Forest Health and Wildfire Risk Reduction Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 8688 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8688 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. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 7, 2026 Mr. Hurd of Colorado (for himself and Mr. Newhouse) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources _______________________________________________________________________ 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. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Forest Health and Wildfire Risk Reduction Act''. SEC. 2. CODIFICATION OF CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION. (a) In General.--Tree density modification activities described in subsection (b) are a category of actions hereby designated as being categorically excluded from the preparation of an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement under section 102 of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4332). (b) Tree Density Modification Activities Designated for Categorical Exclusion.-- (1) Conditions.--The tree density modification activities designated under this section for categorical exclusion are covered actions carried out within a treatment area of less than 5,000 acres. (2) Exclusion.--The categorical exclusion provided for under subsection (a) does not apply to-- (A) silvicultural methods that are intended to regenerate whole stands, such as even-aged regeneration harvest, clear