; and (C) Protection Projects shall be subject to the requirements of section 106 of title I of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6511 et seq. ). (3) Protection projects The responsible official shall carry out the following forest management activities as Protection Projects under the emergency determination under this section: (A) Activities recommended by the Assessment under section 5. (B) Conducting hazardous fuels management, including mechanical thinning, mastication, and prescribed burning. (C) Removing hazard trees, dead trees, dying trees, or trees at risk of dying, as determined by the responsible official. (D) Removing trees to address overstocking or crowding in a forest stand, consistent with the appropriate basal area of the forest stand as determined by the responsible official. (E) Activities included in the applicable grove-specific hazardous fuels reduction plan. (F) Using chemical treatments to address insects and disease and control vegetation competition. (G) Any combination of activities described in this paragraph. (4) Requirements (A) In general Protection Projects carried out under paragraph (3) and reforestation and rehabilitation activities carried out under this Act that are described by subparagraph (D) 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) Availability The Secretary concerned shall use the categorical exclusion established under subparagraph (A) in accordance with this section. (C) Interagency cooperation (i) Findings Congress finds that Protection Projects carried out under this section are consistent with improving the health and resiliency of critical habitat for threatened and endangered species, including the pacific fisher and California spotted owl. (ii) Consultation The informal consultation requirements in sections 402.05 of title 50 and