 
requirements of paragraph (4)’’; and 
(2) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the 
following new paragraph: 
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‘‘(4) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—The members 
of a resource advisory committee shall reside within 
the county or counties in which the committee has ju-
risdiction or an adjacent county.’’. 
SEC. 403. PROGRAM FOR TITLE II SELF-SUSTAINING RE-
SOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE PROJECTS. 
(a) SELF-SUSTAINING RESOURCE ADVISORY COM-
MITTEE PROJECTS.—Title II of the Secure Rural Schools 
and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 
7121 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 209. PROGRAM FOR SELF-SUSTAINING RESOURCE AD-
VISORY COMMITTEE PROJECTS. 
‘‘(a) RAC PROGRAM.—The Chief of the Forest Service 
shall conduct a program (to be known as the ‘self-sustaining 
resource advisory committee program’ or ‘RAC program’) 
under which 10 resource advisory committees will propose 
projects authorized by subsection (c) to be carried out using 
project funds reserved by a participating county under sec-
tion 102(d). 
‘‘(b) SELECTION OF PARTICIPATING RESOURCE ADVI-
SORY COMMITTEES.—The selection of resource advisory 
committees to participate in the RAC program is in the 
sole discretion of the Chief of the Forest Service, except that, 
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consistent with section 205(d)(6), a selected resource advi-
sory committee must have a minimum of 6 members. 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZED PROJECTS.—Notwithstanding the 
project purposes specified in sections 202(b), 203(c), and 
204(a)(5), projects under the RAC program are intended 
to— 
‘‘(1) accomplish forest management objectives or 
support community development; and 
‘‘(2) generate receipts. 
‘‘(d) DEPOSIT AND AVAILABILITY OF REVENUES.— 
Any revenue generated by a project conducted under the 
RAC program, including any interest accrued from the rev-
enues, shall be— 
‘‘(1) deposited in the special account in the 
Treasury established under section 102(d)(2)(A); and 
‘‘(2) available, in such amounts as may be pro-
vided in advance in appropriation Acts, for addi-
tional projects under the RAC program. 
‘‘(e) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The authority to initiate a 
project under the RAC program shall terminate on 
September 30, 2020. 
‘‘(2) DEPOSITS IN TREASURY.—Any funds avail-
able for projects under the RAC program and not ob-
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ligated by September 30, 2021, shall be deposited in 
the Treasury of the United States.’’. 
(b) EXCEPTION
TO
GENERAL
RULE
REGARDING 
TREATMENT OF RECEIPTS.—Section 403(b) of the Secure 
Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 
2000 (16 U.S.C. 7153(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘All reve-
nues’’ and inserting ‘‘Except as provided in section 209, 
all revenues’’. 
SEC. 404. ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZED USE OF RESERVED 
FUNDS FOR TITLE III COUNTY PROJECTS. 
Section 302(a) of the Secure Rural Schools and Com-
munity Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7142(a)) 
is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘and law enforcement pa-
trols’’ after ‘‘including firefighting’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as para-
graph (4); and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (2) the fol-
lowing new paragraph (3): 
‘‘(3) to cover training costs and equipment pur-
chases directly related to the emergency services de-
scribed in paragraph (2); and’’. 
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TITLE V—STEWARDSHIP END 
RESULT CONTRACTING 
SEC. 501. CANCELLATION CEILINGS FOR STEWARDSHIP 
END RESULT CONTRACTING PROJECTS. 
(a) CANCELLATION CEILINGS.—Section 604 of the 
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c) 
is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (h) and (i) as 
subsections (i) and (j), respectively; and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (g) the following 
new subsection (h): 
‘‘(h) CANCELLATION CEILINGS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Chief and the Director 
may obligate funds to cover any potential cancella-
tion or termination costs for an agreement or contract 
under subsection (b) in stages that are economically 
or programmatically viable. 
‘‘(2) ADVANCE NOTICE TO CONGRESS OF CAN-
CELLATION CEILING IN EXCESS OF $25,000,000.—Not 
later than 30 days before entering into a multiyear 
agreement or contract under subsection (b) that in-
cludes a cancellation ceiling in excess of $25,000,000, 
but does not include proposed funding for the costs of 
cancelling the agreement or contract up to such can-
cellation ceiling, the Chief or the Director, as the case 
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may be, shall submit to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources and the Committee on Agriculture, 
Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate and the Com-
mittee on Natural Resources and the Committee on 
Agriculture of the House of Representatives a written 
notice that includes— 
‘‘(A) the cancellation ceiling amounts pro-
posed for each program year in the agreement or 
contract; 
‘‘(B) the reasons why such cancellation ceil-
ing amounts were selected; 
‘‘(C) the extent to which the costs of contract 
cancellation are not included in the budget for 
the agreement or contract; and 
‘‘(D) an assessment of the financial risk of 
not including budgeting for the costs of agree-
ment or contract cancellation. 
‘‘(3) TRANSMITTAL
OF
NOTICE
TO
OMB.—Not 
later than 14 days after the date on which written no-
tice is provided under paragraph (2) with respect to 
an agreement or contract under subsection (b), the 
Chief or the Director, as the case may be, shall trans-
mit a copy of the notice to the Director of the Office 
of Management and Budget.’’. 
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(b) RELATION TO OTHER LAWS.—Section 604(d)(5) of 
the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 
6591c(d)(5)) is amended by striking ‘‘, the Chief may’’ and 
inserting ‘‘and section 2(a)(1) of the Act of July 31, 1947 
(commonly known as the Materials Act of 1947; 30 U.S.C. 
602(a)(1)), the Chief and the Director may’’. 
SEC. 502. EXCESS OFFSET VALUE. 
Section 604(g)(2) of the Healthy Forests Restoration 
Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(g)(2)) is amended by striking 
subparagraphs (A) and (B) and inserting the following new 
subparagraphs: 
‘‘(A) use the excess to satisfy any out-
standing liabilities for cancelled agreements or 
contracts; or 
‘‘(B) if there are no outstanding liabilities 
under subparagraph (A), apply the excess to 
other authorized stewardship projects.’’. 
SEC. 
503. 
PAYMENT 
OF 
PORTION 
OF 
STEWARDSHIP 
PROJECT REVENUES TO COUNTY IN WHICH 
STEWARDSHIP PROJECT OCCURS. 
Section 604(e) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 
of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(e)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting ‘‘subject to 
paragraph (3)(A),’’ before ‘‘shall’’; and 
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(2) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ‘‘services re-
ceived by the Chief or the Director’’ and all that fol-
lows through the period at the end and inserting the 
following: ‘‘services and in-kind resources received by 
the Chief or the Director under a stewardship con-
tract project conducted under this section shall not be 
considered monies received from the National Forest 
System or the public lands, but any payments made 
by the contractor to the Chief or Director under the 
project shall be considered monies received from the 
National Forest System or the public lands.’’. 
SEC. 504. SUBMISSION OF EXISTING ANNUAL REPORT. 
Subsection (j) of section 604 of the Healthy Forests 
Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c), as redesignated 
by section 501(a)(1), is amended by striking ‘‘report to the 
Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the 
Senate and the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
Representatives’’ and inserting ‘‘submit to the congressional 
committees specified in subsection (h)(2) a report’’. 
TITLE VI—ADDITIONAL FUNDING 
SOURCES FOR FOREST MAN-
AGEMENT ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 601. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
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(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means— 
(A) a State or political subdivision of a 
State containing National Forest System lands 
or public lands; 
(B) a publicly chartered utility serving one 
or more States or a political subdivision thereof; 
(C) a rural electric company; and 
(D) any other entity determined by the Sec-
retary concerned to be appropriate for participa-
tion in the Fund. 
(2) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the State- 
Supported Forest Management Fund established by 
section 603. 
SEC. 602. AVAILABILITY OF STEWARDSHIP PROJECT REVE-
NUES AND COLLABORATIVE FOREST LAND-
SCAPE RESTORATION FUND TO COVER FOR-
EST 
MANAGEMENT 
ACTIVITY 
PLANNING 
COSTS. 
(a) AVAILABILITY OF STEWARDSHIP PROJECT REVE-
NUES.—Section 604(e)(2)(B) of the Healthy Forests Res-
toration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(e)(2)(B)), as amend-
ed by section 503, is further amended by striking ‘‘appro-
priation at the project site from which the monies are col-
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lected or at another project site.’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing: ‘‘appropriation— 
‘‘(i) at the project site from which the 
monies are collected or at another project 
site; and 
‘‘(ii) to cover not more than 25 percent 
of the cost of planning additional steward-
ship contracting projects.’’. 
(b) AVAILABILITY OF COLLABORATIVE FOREST LAND-
SCAPE RESTORATION FUND.—Section 4003(f)(1) of the Om-
nibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 
7303(f)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘carrying out and’’ and 
inserting ‘‘planning, carrying out, and’’. 
SEC. 603. STATE-SUPPORTED PLANNING OF FOREST MAN-
AGEMENT ACTIVITIES. 
(a) 
STATE-SUPPORTED
FOREST
MANAGEMENT 
FUND.—There is established in the Treasury of the United 
States a fund, to be known as the ‘‘State-Supported Forest 
Management Fund’’, to cover the cost of planning (espe-
cially related to compliance with section 102(2) of the Na-
tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4332(2))), carrying out, and monitoring certain forest 
management activities on National Forest System lands or 
public lands. 
