Accelerating Forest Management Act

This bill would allow the Bureau of Land Management to carry out salvage logging of dead or dying trees on its lands without first preparing an environmental assessment or environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act. Projects would be capped at 1,000 acres when a fire, insect outbreak, disease, drought, or other disturbance affects 3,000 acres or less, and at the lesser of 5,000 acres or one-third of the affected area for larger disturbances. Projects could include up to 1 mile of new permanent road and a limited amount of temporary roads, which must be removed and stabilized after use. The agency would have to disclose design features addressing items such as erosion, soil, invasive species, streamside areas, and retained dead wood. The bill would also extend the Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery Fund by changing the year 2020 to 2033 in existing law.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Troy Downing Republican sponsor
• 1 cosponsors