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To require the Secretary of the Interior to develop a categorical exclusion for covered vegetative management activities carried out to establish or improve habitat for greater sage-grouse and mule deer, and for other purposes.

USA115th CongressHR-3543| House 
| Updated: 7/28/2017
Chris Stewart

Chris Stewart

Republican Representative

Utah

Cosponsors (2)
Doug LaMalfa (Republican)Scott R. Tipton (Republican)

Natural Resources Committee

  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
Sage-Grouse and Mule Deer Habitat Conservation and Restoration Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Interior to categorically exclude vegetative management activities that establish or improve habitat for greater sage-grouse and mule deer from environmental review requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Examples of vegetative management activities include restoring native vegetation following a natural disturbance or preventing the expansion of nonnative or invasive vegetation into such habitat. A categorical exclusion under NEPA is a category of actions which do not have a significant effect on the human environment and for which neither an Environmental Assessment nor an Environmental Impact Statement is required. The bill prohibits the categorical exclusion from including: (1) activity conducted in a wilderness area or wilderness study area, or (2) activity for the construction of a permanent road or trail. Before commencing a vegetative management activity that is covered by a categorical exclusion, Interior must develop a long-term monitoring and maintenance plan, covering at least 20 years, to ensure that management of the treated area does not degrade the habitat gains secured by the vegetative management activity. Vegetative material resulting from vegetative management activity may be: (1) used for fuel wood or other products; or (2) piled or burned, or both. Native vegetative cover must be reestablished on a temporary road constructed in connection with a categorically excluded vegetative management activity in order to minimize soil erosion from areas disturbed by the temporary road.
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Timeline
Jul 28, 2017
Introduced in House
Jul 28, 2017
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
  • July 28, 2017
    Introduced in House


  • July 28, 2017
    Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Public Lands and Natural Resources

Related Bills

  • S 115-1417: Sage-Grouse and Mule Deer Habitat Conservation and Restoration Act of 2018
  • HR 115-2: Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
  • S 115-2068: A bill to discourage litigation against the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management relating to land management projects, to require the Secretary of the Interior to develop a categorical exclusion for covered vegetative management activities carried out to establish or improve habitat for greater sage-grouse and mule deer, to address the forest health crisis on National Forest System land, to expedite and prioritize forest management activities to achieve ecosystem restoration objectives, and for other purposes.
Administrative law and regulatory proceduresBirdsDepartment of the InteriorEndangered and threatened speciesEnvironmental assessment, monitoring, researchFiresLand use and conservationMammalsRoads and highwaysWildlife conservation and habitat protection

To require the Secretary of the Interior to develop a categorical exclusion for covered vegetative management activities carried out to establish or improve habitat for greater sage-grouse and mule deer, and for other purposes.

USA115th CongressHR-3543| House 
| Updated: 7/28/2017
Sage-Grouse and Mule Deer Habitat Conservation and Restoration Act of 2017 This bill directs the Department of Interior to categorically exclude vegetative management activities that establish or improve habitat for greater sage-grouse and mule deer from environmental review requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Examples of vegetative management activities include restoring native vegetation following a natural disturbance or preventing the expansion of nonnative or invasive vegetation into such habitat. A categorical exclusion under NEPA is a category of actions which do not have a significant effect on the human environment and for which neither an Environmental Assessment nor an Environmental Impact Statement is required. The bill prohibits the categorical exclusion from including: (1) activity conducted in a wilderness area or wilderness study area, or (2) activity for the construction of a permanent road or trail. Before commencing a vegetative management activity that is covered by a categorical exclusion, Interior must develop a long-term monitoring and maintenance plan, covering at least 20 years, to ensure that management of the treated area does not degrade the habitat gains secured by the vegetative management activity. Vegetative material resulting from vegetative management activity may be: (1) used for fuel wood or other products; or (2) piled or burned, or both. Native vegetative cover must be reestablished on a temporary road constructed in connection with a categorically excluded vegetative management activity in order to minimize soil erosion from areas disturbed by the temporary road.
View Full Text

Suggested Questions

Get AI-generated questions to help you understand this bill better

Timeline
Jul 28, 2017
Introduced in House
Jul 28, 2017
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
  • July 28, 2017
    Introduced in House


  • July 28, 2017
    Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
Chris Stewart

Chris Stewart

Republican Representative

Utah

Cosponsors (2)
Doug LaMalfa (Republican)Scott R. Tipton (Republican)

Natural Resources Committee

Public Lands and Natural Resources

Related Bills

  • S 115-1417: Sage-Grouse and Mule Deer Habitat Conservation and Restoration Act of 2018
  • HR 115-2: Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018
  • S 115-2068: A bill to discourage litigation against the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management relating to land management projects, to require the Secretary of the Interior to develop a categorical exclusion for covered vegetative management activities carried out to establish or improve habitat for greater sage-grouse and mule deer, to address the forest health crisis on National Forest System land, to expedite and prioritize forest management activities to achieve ecosystem restoration objectives, and for other purposes.
  • Introduced
  • In Committee
  • On Floor
  • Passed Chamber
  • Enacted
Administrative law and regulatory proceduresBirdsDepartment of the InteriorEndangered and threatened speciesEnvironmental assessment, monitoring, researchFiresLand use and conservationMammalsRoads and highwaysWildlife conservation and habitat protection