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(b) CONTENTS.—The State-Supported Forest Manage-
ment Fund shall consist of such amounts as may be— 
(1) contributed by an eligible entity for deposit 
in the Fund; 
(2) appropriated to the Fund; or 
(3) generated by forest management activities 
carried out using amounts in the Fund. 
(c) GEOGRAPHICAL AND USE LIMITATIONS.—In mak-
ing a contribution under subsection (b)(1), an eligible enti-
ty may— 
(1) specify the National Forest System lands or 
public lands for which the contribution may be ex-
pended; and 
(2) limit the types of forest management activi-
ties for which the contribution may be expended. 
(d) AUTHORIZED
FOREST
MANAGEMENT
ACTIVI-
TIES.—In such amounts as may be provided in advance 
in appropriation Acts, the Secretary concerned may use the 
Fund to plan, carry out, and monitor a forest management 
activity that— 
(1) is developed through a collaborative process; 
(2) is proposed by a resource advisory com-
mittee; or 
(3) is covered by a community wildfire protec-
tion plan. 
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(e) IMPLEMENTATION METHODS.—A forest manage-
ment activity carried out using amounts in the Fund may 
be carried out using a contract or agreement under section 
604 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 
U.S.C. 6591c), the good neighbor authority provided by sec-
tion 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 
2113a), a contract under section 14 of the National Forest 
Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a), or other author-
ity available to the Secretary concerned, but revenues gen-
erated by the forest management activity shall be used to 
reimburse the Fund for planning costs covered using 
amounts in the Fund. 
(f) RELATION TO OTHER LAWS.— 
(1) REVENUE SHARING.—Subject to subsection 
(e), revenues generated by a forest management activ-
ity carried out using amounts from the Fund shall be 
considered monies received from the National Forest 
System. 
(2) KNUTSON-VANDERBERG
ACT.—The Act of 
June 9, 1930 (commonly known as the Knutson- 
Vanderberg Act; 16 U.S.C. 576 et seq.), shall apply to 
any forest management activity carried out using 
amounts in the Fund. 
(g) TERMINATION OF FUND.— 
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(1) TERMINATION.—The Fund shall terminate 
10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(2) EFFECT OF TERMINATION.—Upon the termi-
nation of the Fund pursuant to paragraph (1) or 
pursuant to any other provision of law, unobligated 
contributions remaining in the Fund shall be re-
turned to the eligible entity that made the contribu-
tion. 
TITLE 
VII—TRIBAL 
FORESTRY 
PARTICIPATION AND PROTEC-
TION 
SEC. 
701. 
PROTECTION 
OF 
TRIBAL 
FOREST 
ASSETS 
THROUGH USE OF STEWARDSHIP END RE-
SULT CONTRACTING AND OTHER AUTHORI-
TIES. 
(a) 
PROMPT
CONSIDERATION
OF
TRIBAL
RE-
QUESTS.—Section 2(b) of the Tribal Forest Protection Act 
of 2004 (25 U.S.C. 3115a(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Not later than 
120 days after the date on which an Indian tribe sub-
mits to the Secretary’’ and inserting ‘‘In response to 
the submission by an Indian tribe of’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new para-
graph: 
‘‘(4) TIME PERIODS FOR CONSIDERATION.— 
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‘‘(A) INITIAL
RESPONSE.—Not later than 
120 days after the date on which the Secretary 
receives a tribal request under paragraph (1), the 
Secretary shall provide an initial response to the 
Indian tribe regarding— 
‘‘(i) whether the request may meet the 
selection criteria described in subsection (c); 
and 
‘‘(ii) the likelihood of the Secretary en-
tering into an agreement or contract with 
the Indian tribe under paragraph (2) for 
activities described in paragraph (3). 
‘‘(B) NOTICE
OF
DENIAL.—Notice under 
subsection (d) of the denial of a tribal request 
under paragraph (1) shall be provided not later 
than one year after the date on which the Sec-
retary received the request. 
‘‘(C) COMPLETION.—Not later than two 
years after the date on which the Secretary re-
ceives a tribal request under paragraph (1), 
other than a tribal request denied under sub-
section (d), the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(i) complete all environmental reviews 
necessary in connection with the agreement 
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or contract and proposed activities under 
the agreement or contract; and 
‘‘(ii) enter into the agreement or con-
tract with the Indian tribe under para-
graph (2).’’. 
(b) CONFORMING
AND TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS.— 
Section 2 of the Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 (25 
U.S.C. 3115a) is amended— 
(1) in subsections (b)(1) and (f)(1), by striking 
‘‘section 347 of the Department of the Interior and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1999 (16 
U.S.C. 2104 note; Public Law 105–277) (as amended 
by section 323 of the Department of the Interior and 
Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2003 (117 Stat. 
275))’’ and inserting ‘‘section 604 of the Healthy For-
ests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c)’’; and 
(2) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘subsection 
(b)(1), the Secretary may’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraphs 
(1) and (4)(B) of subsection (b), the Secretary shall’’. 
SEC. 702. MANAGEMENT OF INDIAN FOREST LAND AUTHOR-
IZED TO INCLUDE RELATED NATIONAL FOR-
EST SYSTEM LANDS AND PUBLIC LANDS. 
Section 305 of the National Indian Forest Resources 
Management Act (25 U.S.C. 3104) is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection: 
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‘‘(c) INCLUSION OF CERTAIN NATIONAL FOREST SYS-
TEM LAND AND PUBLIC LAND.— 
‘‘(1) AUTHORITY.—At the request of an Indian 
tribe, the Secretary concerned may treat Federal for-
est land as Indian forest land for purposes of plan-
ning and conducting forest land management activi-
ties under this section if the Federal forest land is lo-
cated within, or mostly within, a geographic area 
that presents a feature or involves circumstances 
principally relevant to that Indian tribe, such as Fed-
eral forest land ceded to the United States by treaty, 
Federal forest land within the boundaries of a current 
or former reservation, or Federal forest land adju-
dicated to be tribal homelands. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—As part of the agreement 
to treat Federal forest land as Indian forest land 
under paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned and the 
Indian tribe making the request shall— 
‘‘(A) provide for continued public access ap-
plicable to the Federal forest land prior to the 
agreement, except that the Secretary concerned 
may limit or prohibit such access as needed; 
‘‘(B) continue sharing revenue generated by 
the Federal forest land with State and local gov-
ernments either— 
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‘‘(i) on the terms applicable to the Fed-
eral forest land prior to the agreement, in-
cluding, where applicable, 25-percent pay-
ments or 50 percent payments; or 
‘‘(ii) at the option of the Indian tribe, 
on terms agreed upon by the Indian tribe, 
the Secretary concerned, and State and 
county governments participating in a rev-
enue sharing agreement for the Federal for-
est land; 
‘‘(C) comply with applicable prohibitions 
on the export of unprocessed logs harvested from 
the Federal forest land; and 
‘‘(D) recognize all right-of-way agreements 
in place on Federal forest land prior to com-
mencement of tribal management activities. 
‘‘(3) LIMITATION.—Treating Federal forest land 
as Indian forest land for purposes of planning and 
conducting management activities pursuant to para-
graph (1) shall not be construed to designate the Fed-
eral forest land as Indian forest lands for any other 
purpose. 
‘‘(4) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) FEDERAL
FOREST
LAND.—The term 
‘Federal forest land’ means— 
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‘‘(i) National Forest System lands; and 
‘‘(ii) public lands (as defined in sec-
tion 103(e) of the Federal Land Policy and 
Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 
1702(e))), including Coos Bay Wagon Road 
Grant lands reconveyed to the United States 
pursuant to the first section of the Act of 
February 26, 1919 (40 Stat. 1179), and Or-
egon and California Railroad Grant lands. 
‘‘(B) SECRETARY
CONCERNED.—The term 
‘Secretary concerned’ means— 
‘‘(i) the Secretary of Agriculture, with 
respect to the Federal forest land referred to 
in subparagraph (A)(i); and 
‘‘(ii) the Secretary of the Interior, with 
respect to the Federal forest land referred to 
in subparagraph (A)(ii).’’. 
TITLE 
VIII—MISCELLANEOUS 
FOREST MANAGEMENT PRO-
VISIONS 
SEC. 801. BALANCING SHORT- AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF 
FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES IN CON-
SIDERING INJUNCTIVE RELIEF. 
As part of its weighing the equities while considering 
any request for an injunction that applies to any agency 
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action as part of a forest management activity under this 
Act, the court reviewing the agency action shall balance the 
impact to the ecosystem likely affected by the forest manage-
ment 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 under-
taking the action. 
SEC. 802. CONDITIONS ON FOREST SERVICE ROAD DECOM-
MISSIONING. 
(a) CONSULTATION WITH AFFECTED COUNTY.—When-
ever any Forest Service defined maintenance level one or 
two system road within a designated high fire prone area 
of a unit of the National Forest System is considered for 
decommissioning, the Forest Supervisor of that unit of the 
National Forest System shall— 
(1) consult with the government of the county 
containing the road regarding the merits and possible 
consequences of decommissioning the road; and 
(2) solicit possible alternatives to decommis-
sioning the road. 
(b) REGIONAL FORESTER APPROVAL.—A Forest Serv-
ice road described in subsection (a) may not be decommis-
sioned without the advance approval of the Regional For-
ester. 
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SEC. 803. PROHIBITION ON APPLICATION OF EASTSIDE 
SCREENS REQUIREMENTS ON NATIONAL FOR-
EST SYSTEM LANDS. 
