Proven Wildfire Reduction Techniques Act of 2019

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 691 To amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to authorize insect and disease treatment programs on certain Federal land, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 18, 2019 Mr. WALDEN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com- mittee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Re- sources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic- tion of the committee concerned A BILL To amend the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to authorize insect and disease treatment programs on certain Federal land, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Proven Wildfire Reduc- 4 tion Techniques Act of 2019’’. 5 SEC. 2. TREATMENT AREAS. 6 Section 602 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 7 of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591a) is amended— 8 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:18 Jan 31, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H691.IH H691 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 691 IH (1) in the heading, by striking ‘‘DESIGNATION 1 OF’’; 2 (2) by amending subsection (a) to read as fol- 3 lows: 4 ‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 5 ‘‘(1) COOS BAY WAGON ROAD GRANT LANDS.— 6 The term ‘Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands’ 7 means the lands reconveyed to the United States 8 pursuant to the first section of the Act of February 9 26, 1919 (40 Stat. 1179). 10 ‘‘(2) DECLINING FOREST HEALTH.—The term 11 ‘declining forest health’ means a qualified forest that 12 is experiencing— 13 ‘‘(A) substantially increased tree mortality 14 due to insect or disease infestation; or 15 ‘‘(B) dieback due to infestation or defolia- 16 tion by insects or disease. 17 ‘‘(3) OREGON AND CALIFORNIA RAILROAD 18 GRANT LANDS.—The term ‘Oregon and California 19 Railroad Grant lands’ means the following lands: 20 ‘‘(A) All lands in the State of Oregon re- 21 vested in the United States under the Act of 22 June 9, 1916 (39 Stat. 218), that are adminis- 23 tered by the Secretary of the Interior, acting 24 through the Bureau of Land Management, pur- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:18 Jan 31, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H691.IH H691 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 691 IH suant to the first section of the Act of August 1 28, 1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181a). 2 ‘‘(B) All lands in that State obtained by 3 the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to the 4 land exchanges authorized and directed by sec- 5 tion 2 of the Act of June 24, 1954 (43 U.S.C. 6 1181h). 7 ‘‘(C) All lands in that State acquired by 8 the United States at any time and made subject 9 to the provisions of title II of the Act of August 10 28, 1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181f). 11 ‘‘(4) PUBLIC LANDS.—The term ‘public lands’ 12 has the meaning given that term in section 103 of 13 the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 14 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702), except that the term in- 15 cludes Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant lands and Or- 16 egon and California Railroad Grant lands. 17 ‘‘(5) QUALIFIED FOREST.—The term ‘qualified 18 forest’ means a forest located in— 19 ‘‘(A) National Forest System lands; or 20 ‘‘(B) public lands. 21 ‘‘(6) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘Sec- 22 retary concerned’ means— 23 ‘‘(A) with respect to National Forest Sys- 24 tem lands, the Secretary of Agriculture; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:18 Jan 31, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H691.IH H691 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 691 IH ‘‘(B) with respect to public lands, the Sec- 1 retary of the Interior.’’; 2 (3) by amending subsection (b) to read as fol- 3 lows: 4 ‘‘(b) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary concerned may 5 carry out insect and disease treatment programs in a 6 qualified forest that meets the requirements specified in 7 subsection (c).’’; 8 (4) in subsection (c), by striking ‘‘To be des- 9 ignated a landscape-scale area under subsection (b), 10 the area shall be’’ and inserting ‘‘The Secretary con- 11 cerned may only carry out projects under subsection 12 (b) in a qualified forest that is’’; and 13 (5) in subsection (d)(1), by striking ‘‘on Fed- 14 eral land in the areas designated’’. 15 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:18 Jan 31, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H691.IH H691 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS