Act to Save America's Forests

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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 110th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.

D EshooSponsor

71 cosponsors · 70 D, 1 R

70 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.

Act to Save America's Forests - Amends the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 to revise eligibility criteria for members of the land and resource management scientific committee. Revises the committee termination date.

What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Sep 25, 2008

Directs the Chief of the Forest Service, the Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management to each prepare a continuous inventory of forest land administered by each agency head and to document whole-system measures that will be taken as a result of the inventory.

Requires the Secretary of Agriculture to provide for conservation and restoration of native biodiversity in forested areas.

Prohibits clearcutting or other even-age logging operations on any stand or watershed on certain federal land, National Forest System land, and National Wildlife Refuge System land. Provides for federal enforcement and a private right of action.

Designates special areas which shall be subject to restrictions on road construction and logging in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Requires the Secretaries concerned to appoint a committee of independent scientists to recommend additional special areas.

Restricts road construction and logging on federal land in ancient forests, special areas, roadless areas, and watershed protection areas. Provides for federal enforcement and a private right of action.

States that this Act and the amendments made by this Act shall not apply to federal wilderness areas designated under the Wilderness Act.

Adds specified land to the Giant Sequoia National Monument. Transfers administrative jurisdiction over the Monument from the Secretary to the Secretary of the Interior. Establishes the Giant Sequoia National Monument Advisory Board.

Adds specified parts of Sequoia National Forest that are not included in the Monument to: (1) Sierra National Forest; and (2) Inyo National Forest.

Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct reconnaissance surveys of areas classified as Level III ecoregions of the continental United States by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine if there are resources that possess national significance and to evaluate their suitability for inclusion as units of the National Park System. Requires the appointment of a committee of scientists to provide the Secretary and Congress with advice and counsel on such surveys.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov

About this bill and sources

Official title: Act to Save America's Forests

Latest action (Nov 19, 2008): Referred to the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry.

Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources · Origin: House · Introduced: Sep 25, 2008

Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)

No recorded floor vote found.