On and after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Agriculture may not apply to National 
Forest System lands any of the amendments to forest plans 
adopted in the Decision Notice for the Revised Continuation 
of Interim Management Direction Establishing Riparian, 
Ecosystem and Wildlife Standards for Timber Sales (com-
monly known as the Eastside Screens requirements), in-
cluding all preceding or associated versions of these amend-
ments. 
SEC. 804. USE OF SITE-SPECIFIC FOREST PLAN AMEND-
MENTS FOR CERTAIN PROJECTS AND ACTIVI-
TIES. 
If the Secretary concerned determines that, in order 
to conduct a project or carry out an activity implementing 
a forest plan, an amendment to the forest plan is required, 
the Secretary concerned shall execute such amendment as 
a nonsignificant plan amendment through the record of de-
cision or decision notice for the project or activity. 
SEC. 805. KNUTSON-VANDENBERG ACT MODIFICATIONS. 
(a) DEPOSITS OF FUNDS FROM NATIONAL FOREST 
TIMBER PURCHASERS REQUIRED.—Section 3(a) of the Act 
of June 9, 1930 (commonly known as the Knutson-Vanden-
berg Act; 16 U.S.C. 576b(a)), is amended by striking ‘‘The 
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Secretary’’ and all that follows through ‘‘any purchaser’’ 
and inserting the following: ‘‘The Secretary of Agriculture 
shall require each purchaser’’. 
(b) CONDITIONS ON USE OF DEPOSITS.—Section 3 of 
the Act of June 9, 1930 (commonly known as the Knutson- 
Vandenberg Act; 16 U.S.C. 576b), is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘Such deposits’’ and inserting the 
following: 
‘‘(b) Amounts deposited under subsection (a)’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection 
(d); and 
(3) by inserting before subsection (d), as so redes-
ignated, the following new subsection (c): 
‘‘(c)(1) Amounts in the special fund established pursu-
ant to this section— 
‘‘(A) shall be used exclusively to implement ac-
tivities authorized by subsection (a); and 
‘‘(B) may be used anywhere within the Forest 
Service Region from which the original deposits were 
collected. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary of Agriculture may not deduct over-
head costs from the funds collected under subsection (a), ex-
cept as needed to fund personnel of the responsible Ranger 
District for the planning and implementation of the activi-
ties authorized by subsection (a).’’. 
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SEC. 806. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN NATIONAL FOREST SYS-
TEM LANDS AND PUBLIC LANDS. 
Unless specifically provided by a provision of this Act, 
the authorities provided by this Act do not apply with re-
spect to any National Forest System lands or public 
lands— 
(1) that are included in the National Wilderness 
Preservation System; 
(2) that are located within an inventoried 
roadless area unless the forest management activity to 
be carried out under such authority is consistent with 
the forest plan applicable to the area; or 
(3) on which timber harvesting for any purpose 
is prohibited by statute. 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as 
the ‘‘Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2015’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of con-
tents for this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
TITLE I—EXPEDITED ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS AND 
AVAILABILITY OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSIONS TO EXPE-
DITE FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 101. Analysis of only two alternatives (action versus no ac-
tion) in proposed collaborative forest manage-
ment activities. 
Sec. 102. Categorical exclusion to expedite certain critical re-
sponse actions. 
Sec. 103. Categorical exclusion to expedite salvage operations 
in response to catastrophic events. 
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Sec. 104. Categorical exclusion to meet forest plan goals for 
early successional forests. 
Sec. 105. Clarification of existing categorical exclusion author-
ity related to insect and disease infestation. 
Sec. 106. Categorical exclusion to improve, restore, and reduce 
the risk of wildfire. 
Sec. 107. Compliance with forest plan. 
TITLE II—SALVAGE AND REFORESTATION IN RESPONSE 
TO CATASTROPHIC EVENTS 
Sec. 201. Expedited salvage operations and reforestation ac-
tivities following large-scale catastrophic events. 
Sec. 202. Compliance with forest plan. 
Sec. 203. Prohibition on restraining orders, preliminary in-
junctions, and injunctions pending appeal. 
Sec. 204. Exclusion of certain lands. 
TITLE III—COLLABORATIVE PROJECT LITIGATION 
REQUIREMENT 
Sec. 301. Definitions. 
Sec. 302. Bond requirement as part of legal challenge of cer-
tain forest management activities. 
TITLE IV—SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY 
SELF-DETERMINATION ACT AMENDMENTS 
Sec. 401. Use of reserved funds for title II projects on Federal 
land and certain non-Federal land. 
Sec. 402. Resource advisory committees. 
Sec. 403. Program for title II self-sustaining resource advisory 
committee projects. 
Sec. 404. Additional authorized use of reserved funds for title 
III county projects. 
TITLE V—STEWARDSHIP END RESULT CONTRACTING 
Sec. 501. Cancellation ceilings for stewardship end result con-
tracting projects. 
Sec. 502. Excess offset value. 
Sec. 503. Payment of portion of stewardship project revenues 
to county in which stewardship project occurs. 
Sec. 504. Submission of existing annual report. 
TITLE VI—ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES FOR FOREST 
MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 601. Definitions. 
Sec. 602. Availability of stewardship project revenues and Col-
laborative Forest Landscape Restoration Fund to 
cover forest management activity planning costs. 
Sec. 603. State-supported planning of forest management ac-
tivities. 
TITLE VII—TRIBAL FORESTRY PARTICIPATION AND 
PROTECTION 
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Sec. 701. Protection of tribal forest assets through use of stew-
ardship end result contracting and other authori-
ties. 
Sec. 702. Management of Indian forest land authorized to in-
clude related National Forest System lands and 
public lands. 
TITLE VIII—MISCELLANEOUS FOREST MANAGEMENT 
PROVISIONS 
Sec. 801. Balancing short- and long-term effects of forest man-
agement activities in considering injunctive re-
lief. 
Sec. 802. Conditions on Forest Service road decommissioning. 
Sec. 803. Prohibition on application of Eastside Screens re-
quirements on National Forest System lands. 
Sec. 804. Use of site-specific forest plan amendments for cer-
tain projects and activities. 
Sec. 805. Knutson-Vandenberg Act modifications. 
Sec. 806. Exclusion of certain National Forest System lands 
and public lands. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) CATASTROPHIC
EVENT.—The term 
‘‘catastrophic event’’ means any natural 
disaster (such as hurricane, tornado, 
windstorm, snow or ice storm, rain storm, 
high water, wind-driven water, tidal 
wave, 
earthquake, 
volcanic 
eruption, 
landslide, mudslide, drought, or insect or 
disease outbreak) or any fire, flood, or ex-
plosion, regardless of cause. 
(2) 
CATEGORICAL
EXCLUSION.—The 
term ‘‘categorical exclusion’’ refers to an 
exception to the requirements of the Na-
tional Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(42 U.S.C. 4331 et seq.) for a project or ac-
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tivity relating to the management of Na-
tional Forest System lands or public 
lands. 
(3) 
COLLABORATIVE
PROCESS.—The 
term ‘‘collaborative process’’ refers to a 
process relating to the management of 
National Forest System lands or public 
lands by which a project or activity is de-
veloped and implemented by the Sec-
retary concerned through collaboration 
with interested persons, as described in 
section 603(b)(1)(C) of the Healthy For-
ests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 
6591b(b)(1)(C)). 
(4) COMMUNITY
WILDFIRE
PROTECTION 
PLAN.—The 
term 
‘‘community 
wildfire 
protection plan’’ has the meaning given 
that term in section 101(3) of the Healthy 
Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 
6511(3)). 
(5) COOS
BAY
WAGON
ROAD
GRANT 
LANDS.—The term ‘‘Coos Bay Wagon Road 
Grant lands’’ means the lands reconveyed 
to the United States pursuant to the first 
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section of the Act of February 26, 1919 (40 
Stat. 1179). 
(6) FOREST
MANAGEMENT
ACTIVITY.— 
The term ‘‘forest management activity’’ 
means a project or activity carried out by 
the Secretary concerned on National For-
est System lands or public lands in con-
cert with the forest plan covering the 
lands. 
(7) FOREST
PLAN.—The term ‘‘forest 
plan’’ means— 
(A) a land use plan prepared by 
the Bureau of Land Management for 
public lands pursuant to section 202 
of the Federal Land Policy and Man-
agement Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712); 
or 
(B) a land and resource manage-
ment plan prepared by the Forest 
Service for a unit of the National For-
est System pursuant to section 6 of 
the Forest and Rangeland Renewable 
Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 
U.S.C. 1604). 
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(8) 
LARGE-SCALE
CATASTROPHIC 
EVENT.—The 
term 
‘‘large-scale 
cata-
strophic event’’ means a catastrophic 
event that adversely impacts at least 
5,000 acres of reasonably contiguous Na-
tional Forest System lands or public 
lands. 
(9) 
NATIONAL
FOREST
SYSTEM.—The 
term ‘‘National Forest System’’ has the 
meaning given that term in section 11(a) 
of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable 
Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 
1609(a)). 
(10) OREGON AND CALIFORNIA RAILROAD 
GRANT
LANDS.—The term ‘‘Oregon and 
California Railroad Grant lands’’ means 
the following lands: 
(A) All lands in the State of Or-
egon revested in the United States 
under the Act of June 9, 1916 (39 Stat. 
218), that are administered by the 
Secretary 
of 
the 
Interior, 
acting 
through the Bureau of Land Manage-
ment, pursuant to the first section of 
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the Act of August 28, 1937 (43 U.S.C. 
