HR 8688
Forest Health and Wildfire Risk Reduction Act
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Bill overview
This Act codifies a categorical exclusion for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) regarding tree density modification activities. Specifically, it allows for the removal of trees and associated vegetation management within treatment areas under 5,000 acres without requiring a full environmental assessment or impact statement. The exclusion includes provisions for temporary road construction and maintenance, as well as requirements for documenting how resource considerations like snag retention, erosion control, and invasive species management are addressed.
Key provisions
- Allows tree density modification activities within treatment areas under 5,000 acres to be categorically excluded from environmental assessments.
- Specifies covered actions including cutting, yarding, slash removal, group selection silvicultural treatments, and prescribed burning.
- Permits construction of up to 5 miles of temporary roads, subject to specific design and decommissioning standards.
- Requires disclosure of design features addressing resource considerations like snag retention, erosion control, and invasive species management.
- Defines ‘covered actions’ to include specific silvicultural methods and vegetation management techniques.
- Clarifies definitions of ‘permanent road,’ ‘temporary road,’ and ‘group selection’ for the purpose of this Act.
- Addresses limitations on the categorical exclusion, excluding regeneration harvests and vegetation conversion.
- Outlines requirements for documenting how resource considerations are addressed during tree density modification activities.
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119th CONGRESS — 2d Session
H. R. 8688
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
A BILL
To codify the categorical exclusion proposed in the National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures for the Bureau of Land Management related to tree density modification published on April 6, 2026.
This Act may be cited as the Forest Health and Wildfire Risk Reduction Act
.
The categorical exclusion provided for under subsection (a) does not apply to—
silvicultural methods that are intended to regenerate whole stands, such as even-aged regeneration harvest, clearcutting, or variable retention harvest; or
vegetation management intended to convert forest or woodlands to non-forest vegetation cover.
In addition to the covered actions under paragraph (1), tree density modification activities to which the categorical exclusion under this section applies—
may include construction of up to 5 miles of new permanent road to facilitate covered actions, provided that all segments conform to applicable land use planning decisions with route-specific designations disclosed where travel management planning has been completed;
may include maintenance and renovation of existing roads as needed;
may include construction of temporary roads not to exceed a ratio of 2.5 miles per 1,000 acres of treatment area as needed, provided that the temporary roads—
are not part of the permanent transportation system of the Bureau;
are designed to standards appropriate for their intended use (safety, erosion control, sedimentation prevention, and resource protection);
are not needed for long-term resource management; and
are decommissioned and stabilized after use to minimize erosion and protect water quality; and
require the disclosure of design features, in documentation of finding that an action is excluded pursuant to the use of this categorical exclusion, that address the following resource considerations consistent with applicable land use plan decisions, or, where no plan requirements apply, specify how the following resource considerations are addressed:
Snag and downed wood—amount to be created or retained.
Erosion control—specifications or measures (e.g., water bars, dispersed slash).
Soil compaction—criteria for avoidance, minimization, or remediation.
Logging systems—types and scope of constraints (e.g., seasonal, location, extent, etc.).
Seasonal operations—purpose and extent of operating restrictions.
Invasive species—measures to prevent or limit spread.
Riparian areas—buffer widths and/or operating restrictions.
Prescribed fire—operating constraints for underburning or pile burning.
Temporary roads—decommissioning standards.
In this section:
The term Bureau means the Bureau of Land Management.
The term covered actions means one or more of the following actions:
Cutting, yarding, and the use of landings and skid trails to facilitate the removal of commercial and non-commercial trees.
Chipping, grinding, or removal of residual slash.
Group selection silvicultural treatment to promote regeneration of shade intolerant species and early successional habitat in an uneven-aged context not to exceed 2-acre individual patches and 10 percent of the treatment area (group selection openings will retain overstory legacy elements consistent with the applicable land use plan (for example, large fire resilient trees, snags)).
Pile burning or underburning of fuels created by covered actions described in clauses (i) through (iii) and fuels within or in close proximity to those actions’ treatment boundaries whether created by those actions or not.
Seeding or planting necessary to accelerate native species re-establishment.
The term group selection means an uneven-aged harvest method where groups of trees are removed to promote spatial heterogeneity, regeneration of desired tree species, or the establishment of new cohorts.
The term permanent road means a road constructed or reconstructed and managed as part of the permanent transportation system of the Bureau.
The term temporary road means a road authorized by contract, permit, lease, written authorization, or emergency operation, not added to the permanent transportation system of the Bureau, and decommissioned after use.