Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017

Bill: 115-hr-2936
Sponsor: Rep. Westerman, Bruce [R-AR-4]
Introduced: 2017-06-20 in the House
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory procedures
Advanced technology and technological innovations
Advisory bodies
Appropriations
Building construction
Child safety and welfare
Civil actions and liability
Congressional oversight
Department of Agriculture
Department of the Interior
Disaster relief and insurance
Ecology
Education programs funding
Elementary and secondary education
Endangered and threatened species
Environmental assessment, monitoring, research
Executive agency funding and structure
Family relationships
Federal-Indian relations
Fires
Forests, forestry, trees
Indian lands and resources rights
Intergovernmental relations
Land use and conservation
Legal fees and court costs
Licensing and registrations
Manufacturing
Natural disasters
Oregon
Pest management
Public contracts and procurement
Public participation and lobbying
Research and development
Roads and highways
Rural conditions and development
State and local government operations
Technology transfer and commercialization
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection
Worker safety and health
Youth employment and child labor

Summary:
action_date: 2017-06-20
text: 

Resilient Federal Forests Act of 2017

 
This bill shall apply whenever the Department concerned, either the Department of Agriculture for National Forest System (NFS) lands or the Department of the Interior for public lands, prepares an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) for specified forest management activities, including those that: 
 
 
will occur on lands identified as suitable for timber production; or 
 
will occur on a landscape-scale area designated by the Department concerned as part of an insect and disease treatment program on NSF land pursuant to the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003, notwithstanding whether such activity is initiated before September 30, 2018.
 
 
In such an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement, the Department concerned shall study, develop, and describe only these two alternatives:
 
 
the forest management activity, and 
 
the alternative of no action. 
 
 
In the case of the alternative of no action, the Department concerned shall evaluate: 
 
 
the effect of no action on forest health, habitat diversity, wildfire potential, insect and disease potential, and timber production; and
 
the implications of a resulting decline in forest health, loss of habitat diversity, wildfire, or insect or disease infestation on domestic water supply in the project area, wildlife habitat loss, and other economic and social factors. 
 
 
The bill establishes categorical exclusions regarding certain other forest management actions. 
 
 A process is established for declaration of a major disaster for wildfire on federal lands managed by specified federal land management agencies. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-11-02
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: The Clerk was authorized to correct section numbers, punctuation, and cross references, and to make other necessary technical and conforming corrections in the engrossment of H.R. 2936.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 232 - 188 (Roll no. 598).
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On passage Passed by recorded vote: 232 - 188 (Roll no. 598).
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: On motion to recommit with instructions Failed by recorded vote: 189 - 230 (Roll no. 597).
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: The previous question on the motion to recommit with instructions was ordered without objection.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the O'Halleran motion to recommit with instructions. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the bill to be reported back to the House with an amendment adding a new section pertaining to Extension of Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: Mr. O'Halleran moved to recommit with instructions to the Committee on Natural Resources. (text: CR H8359)
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: The previous question was ordered pursuant to the rule.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: The House rose from the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union to report H.R. 2936.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: The House resolved into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union for further consideration.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H8356-8360)
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union rises leaving H.R. 2936 as unfinished business.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: On motion that the committee rise Agreed to by voice vote.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: Mr. Westerman moved that the committee rise.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Pearce amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote announced that the ayes had prevailed. Mr. Grijalva demanded a recorded vote, and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 595, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Pearce amendment No. 7.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 595, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the LaMalfa amendment No. 6.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H. Res. 595, the Committee of the Whole pro ceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the DeFazio amendment No. 5.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 595, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Cardenas amendment No. 4.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the O'Halleran amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. O'Halleran demanded a recorded vote, and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 595, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the O'Halleran amendment No. 3.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: POSTPONED PROCEEDINGS - At the conclusion of debate on the Khanna amendment, the Chair put the question on adoption of the amendment and by voice vote announced that the noes had prevailed. Mr. Khanna demanded a recorded vote, and the Chair postponed further proceedings on the question of adoption of the amendment until later in the legislative day.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 595, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Khanna amendment No. 2.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: DEBATE - Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 595, the Committee of the Whole proceeded with 10 minutes of debate on the Schrader amendment No. 1.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: GENERAL DEBATE - The Committee of the Whole proceeded with one hour of general debate on H.R. 2936.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: The Speaker designated the Honorable David Young to act as Chairman of the Committee.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: House resolved itself into the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union pursuant to H. Res. 595 and Rule XVIII.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2936 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Specified amendments are in order.
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: Considered under the provisions of rule H. Res. 595. (consideration: CR H8326-8357; text: CR H8340-8349)
action_date: 2017-11-01
text: Rule H. Res. 595 passed House.
action_date: 2017-10-31
text: Rules Committee Resolution H. Res. 595 Reported to House. Rule provides for consideration of H.R. 2936 with 1 hour of general debate. Previous question shall be considered as ordered without intervening motions except motion to recommit with or without instructions. Measure will be considered read. Specified amendments are in order.
action_date: 2017-10-25
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 271.
action_date: 2017-10-25
text: Committee on Transportation discharged.
action_date: 2017-10-25
text: Committee on Transportation discharged.
action_date: 2017-10-25
text: Committee on Education and the Workforce discharged.
action_date: 2017-10-25
text: Committee on Education and the Workforce discharged.
action_date: 2017-10-25
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 115-370, Part II.
action_date: 2017-10-25
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Natural Resources. H. Rept. 115-370, Part II.
action_date: 2017-10-25
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Agriculture. H. Rept. 115-370, Part I.
action_date: 2017-10-25
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Agriculture. H. Rept. 115-370, Part I.
action_date: 2017-10-04
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2017-10-04
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2017-06-27
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by the Yeas and Nays: 23 - 12.
action_date: 2017-06-27
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2017-06-21
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management.
action_date: 2017-06-20
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, Education and the Workforce, and Transportation and Infrastructure, 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.
action_date: 2017-06-20
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, Education and the Workforce, and Transportation and Infrastructure, 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.
action_date: 2017-06-20
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, Education and the Workforce, and Transportation and Infrastructure, 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.
action_date: 2017-06-20
text: Referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, Education and the Workforce, and Transportation and Infrastructure, 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.
action_date: 2017-06-20
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2017-06-20
text: Introduced in House