1181a). 
(B) All lands in that State ob-
tained by the Secretary of the Inte-
rior pursuant to the land exchanges 
authorized and directed by section 2 
of the Act of June 24, 1954 (43 U.S.C. 
1181h). 
(C) All lands in that State ac-
quired by the United States at any 
time and made subject to the provi-
sions of title II of the Act of August 
28, 1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181f). 
(11) PUBLIC LANDS.—The term ‘‘public 
lands’’ has the meaning given that term 
in section 103(e) of the Federal Land Pol-
icy and Management Act of 1976 (43 
U.S.C. 1702(e)), except that the term in-
cludes Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands 
and 
Oregon 
and 
California 
Railroad 
Grant lands. 
(12) 
REFORESTATION
ACTIVITY.—The 
term ‘‘reforestation activity’’ means a 
project or activity carried out by the Sec-
retary concerned whose primary purpose 
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is the reforestation of fire-impacted lands 
following a large-scale wildfire. The term 
includes planting, evaluating and en-
hancing natural regeneration, clearing 
competing vegetation, and other activi-
ties related to reestablishment of forest 
species on the fire-impacted lands. 
(13) RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 
The term ‘‘resource advisory committee’’ 
has the meaning given that term in sec-
tion 201(3) of the Secure Rural Schools 
and Community Self-Determination Act 
of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7121(3)). 
(14) SALVAGE
OPERATION.—The term 
‘‘salvage operation’’ means a forest man-
agement activity undertaken in response 
to a catastrophic event whose primary 
purpose— 
(A) is to prevent wildfire as a re-
sult of the catastrophic event, or, if 
the catastrophic event was wildfire, 
to prevent a re-burn of the fire-im-
pacted area; 
(B) is to provide an opportunity 
for utilization of forest materials 
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damaged as a result of the cata-
strophic event; or 
(C) is to provide a funding source 
for reforestation and other restora-
tion activities for the National Forest 
System lands or public lands im-
pacted by the catastrophic event. 
(15) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term 
‘‘Secretary concerned’’ means— 
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, 
with respect to National Forest Sys-
tem lands; and 
(B) the Secretary of the Interior, 
with respect to public lands. 
TITLE I—EXPEDITED ENVIRON-
MENTAL 
ANALYSIS 
AND 
AVAILABILITY OF CATEGOR-
ICAL EXCLUSIONS TO EXPE-
DITE FOREST MANAGEMENT 
ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 101. ANALYSIS OF ONLY TWO ALTERNATIVES (ACTION 
VERSUS NO ACTION) IN PROPOSED COLLABO-
RATIVE FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. 
(a) APPLICATION
TO
CERTAIN
ENVIRON-
MENTAL ASSESSMENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL IM-
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PACT STATEMENTS.—This section shall apply 
whenever the Secretary concerned prepares 
an environmental assessment or an environ-
mental impact statement pursuant to section 
102(2) of the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)) for a forest man-
agement activity that— 
(1) is developed through a collabo-
rative process; 
(2) is proposed by a resource advisory 
committee; or 
(3) is covered by a community wild-
fire protection plan. 
(b) CONSIDERATION
OF ALTERNATIVES.—In 
an environmental assessment or environ-
mental impact statement described in sub-
section (a), the Secretary concerned shall 
study, develop, and describe only the fol-
lowing two alternatives: 
(1) The forest management activity, 
as proposed pursuant to paragraph (1), 
(2), or (3) of subsection (a). 
(2) The alternative of no action. 
(c) 
ELEMENTS
OF
NON-ACTION
ALTER-
NATIVE.—In the case of the alternative of no 
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action, the Secretary concerned shall evalu-
ate— 
(1) the effect of no action on— 
(A) forest health; 
(B) habitat diversity; 
(C) wildfire potential; and 
(D) insect and disease potential; 
and 
(2) the implications of a resulting de-
cline in forest health, loss of habitat di-
versity, wildfire, or insect or disease in-
festation, given fire and insect and dis-
ease historic cycles, on— 
(A) domestic water costs; 
(B) wildlife habitat loss; and 
(C) other economic and social fac-
tors. 
SEC. 102. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO EXPEDITE CER-
TAIN CRITICAL RESPONSE ACTIONS. 
(a) AVAILABILITY
OF CATEGORICAL EXCLU-
SION.—A categorical exclusion is available to 
the Secretary concerned to develop and carry 
out a forest management activity on National 
Forest System lands or public lands when the 
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primary purpose of the forest management 
activity is— 
(1) to address an insect or disease in-
festation; 
(2) to reduce hazardous fuel loads; 
(3) to protect a municipal water 
source; 
(4) to maintain, enhance, or modify 
critical habitat to protect it from cata-
strophic disturbances; 
(5) to increase water yield; or 
(6) any combination of the purposes 
specified in paragraphs (1) through (5). 
(b) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except in the case of 
a forest management activity described 
in paragraph (2), a forest management ac-
tivity covered by the categorical exclu-
sion granted by subsection (a) may not 
contain harvest units exceeding a total of 
5,000 acres. 
(2) LARGER AREAS AUTHORIZED.—A for-
est management activity covered by the 
categorical exclusion granted by sub-
section (a) may not contain harvest units 
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exceeding a total of 15,000 acres if the 
forest management activity— 
(A) is developed through a col-
laborative process; 
(B) is proposed by a resource ad-
visory committee; or 
(C) is covered by a community 
wildfire protection plan. 
SEC. 103. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO EXPEDITE SAL-
VAGE OPERATIONS IN RESPONSE TO CATA-
STROPHIC EVENTS. 
(a) AVAILABILITY
OF CATEGORICAL EXCLU-
SION.—A categorical exclusion is available to 
the Secretary concerned to develop and carry 
out a salvage operation as part of the restora-
tion of National Forest System lands or public 
lands following a catastrophic event. 
(b) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—A salvage operation 
covered by the categorical exclusion 
granted by subsection (a) may not con-
tain harvest units exceeding a total of 
5,000 acres. 
(2) HARVEST AREA.—In addition to the 
limitation imposed by paragraph (1), the 
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harvest units covered by the categorical 
exclusion granted by subsection (a) may 
not exceed one-third of the area impacted 
by the catastrophic event. 
(c) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.— 
(1) ROAD
BUILDING.—A salvage oper-
ation covered by the categorical exclu-
sion granted by subsection (a) may not 
include any new permanent roads. Tem-
porary roads constructed as part of the 
salvage operation shall be retired before 
the end of the second fiscal year begin-
ning after the completion of the salvage 
operation. 
(2) STREAM BUFFERS.—A salvage oper-
ation covered by the categorical exclu-
sion granted by subsection (a) shall com-
ply with the standards and guidelines for 
stream buffers contained in the applica-
ble forest plan unless waived by the Re-
gional Forester, in the case of National 
Forest System lands, or the State Direc-
tor of the Bureau of Land Management, 
in the case of public lands. 
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(3) REFORESTATION PLAN.—A reforest-
ation plan shall be developed under sec-
tion 3 of the Act of June 9, 1930 (com-
monly known as the Knutson-Vandenberg 
Act; 16 U.S.C. 576b), as part of a salvage 
operation covered by the categorical ex-
clusion granted by subsection (a). 
SEC. 104. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO MEET FOREST 
PLAN GOALS FOR EARLY SUCCESSIONAL 
FORESTS. 
(a) AVAILABILITY
OF CATEGORICAL EXCLU-
SION.—A categorical exclusion is available to 
the Secretary concerned to develop and carry 
out a forest management activity on National 
Forest System lands or public lands when the 
primary purpose of the forest management 
activity is to modify, improve, enhance, or 
create early successional forests for wildlife 
habitat improvement and other purposes, 
consistent with the applicable forest plan. 
(b) PROJECT GOALS.—To the maximum ex-
tent practicable, the Secretary concerned 
shall design a forest management activity 
under this section to meet early successional 
forest goals in such a manner so as to maxi-
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mize production and regeneration of priority 
species, as identified in the forest plan and 
consistent with the capability of the activity 
site. 
(c) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.—A forest man-
agement activity covered by the categorical 
exclusion granted by subsection (a) may not 
contain harvest units exceeding a total of 
5,000 acres. 
SEC. 105. CLARIFICATION OF EXISTING CATEGORICAL EX-
CLUSION AUTHORITY RELATED TO INSECT 
AND DISEASE INFESTATION. 
Section 603(c)(2)(B) of the Healthy Forests 
Restoration 
Act 
of 
2003 
(16 
U.S.C. 
6591b(c)(2)(B)) is amended by striking ‘‘Fire 
Regime Groups I, II, or III’’ and inserting 
‘‘Fire Regime I, Fire Regime II, Fire Regime 
III, or Fire Regime IV’’. 
SEC. 106. CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO IMPROVE, RE-
STORE, AND REDUCE THE RISK OF WILDFIRE. 
(a) AVAILABILITY
OF CATEGORICAL EXCLU-
SION.—A categorical exclusion is available to 
the Secretary concerned to carry out a forest 
management activity described in subsection 
(c) on National Forest System Lands or public 
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lands when the primary purpose of the activ-
ity is to improve, restore, or reduce the risk 
of wildfire on those lands. 
(b) ACREAGE LIMITATIONS.—A forest man-
agement activity covered by the categorical 
exclusion granted by subsection (a) may not 
exceed 5,000 acres. 
(c) AUTHORIZED ACTIVITIES.—The following 
activities may be carried out using a categor-
ical exclusion granted by subsection (a): 
(1) 
Removal 
of 
juniper 
trees, 
medusahead rye, conifer trees, pin˜ on 
pine trees, cheatgrass, and other noxious 
or invasive weeds specified on Federal or 
State noxious weeds lists through late- 
season livestock grazing, targeted live-
stock grazing, prescribed burns, and me-
chanical treatments. 
(2) Performance of hazardous fuels 
management. 
(3) Creation of fuel and fire breaks. 
(4) Modification of existing fences in 
order to distribute livestock and help im-
prove wildlife habitat. 
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(5) Installation of erosion control de-
vices. 
(6) Construction of new and mainte-
nance of permanent infrastructure, in-
cluding stock ponds, water catchments, 
and water spring boxes used to benefit 
livestock and improve wildlife habitat. 
(7) Performance of soil treatments, 
native and non-native seeding, and plant-
ing 
of 
and 
transplanting 
sagebrush, 
grass, forb, shrub, and other species. 
(8) Use of herbicides, so long as the 
Secretary concerned determines that the 
activity is otherwise conducted consist-
ently with agency procedures, including 
any forest plan applicable to the area 
covered by the activity. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) HAZARDOUS
FUELS
MANAGEMENT.— 
The term ‘‘hazardous fuels management’’ 
means any vegetation management ac-
tivities that reduce the risk of wildfire. 
(2) LATE-SEASON
GRAZING.—The term 
‘‘late-season grazing’’ means grazing ac-
tivities that occur after both the invasive 
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species and native perennial species have 
completed 
their 
current-year 
annual 
growth cycle until new plant growth be-
gins to appear in the following year. 
(3) TARGETED
LIVESTOCK
GRAZING.— 
The term ‘‘targeted livestock grazing’’ 
means grazing used to for purposes of 
hazardous fuel reduction. 
SEC. 107. COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST PLAN. 
A forest management activity covered by 
a categorical exclusion granted by this title 
shall be conducted in a manner consistent 
with the forest plan applicable to the National 
Forest System land or public lands covered by 
the forest management activity. 
TITLE II—SALVAGE AND REFOR-
ESTATION IN RESPONSE TO 
CATASTROPHIC EVENTS 
SEC. 201. EXPEDITED SALVAGE OPERATIONS AND REFOR-
ESTATION ACTIVITIES FOLLOWING LARGE- 
SCALE CATASTROPHIC EVENTS. 
(a) EXPEDITED
ENVIRONMENTAL
ASSESS-
MENT.—Notwithstanding any other provision 
of law, any environmental assessment pre-
pared by the Secretary concerned pursuant to 
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section 102(2) of the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332(2)) for a sal-
vage operation or reforestation activity pro-
posed to be conducted on National Forest Sys-
tem lands or public lands adversely impacted 
by a large-scale catastrophic event shall be 
completed within three months after the con-
clusion of the catastrophic event. 
(b) EXPEDITED IMPLEMENTATION AND COM-
PLETION.—In the case of reforestation activi-
ties conducted on National Forest System 
lands or public lands adversely impacted by 
a large-scale catastrophic event, the Secretary 
concerned shall achieve reforestation of at 
least 75 percent of the impacted lands during 
the five-year period following the conclusion 
of the catastrophic event. 
(c) AVAILABILITY OF KNUTSON-VANDENBERG 
FUNDS.—Amounts in the special fund estab-
lished pursuant to section 3 of the Act of June 
9, 1930 (commonly known as the Knutson-Van-
denberg Act; 16 U.S.C. 576b) shall be available 
to the Secretary of Agriculture for reforest-
ation activities authorized by this title. 
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SEC. 202. COMPLIANCE WITH FOREST PLAN. 
A salvage operation or reforestation activ-
ity authorized by this title shall be conducted 
in a manner consistent with the forest plan 
applicable to the National Forest System 
lands or public lands covered by the salvage 
operation or reforestation activity. 
SEC. 203. PROHIBITION ON RESTRAINING ORDERS, PRE-
LIMINARY INJUNCTIONS, AND INJUNCTIONS 
PENDING APPEAL. 
No restraining order, preliminary injunc-
tion, or injunction 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. Section 705 of title 5, United States 
Code, shall not apply to any challenge to the 
salvage operation or reforestation activity. 
SEC. 204. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN LANDS. 
In applying this title, the Secretary con-
cerned may not carry out salvage operations 
or reforestation activities on National Forest 
System lands or public lands— 
(1) that are included in the National 
Wilderness Preservation System; 
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(2) that are located within an inven-
toried roadless area unless the reforest-
ation activity is consistent with the forest 
plan; or 
(3) on which timber harvesting for 
any purpose is prohibited by statute. 
TITLE 
III—COLLABORATIVE 
PROJECT 
LITIGATION 
RE-
QUIREMENT 
SEC. 301. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) COSTS.—The term ‘‘costs’’ refers to 
the fees and costs described in section 
1920 of title 28, United States Code. 
(2) EXPENSES.—The term ‘‘expenses’’ 
includes the expenditures incurred by 
the staff of the Secretary concerned in 
preparing for and responding to a legal 
challenge to a collaborative forest man-
agement activity and in participating in 
litigation that challenges the forest man-
agement activity, including such staff 
time as may be used to prepare the ad-
ministrative record, exhibits, declara-
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tions, and affidavits in connection with 
the litigation. 
SEC. 302. BOND REQUIREMENT AS PART OF LEGAL CHAL-
LENGE OF CERTAIN FOREST MANAGEMENT 
ACTIVITIES. 
(a) BOND REQUIRED.—In the case of a for-
est management activity developed through a 
collaborative process or proposed by a re-
source advisory committee, any plaintiff or 
plaintiffs challenging the forest management 
activity shall be required to post a bond or 
other security equal to the anticipated costs, 
expenses, and attorneys fees of the Secretary 
concerned as defendant, as reasonably esti-
mated by the Secretary concerned. All pro-
ceedings in the action shall be stayed until 
the required bond or security is provided. 
(b) RECOVERY
OF LITIGATION COSTS, EX-
PENSES, AND ATTORNEYS FEES.— 
(1) MOTION FOR PAYMENT.—If the Sec-
retary concerned prevails in an action 
challenging a forest management activity 
described in subsection (a), the Secretary 
concerned shall submit to the court a mo-
tion for payment, from the bond or other 
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security posted under subsection (a) in 
such action, of the reasonable costs, ex-
penses, and attorneys fees incurred by 
the Secretary concerned. 
(2) MAXIMUM
AMOUNT
RECOVERED.— 
The amount of costs, expenses, and attor-
neys fees recovered by the Secretary con-
cerned under paragraph (1) as a result of 
prevailing in an action challenging the 
forest management activity may not ex-
ceed the amount of the bond or other se-
curity posted under subsection (a) in 
such action. 
(3) RETURN OF REMAINDER.—Any funds 
remaining from the bond or other secu-
rity posted under subsection (a) after the 
payment of costs, expenses, and attorneys 
fees under paragraph (1) shall be re-
turned to the plaintiff or plaintiffs that 
posted the bond or security in the action. 
(c) RETURN OF BOND TO PREVAILING PLAIN-
TIFF.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—If the plaintiff ulti-
mately prevails on the merits in every ac-
tion brought by the plaintiff challenging 
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a forest management activity described 
in subsection (a), the court shall return 
to the plaintiff any bond or security pro-
vided by the plaintiff under subsection 
(a), plus interest from the date the bond 
or security was provided. 
(2) ULTIMATELY PREVAILS ON THE MER-
ITS.—In this subsection, the phrase ‘‘ulti-
mately prevails on the merits’’ means, in 
a final enforceable judgment on the mer-
its, a court rules in favor of the plaintiff 
on every cause of action in every action 
brought by the plaintiff challenging the 
forest management activity. 
(d) EFFECT OF SETTLEMENT.—If a challenge 
to a forest management activity described in 
subsection (a) for which a bond or other secu-
rity was provided by the plaintiff under such 
subsection is resolved by settlement between 
the Secretary concerned and the plaintiff, the 
settlement agreement shall provide for shar-
ing the costs, expenses, and attorneys fees in-
curred by the parties. 
(e) LIMITATION
ON CERTAIN PAYMENTS.— 
Notwithstanding section 1304 of title 31, 
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United States Code, no award may be made 
under section 2412 of title 28, United States 
Code, and no amounts may be obligated or ex-
pended from the Claims and Judgment Fund 
of the United States Treasury to pay any fees 
or other expenses under such sections to any 
plaintiff related to an action challenging a 
forest management activity described in sub-
section (a). 
TITLE 
IV—SECURE 
RURAL 
SCHOOLS 
AND 
COMMUNITY 
SELF-DETERMINATION 
ACT 
AMENDMENTS 
SEC. 401. USE OF RESERVED FUNDS FOR TITLE II 
PROJECTS ON FEDERAL LAND AND CERTAIN 
NON-FEDERAL LAND. 
(a) REPEAL OF MERCHANTABLE TIMBER CON-
TRACTING PILOT PROGRAM.—Section 204(e) of 
the Secure Rural Schools and Community 
Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 
7124(e)) is amended by striking paragraph (3). 
(b) REQUIREMENTS FOR PROJECT FUNDS.— 
Section 204 of the Secure Rural Schools and 
Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 
U.S.C. 7124) is amended by striking sub-
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section (f) and inserting the following new 
subsection: 
‘‘(f) REQUIREMENTS FOR PROJECT FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Subject to para-
graph (2), the Secretary concerned shall 
ensure that at least 50 percent of the 
project funds reserved by a participating 
county under section 102(d) shall be 
available only for projects that— 
‘‘(A) include the sale of timber or 
other forest products; and 
‘‘(B) implement stewardship ob-
jectives 
that 
enhance 
forest 
eco-
systems or restore and improve land 
health and water quality. 
‘‘(2) APPLICABILITY.—The requirement 
in paragraph (1) shall apply only to 
project funds reserved by a participating 
county whose boundaries include Federal 
land that the Secretary concerned deter-
mines has been subject to a timber or 
other forest products program within 5 
fiscal years before the fiscal year in 
which the funds are reserved.’’. 
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SEC. 402. RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEES. 
(a) RECOGNITION
OF RESOURCE ADVISORY 
COMMITTEES.—Section 205(a)(4) of the Secure 
Rural Schools and Community Self-Deter-
mination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7125(a)(4)) is 
amended by striking ‘‘2012’’ each place it ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘2020’’. 
(b) TEMPORARY REDUCTION IN COMPOSITION 
OF COMMITTEES.—Section 205(d) of the Secure 
Rural Schools and Community Self-Deter-
mination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7125(d)) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking 
‘‘Each’’ and inserting ‘‘Except during the 
period specified in paragraph (6), each’’; 
and 
(2) by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(6) TEMPORARY REDUCTION IN MINIMUM 
NUMBER OF MEMBERS.— 
‘‘(A) TEMPORARY
6-MEMBER
MIN-
IMUM.—During the period beginning 
on the date of the enactment of this 
paragraph and ending on September 
30, 2020, a resource advisory com-
mittee established under this section 
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may be comprised of 6 or more mem-
bers, of which— 
‘‘(i) at least 2 shall be rep-
resentative of interests described 
in subparagraph (A) of paragraph 
(2); 
‘‘(ii) at least 2 shall be rep-
resentative of interests described 
in subparagraph (B) of paragraph 
(2); and 
‘‘(iii) at least 2 shall be rep-
resentative of interests described 
in subparagraph (C) of paragraph 
(2). 
‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL
REQUIREMENTS.— 
In appointing members of a resource 
advisory committee from the 3 cat-
egories described in paragraph (2), as 
provided in subparagraph (A), the 
Secretary concerned shall ensure bal-
anced and broad representation in 
each category. In the case of a va-
cancy on a resource advisory com-
mittee, the vacancy shall be filled 
within 90 days after the date on 
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which the vacancy occurred. Appoint-
ments to a new resource advisory 
committee shall be made within 90 
days after the date on which the deci-
sion to form the new resource advi-
sory committee was made. 
‘‘(C) CHARTER.—A charter for a re-
source advisory committee with 15 
members that was filed on or before 
the date of the enactment of this 
paragraph shall be considered to be 
filed for a resource advisory com-
mittee described in this paragraph. 
The charter of a resource advisory 
committee shall be reapproved before 
the expiration of the existing charter 
of the resource advisory committee. 
In the case of a new resource advi-
sory committee, the charter of the re-
source advisory committee shall be 
approved within 90 days after the 
date on which the decision to form 
the new resource advisory committee 
was made.’’. 
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(c) CONFORMING CHANGE TO PROJECT AP-
PROVAL REQUIREMENTS.—Section 205(e)(3) of 
the Secure Rural Schools and Community 
Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 
7125(e)(3)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following new sentence: ‘‘In the case of a 
resource advisory committee consisting of 
fewer than 15 members, as authorized by sub-
section (d)(6), a project may be proposed to 
the Secretary concerned upon approval by a 
majority of the members of the committee.’’. 
(d) EXPANDING LOCAL PARTICIPATION
ON 
COMMITTEES.—Section 205(d) of the Secure 
Rural Schools and Community Self-Deter-
mination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7125(d)) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by inserting be-
fore the period at the end the following: 
‘‘, consistent with the requirements of 
paragraph (4)’’; and 
(2) by striking paragraph (4) and in-
serting the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) GEOGRAPHIC
DISTRIBUTION.—The 
members of a resource advisory com-
mittee shall reside within the county or 
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counties in which the committee has ju-
risdiction or an adjacent county.’’. 
SEC. 403. PROGRAM FOR TITLE II SELF-SUSTAINING RE-
SOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE PROJECTS. 
(a) SELF-SUSTAINING RESOURCE ADVISORY 
COMMITTEE PROJECTS.—Title II of the Secure 
Rural Schools and Community Self-Deter-
mination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 7121 et seq.) 
is amended by adding at the end the following 
new section: 
‘‘SEC. 209. PROGRAM FOR SELF-SUSTAINING RESOURCE AD-
VISORY COMMITTEE PROJECTS. 
‘‘(a) RAC PROGRAM.—The Chief of the For-
est Service shall conduct a program (to be 
known as the ‘self-sustaining resource advi-
sory committee program’ or ‘RAC program’) 
under which 10 resource advisory committees 
will propose projects authorized by sub-
section (c) to be carried out using project 
funds reserved by a participating county 
under section 102(d). 
‘‘(b) SELECTION
OF
PARTICIPATING
RE-
SOURCE ADVISORY COMMITTEES.—The selection 
of resource advisory committees to partici-
pate in the RAC program is in the sole discre-
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tion of the Chief of the Forest Service, except 
that, consistent with section 205(d)(6), a se-
lected resource advisory committee must 
have a minimum of 6 members. 
‘‘(c) 
AUTHORIZED
PROJECTS.—Notwith-
standing the project purposes specified in sec-
tions 202(b), 203(c), and 204(a)(5), projects 
under the RAC program are intended to— 
‘‘(1) accomplish forest management 
objectives or support community devel-
opment; and 
‘‘(2) generate receipts. 
‘‘(d) DEPOSIT
AND AVAILABILITY
OF REVE-
NUES.—Any revenue generated by a project 
conducted under the RAC program, including 
any interest accrued from the revenues, shall 
be— 
‘‘(1) deposited in the special account 
in the Treasury established under section 
102(d)(2)(A); and 
‘‘(2) available, in such amounts as 
may be provided in advance in appro-
priation Acts, for additional projects 
under the RAC program. 
‘‘(e) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.— 
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The authority to ini-
tiate a project under the RAC program 
shall terminate on September 30, 2020. 
‘‘(2) 
DEPOSITS
IN
TREASURY.—Any 
funds available for projects under the 
RAC program and not obligated by Sep-
tember 30, 2021, shall be deposited in the 
Treasury of the United States.’’. 
(b) EXCEPTION TO GENERAL RULE REGARD-
ING TREATMENT OF RECEIPTS.—Section 403(b) 
of the Secure Rural Schools and Community 
Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 
7153(b)) is amended by striking ‘‘All revenues’’ 
and inserting ‘‘Except as provided in section 
209, all revenues’’. 
SEC. 404. ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZED USE OF RESERVED 
FUNDS FOR TITLE III COUNTY PROJECTS. 
Section 302(a) of the Secure Rural Schools 
and Community Self-Determination Act of 
2000 (16 U.S.C. 7142(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) by inserting ‘‘and law enforce-
ment patrols’’ after ‘‘including fire-
fighting’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 
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(2) by redesignating paragraph (3) as 
paragraph (4); and 
(3) by inserting after paragraph (2) 
the following new paragraph (3): 
‘‘(3) to cover training costs and equip-
ment purchases directly related to the 
emergency services described in para-
graph (2); and’’. 
TITLE V—STEWARDSHIP END 
RESULT CONTRACTING 
SEC. 501. CANCELLATION CEILINGS FOR STEWARDSHIP 
END RESULT CONTRACTING PROJECTS. 
(a) CANCELLATION CEILINGS.—Section 604 
of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 
(16 U.S.C. 6591c) is amended— 
(1) by redesignating subsections (h) 
and (i) as subsections (i) and (j), respec-
tively; and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (g) 
the following new subsection (h): 
‘‘(h) CANCELLATION CEILINGS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Chief and the 
Director may obligate funds to cover any 
potential 
cancellation 
or 
termination 
costs for an agreement or contract under 
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subsection (b) in stages that are economi-
cally or programmatically viable. 
‘‘(2) ADVANCE NOTICE TO CONGRESS OF 
CANCELLATION
CEILING
IN
EXCESS
OF 
$25,000,000.—Not later than 30 days before 
entering into a multiyear agreement or 
contract under subsection (b) that in-
cludes a cancellation ceiling in excess of 
$25,000,000, but does not include pro-
posed funding for the costs of cancelling 
the agreement or contract up to such 
cancellation ceiling, the Chief or the Di-
rector, as the case may be, shall submit to 
the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources and the Committee on Agri-
culture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the 
Senate and the Committee on Natural Re-
sources and the Committee on Agri-
culture of the House of Representatives a 
written notice that includes— 
‘‘(A) 
the 
cancellation 
ceiling 
amounts proposed for each program 
year in the agreement or contract; 
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‘‘(B) the reasons why such can-
cellation ceiling amounts were se-
lected; 
‘‘(C) the extent to which the costs 
of contract cancellation are not in-
cluded in the budget for the agree-
ment or contract; and 
‘‘(D) an assessment of the finan-
cial risk of not including budgeting 
for the costs of agreement or contract 
cancellation. 
‘‘(3) TRANSMITTAL OF NOTICE TO OMB.— 
Not later than 14 days after the date on 
which written notice is provided under 
paragraph (2) with respect to an agree-
ment or contract under subsection (b), 
the Chief or the Director, as the case may 
be, shall transmit a copy of the notice to 
the Director of the Office of Management 
and Budget.’’. 
(b) RELATION
TO
OTHER
LAWS.—Section 
604(d)(5) of the Healthy Forests Restoration 
Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(d)(5)) is amended 
by striking ‘‘, the Chief may’’ and inserting 
‘‘and section 2(a)(1) of the Act of July 31, 1947 
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(commonly known as the Materials Act of 
1947; 30 U.S.C. 602(a)(1)), the Chief and the Di-
rector may’’. 
SEC. 502. EXCESS OFFSET VALUE. 
Section 604(g)(2) of the Healthy Forests 
Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(g)(2)) 
is amended by striking subparagraphs (A) and 
(B) and inserting the following new subpara-
graphs: 
‘‘(A) use the excess to satisfy any 
outstanding liabilities for cancelled 
agreements or contracts; or 
‘‘(B) if there are no outstanding li-
abilities 
under 
subparagraph 
(A), 
apply the excess to other authorized 
stewardship projects.’’. 
SEC. 
503. 
PAYMENT 
OF 
PORTION 
OF 
STEWARDSHIP 
PROJECT REVENUES TO COUNTY IN WHICH 
STEWARDSHIP PROJECT OCCURS. 
Section 604(e) of the Healthy Forests Res-
toration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(e)) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2)(B), by inserting 
‘‘subject to paragraph (3)(A),’’ before 
‘‘shall’’; and 
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(2) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking 
‘‘services received by the Chief or the Di-
rector’’ and all that follows through the 
period at the end and inserting the fol-
lowing: ‘‘services and in-kind resources 
received by the Chief or the Director 
under a stewardship contract project 
conducted under this section shall not be 
considered monies received from the Na-
tional Forest System or the public lands, 
but any payments made by the contractor 
to the Chief or Director under the project 
shall be considered monies received from 
the National Forest System or the public 
lands.’’. 
SEC. 504. SUBMISSION OF EXISTING ANNUAL REPORT. 
Subsection (j) of section 604 of the 
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 
U.S.C. 6591c), as redesignated by section 
501(a)(1), is amended by striking ‘‘report to 
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
Forestry of the Senate and the Committee on 
Agriculture of the House of Representatives’’ 
and inserting ‘‘submit to the congressional 
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committees specified in subsection (h)(2) a re-
port’’. 
TITLE 
VI—ADDITIONAL 
FUND-
ING SOURCES FOR FOREST 
MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES 
SEC. 601. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title: 
(1) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligi-
ble entity’’ means— 
(A) a State or political subdivision 
of a State containing National Forest 
System lands or public lands; 
(B) a publicly chartered utility 
serving one or more States or a polit-
ical subdivision thereof; 
(C) a rural electric company; and 
(D) any other entity determined 
by the Secretary concerned to be ap-
propriate for participation in the 
Fund. 
(2) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means 
the State-Supported Forest Management 
Fund established by section 603. 
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SEC. 602. AVAILABILITY OF STEWARDSHIP PROJECT REVE-
NUES AND COLLABORATIVE FOREST LAND-
SCAPE RESTORATION FUND TO COVER FOR-
EST 
MANAGEMENT 
ACTIVITY 
PLANNING 
COSTS. 
(a) AVAILABILITY OF STEWARDSHIP PROJECT 
REVENUES.—Section 
604(e)(2)(B) 
of 
the 
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 
U.S.C. 6591c(e)(2)(B)), as amended by section 
503, is further amended by striking ‘‘appro-
priation at the project site from which the 
monies are collected or at another project 
site.’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘appropria-
tion— 
‘‘(i) at the project site from 
which the monies are collected or 
at another project site; and 
‘‘(ii) to cover not more than 25 
percent of the cost of planning 
additional 
stewardship 
con-
tracting projects.’’. 
(b) AVAILABILITY OF COLLABORATIVE FOR-
EST LANDSCAPE RESTORATION FUND.—Section 
4003(f)(1) of the Omnibus Public Land Man-
agement Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 7303(f)(1)) is 
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amended by striking ‘‘carrying out and’’ and 
inserting ‘‘planning, carrying out, and’’. 
SEC. 603. STATE-SUPPORTED PLANNING OF FOREST MAN-
AGEMENT ACTIVITIES. 
(a) STATE-SUPPORTED FOREST MANAGEMENT 
FUND.—There is established in the Treasury of 
the United States a fund, to be known as the 
‘‘State-Supported Forest Management Fund’’, 
to cover the cost of planning (especially re-
lated to compliance with section 102(2) of the 
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
U.S.C. 4332(2))), carrying out, and monitoring 
certain forest management activities on Na-
tional Forest System lands or public lands. 
(b) CONTENTS.—The State-Supported For-
est Management Fund shall consist of such 
amounts as may be— 
(1) contributed by an eligible entity 
for deposit in the Fund; 
(2) appropriated to the Fund; or 
(3) generated by forest management 
activities carried out using amounts in 
the Fund. 
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(c) GEOGRAPHICAL AND USE LIMITATIONS.— 
In making a contribution under subsection 
(b)(1), an eligible entity may— 
(1) specify the National Forest System 
lands or public lands for which the con-
tribution may be expended; and 
(2) limit the types of forest manage-
ment activities for which the contribu-
tion may be expended. 
(d) AUTHORIZED FOREST MANAGEMENT AC-
TIVITIES.—In such amounts as may be pro-
vided in advance in appropriation Acts, the 
Secretary concerned may use the Fund to 
plan, carry out, and monitor a forest manage-
ment activity that— 
(1) is developed through a collabo-
rative process; 
(2) is proposed by a resource advisory 
committee; or 
(3) is covered by a community wild-
fire protection plan. 
(e) IMPLEMENTATION METHODS.—A forest 
management 
activity 
carried 
out 
using 
amounts in the Fund may be carried out using 
a contract or agreement under section 604 of 
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the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 
(16 U.S.C. 6591c), the good neighbor authority 
provided by section 8206 of the Agricultural 
Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a), a contract under 
section 14 of the National Forest Management 
Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a), or other authority 
available to the Secretary concerned, but rev-
enues generated by the forest management 
activity shall be used to reimburse the Fund 
for planning costs covered using amounts in 
the Fund. 
(f) RELATION TO OTHER LAWS.— 
(1) REVENUE SHARING.—Subject to sub-
section (e), revenues generated by a for-
est management activity carried out 
using amounts from the Fund shall be 
considered monies received from the Na-
tional Forest System. 
(2) 
KNUTSON-VANDERBERG
ACT.—The 
Act of June 9, 1930 (commonly known as 
the Knutson-Vanderberg Act; 16 U.S.C. 
576 et seq.), shall apply to any forest man-
agement 
activity 
carried 
out 
using 
amounts in the Fund. 
(g) TERMINATION OF FUND.— 
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(1) TERMINATION.—The Fund shall ter-
minate 10 years after the date of the en-
actment of this Act. 
(2) EFFECT OF TERMINATION.—Upon the 
termination of the Fund pursuant to 
paragraph (1) or pursuant to any other 
provision of law, unobligated contribu-
tions remaining in the Fund shall be re-
turned to the eligible entity that made 
the contribution. 
TITLE 
VII—TRIBAL 
FORESTRY 
PARTICIPATION 
AND 
PRO-
TECTION 
SEC. 
701. 
PROTECTION 
OF 
TRIBAL 
FOREST 
ASSETS 
THROUGH USE OF STEWARDSHIP END RE-
SULT CONTRACTING AND OTHER AUTHORI-
TIES. 
(a) PROMPT CONSIDERATION OF TRIBAL RE-
QUESTS.—Section 2(b) of the Tribal Forest Pro-
tection Act of 2004 (25 U.S.C. 3115a(b)) is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘Not 
later than 120 days after the date on 
which an Indian tribe submits to the Sec-
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retary’’ and inserting ‘‘In response to the 
submission by an Indian tribe of’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) 
TIME
PERIODS
FOR
CONSIDER-
ATION.— 
‘‘(A) INITIAL
RESPONSE.—Not later 
than 120 days after the date on which 
the Secretary receives a tribal re-
quest under paragraph (1), the Sec-
retary shall provide an initial re-
sponse to the Indian tribe regard-
ing— 
‘‘(i) whether the request may 
meet the selection criteria de-
scribed in subsection (c); and 
‘‘(ii) the likelihood of the Sec-
retary entering into an agreement 
or contract with the Indian tribe 
under paragraph (2) for activities 
described in paragraph (3). 
‘‘(B) NOTICE
OF
DENIAL.—Notice 
under subsection (d) of the denial of 
a tribal request under paragraph (1) 
shall be provided not later than one 
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year after the date on which the Sec-
retary received the request. 
‘‘(C) COMPLETION.—Not later than 
two years after the date on which the 
Secretary receives a tribal request 
under paragraph (1), other than a 
tribal request denied under sub-
section (d), the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(i) 
complete 
all 
environ-
mental reviews necessary in con-
nection with the agreement or 
contract and proposed activities 
under the agreement or contract; 
and 
‘‘(ii) enter into the agreement 
or contract with the Indian tribe 
under paragraph (2).’’. 
(b) CONFORMING
AND TECHNICAL AMEND-
MENTS.—Section 2 of the Tribal Forest Protec-
tion Act of 2004 (25 U.S.C. 3115a) is amended— 
(1) in subsections (b)(1) and (f)(1), by 
striking ‘‘section 347 of the Department 
of the Interior and Related Agencies Ap-
propriations Act, 1999 (16 U.S.C. 2104 
note; Public Law 105–277) (as amended by 
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section 323 of the Department of the Inte-
rior and Related Agencies Appropriations 
Act, 2003 (117 Stat. 275))’’ and inserting 
‘‘section 604 of the Healthy Forests Res-
toration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c)’’; 
and 
(2) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘sub-
section (b)(1), the Secretary may’’ and in-
serting ‘‘paragraphs (1) and (4)(B) of sub-
section (b), the Secretary shall’’. 
SEC. 702. MANAGEMENT OF INDIAN FOREST LAND AUTHOR-
IZED TO INCLUDE RELATED NATIONAL FOR-
EST SYSTEM LANDS AND PUBLIC LANDS. 
Section 305 of the National Indian Forest 
Resources Management Act (25 U.S.C. 3104) is 
amended by adding at the end the following 
new subsection: 
‘‘(c) INCLUSION OF CERTAIN NATIONAL FOR-
EST SYSTEM LAND AND PUBLIC LAND.— 
‘‘(1) AUTHORITY.—At the request of an 
Indian tribe, the Secretary concerned 
may treat Federal forest land as Indian 
forest land for purposes of planning and 
conducting forest land management ac-
tivities under this section if the Federal 
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forest land is located within, or mostly 
within, a geographic area that presents a 
feature or involves circumstances prin-
cipally relevant to that Indian tribe, such 
as Federal forest land ceded to the 
United States by treaty, Federal forest 
land within the boundaries of a current 
or former reservation, or Federal forest 
land adjudicated to be tribal homelands. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—As part of the 
agreement to treat Federal forest land as 
Indian forest land under paragraph (1), 
the Secretary concerned and the Indian 
tribe making the request shall— 
‘‘(A) provide for continued public 
access applicable to the Federal for-
est land prior to the agreement, ex-
cept that the Secretary concerned 
may limit or prohibit such access as 
needed; 
‘‘(B) continue sharing revenue 
generated by the Federal forest land 
with State and local governments ei-
ther— 
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‘‘(i) on the terms applicable to 
the Federal forest land prior to 
the agreement, including, where 
applicable, 25-percent payments 
or 50 percent payments; or 
‘‘(ii) at the option of the In-
dian tribe, on terms agreed upon 
by the Indian tribe, the Secretary 
concerned, and State and county 
governments participating in a 
revenue sharing agreement for 
the Federal forest land; 
‘‘(C) comply with applicable pro-
hibitions on the export of unproc-
essed logs harvested from the Federal 
forest land; and 
‘‘(D) recognize all right-of-way 
agreements in place on Federal forest 
land prior to commencement of tribal 
management activities. 
‘‘(3) 
LIMITATION.—Treating 
Federal 
forest land as Indian forest land for pur-
poses of planning and conducting man-
agement activities pursuant to paragraph 
(1) shall not be construed to designate 
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the Federal forest land as Indian forest 
lands for any other purpose. 
‘‘(4) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) FEDERAL
FOREST
LAND.—The 
term ‘Federal forest land’ means— 
‘‘(i) National Forest System 
lands; and 
‘‘(ii) public lands (as defined 
in section 103(e) of the Federal 
Land Policy and Management Act 
of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702(e))), includ-
ing Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant 
lands reconveyed to the United 
States pursuant to the first sec-
tion of the Act of February 26, 
1919 (40 Stat. 1179), and Oregon 
and California Railroad Grant 
lands. 
‘‘(B) SECRETARY
CONCERNED.—The 
term ‘Secretary concerned’ means— 
‘‘(i) the Secretary of Agri-
culture, with respect to the Fed-
eral forest land referred to in sub-
paragraph (A)(i); and 
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‘‘(ii) the Secretary of the Inte-
rior, with respect to the Federal 
forest land referred to in subpara-
graph (A)(ii).’’. 
TITLE 
VIII—MISCELLANEOUS 
FOREST MANAGEMENT PRO-
VISIONS 
SEC. 801. BALANCING SHORT- AND LONG-TERM EFFECTS 
OF FOREST MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES IN 
CONSIDERING INJUNCTIVE RELIEF. 
As part of its weighing the equities while 
considering any request for an injunction 
that applies to any agency action as part of 
a forest management activity under this Act, 
the court reviewing the agency action shall 
balance the impact to the ecosystem likely af-
fected by the forest management activity of— 
(1) the short- and long-term effects of 
undertaking the agency action; against 
(2) the short- and long-term effects of 
not undertaking the action. 
SEC. 802. CONDITIONS ON FOREST SERVICE ROAD DECOM-
MISSIONING. 
(a) CONSULTATION WITH AFFECTED COUN-
TY.—Whenever any Forest Service defined 
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100 
maintenance level one or two system road 
within a designated high fire prone area of a 
unit of the National Forest System is consid-
ered for decommissioning, the Forest Super-
visor of that unit of the National Forest Sys-
tem shall— 
(1) consult with the government of 
the county containing the road regarding 
the merits and possible consequences of 
decommissioning the road; and 
(2) solicit possible alternatives to de-
commissioning the road. 
(b) REGIONAL FORESTER APPROVAL.—A For-
est Service road described in subsection (a) 
may not be decommissioned without the ad-
vance approval of the Regional Forester. 
SEC. 803. PROHIBITION ON APPLICATION OF EASTSIDE 
SCREENS 
REQUIREMENTS 
ON 
NATIONAL 
FOREST SYSTEM LANDS. 
On and after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture may not 
apply to National Forest System lands any of 
the amendments to forest plans adopted in 
the Decision Notice for the Revised Continu-
ation of Interim Management Direction Estab-
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101 
lishing Riparian, Ecosystem and Wildlife 
Standards 
for 
Timber 
Sales 
(commonly 
known as the Eastside Screens requirements), 
including all preceding or associated versions 
of these amendments. 
SEC. 804. USE OF SITE-SPECIFIC FOREST PLAN AMEND-
MENTS FOR CERTAIN PROJECTS AND ACTIVI-
TIES. 
If the Secretary concerned determines 
that, in order to conduct a project or carry 
out an activity implementing a forest plan, an 
amendment to the forest plan is required, the 
Secretary 
concerned 
shall 
execute 
such 
amendment as a nonsignificant plan amend-
ment through the record of decision or deci-
sion notice for the project or activity. 
SEC. 805. KNUTSON-VANDENBERG ACT MODIFICATIONS. 
(a) DEPOSITS
OF FUNDS FROM NATIONAL 
FOREST TIMBER PURCHASERS REQUIRED.—Sec-
tion 3(a) of the Act of June 9, 1930 (commonly 
known as the Knutson-Vandenberg Act; 16 
U.S.C. 576b(a)), is amended by striking ‘‘The 
Secretary’’ and all that follows through ‘‘any 
purchaser’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘The 
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102 
Secretary of Agriculture shall require each 
purchaser’’. 
(b) CONDITIONS ON USE OF DEPOSITS.—Sec-
tion 3 of the Act of June 9, 1930 (commonly 
known as the Knutson-Vandenberg Act; 16 
U.S.C. 576b), is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘Such deposits’’ and in-
serting the following: 
‘‘(b) Amounts deposited under subsection 
(a)’’; 
(2) by redesignating subsection (c) as 
subsection (d); and 
(3) by inserting before subsection (d), 
as so redesignated, the following new 
subsection (c): 
‘‘(c)(1) Amounts in the special fund estab-
lished pursuant to this section— 
‘‘(A) shall be used exclusively to im-
plement activities authorized by sub-
section (a); and 
‘‘(B) may be used anywhere within 
the Forest Service Region from which the 
original deposits were collected. 
‘‘(2) The Secretary of Agriculture may not 
deduct overhead costs from the funds col-
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103 
lected under subsection (a), except as needed 
to fund personnel of the responsible Ranger 
District for the planning and implementation 
of the activities authorized by subsection 
(a).’’. 
SEC. 806. EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN NATIONAL FOREST SYS-
TEM LANDS AND PUBLIC LANDS. 
Unless specifically provided by a provi-
sion of this Act, the authorities provided by 
this Act do not apply with respect to any Na-
tional Forest System lands or public lands— 
(1) that are included in the National 
Wilderness Preservation System; 
(2) that are located within an inven-
toried roadless area unless the forest 
management activity to be carried out 
under such authority is consistent with 
the forest plan applicable to the area; or 
(3) on which timber harvesting for 
any purpose is prohibited by statute. 
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to expedite 
under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
and improve forest management activities on National 
Forest System lands, on public lands under the jurisdic-
tion of the Bureau of Land Management, and on tribal 
lands to return resilience to overgrown, fire-prone for-
ested lands, and for other purposes.’’. 
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Union Calendar No. 137 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 2647 
[Report No. 114–185, Parts I and II] 
A BILL 
To expedite under the National Environmental Pol-
icy Act and improve forest management activities 
in units of the National Forest System derived 
from the public domain, on public lands under 
the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Manage-
ment, and on tribal lands to return resilience to 
overgrown, fire-prone forested lands, and for 
other purposes. 
JUNE 25, 2015 
Reported from the Committee on Agriculture with 
amendments 
JUNE 25, 2015 
Reported from the Committee on Natural Resources with 
amendments 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
01:10 Jun 26, 2015
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rfrederick on DSK6VPTVN1PROD with BILLS