These provisions were enacted through two legislative vehicles
The Stephen Sepp Wildfire Suppression Funding and Forest Management Activities Act, enacted as Division O of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 ( P.L. 115-141 , commonly referred to as the FY2018 omnibus) and signed into law on March 23, 2018. The Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 ( P.L. The federal forest management provisions change how the Forest Service (FS, within the Department of Agriculture (USDA)) and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM, within the Department of the Interior (DOI)) manage their lands. This report begins with background information on the NFS and BLM's public lands and an overview of two laws: the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA). These laws, among others, authorize specific forest management activities and establish procedures relevant to the respective agency's decisionmaking processes for those activities. The report summarizes and analyzes the provisions in the following categories: project planning and implementation, wildland fire management, forest management and restoration programs, and miscellaneous. 2014 Farm Bill Insect and Disease NEPA Categorical Exclusion (CE)

The 2014 farm bill also added a new Section 603 to HFRA, which specified in statute that certain projects intended to reduce the risk or extent of insect or disease infestations within I&D areas would be considered actions categorically excluded from the requirements of NEPA (commonly referred to as the F arm B ill CE ). In addition, both the FY2018 omnibus and the 2018 farm bill each established a new statutory NEPA CE. The 2018 farm bill also included provisions affecting the interagency consultation requirements under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The FY2018 omnibus and 2018 farm bill contained provisions that changed how Congress appropriates funding specifically for wildfire suppression purposes, added specific requirements for wildfire risk mapping (part of preparedness), and added specific reporting requirements. This included reauthorizing the use of procedures intended to expedite the priority projects in NFS areas designated as I&D areas and expanding the definition of an authorized fuel reduction project, as discussed previously in the " Planning and Project Implementation Requirements " section. Section 102(a)(3) of the FY2018 omnibus amended BBEDCA to add a new adjustment to the nondefense discretionary spending limit for wildfire suppression operations. This new adjustment starts in FY2020 and continues for each year thereafter through FY2027. The wildfire funding fix raises several potential concerns for Congress. Congress also has authorized specific forest restoration programs for FS and BLM, or has authorized forest restoration to be one of many activities or land management objectives for other programs. The 115 th Congress established two new programs for FS (watershed condition framework and water source protection), and amended three existing programs: the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP, available only for FS), stewardship contracting authority, and the good neighbor authority. Among other provisions, aspects of these programs allow FS and BLM to partner with various stakeholders in different ways to identify forest restoration needs and perform specified forest management and restoration activities. Miscellaneous Provisions

Both the FY2018 omnibus and the 2018 farm bill enacted various other provisions related to federal forest land, such as designating NFS lands as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Other miscellaneous provisions are related to land acquisition, exchange and disposal; the issuance of special use authorizations for the use or occupancy of federal lands; Secure Rural Schools Act payments, activities, and Resource Advisory Committees; and forest management on tribal lands. Issues for Congress

Congress may consider several issues related to the forestry provisions enacted by the 115 th Congress, including oversight of the agencies' implementation of the new laws. To address these concerns, FS has proposed to increase the scale, scope, and implementation of forest management projects generally, and forest restoration treatments specifically. Many of the provisions enacted by the 115 th Congress aim to improve agency efficiencies by expanding the applicability of procedures intended to expedite the planning and review process for projects, such as hazardous fuel reduction and forest restoration projects. Provisions in each law that do not directly affect forest management are not included.
The 115th Congress enacted several provisions affecting management of the National Forest System (NFS), administered by the Forest Service (in the Department of Agriculture), and the lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM, in the Department of the Interior). The provisions were enacted through two laws: the Stephen Sepp Wildfire Suppression Funding and Forest Management Activities Act, enacted as Division O of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (P.L. 115-141, commonly referred to as the FY2018 omnibus), and the Agricultural Improvement Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-334, Title VIII, commonly referred to as the 2018 farm bill).
Many of the provisions enacted by the 115th Congress affect Forest Service and BLM implementation of two laws: the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the Healthy Forests Restoration Act (HFRA). These laws, among others, authorize specific forest management activities and establish decisionmaking procedures for those activities. The enacted provisions are summarized and analyzed in the following categories: project planning and implementation, wildland fire management, forest management and restoration programs, and miscellaneous. Ongoing issues for Congress include oversight of (i) the agencies' implementation of the new laws, and (ii) the extent these provisions achieve their specified purposes, such as improving agency efficiencies, increasing the scale, scope, and implementation of forest restoration projects, and reducing hazardous fuel levels to mitigate against the risk of catastrophic wildfire.
Both the FY2018 omnibus and 2018 farm bill included provisions that affect Forest Service and BLM decisionmaking processes by changing certain aspects of the NEPA process and the interagency consultation requirements established in Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). For example, each law specified that certain forest management projects would be considered actions categorically excluded from the requirements of NEPA. Also, both laws expanded various authorities originally authorized in HFRA intended to expedite decisionmaking for specific projects. This included reauthorizing the use of procedures intended to expedite priority projects in designated NFS insect and disease treatment areas and amending the definition of an authorized fuel reduction project to include additional activities.
The FY2018 omnibus and 2018 farm bill also contained provisions that affect federal wildland fire management. The FY2018 omnibus directed the Secretary of Agriculture to adapt the national-scale wildfire hazard potential map for use at the community level to inform risk management decisions. Both laws directed Forest Service and DOI to provide annual reports on a variety of wildfire-related metrics. The FY2018 omnibus also changed how Congress appropriates funding specifically for wildfire suppression purposes. The so-called wildfire funding fix authorized an adjustment to the discretionary spending limits for wildfire suppression operations for each year from FY2020 through FY2027. However, statutory spending limits are set to expire after FY2021, meaning that the adjustment is effectively in place for two years.
Congress has established specific forest restoration programs for Forest Service and BLM, or has authorized forest restoration to be one of many activities or land management objectives for some programs. Forest restoration activities address concerns related to forest health, such as improving forest resistance and resilience to disturbance events (e.g., insect and disease infestation or uncharacteristically catastrophic wildfires). The 115th Congress established two new programs for Forest Service (water source protection and watershed condition framework) and amended three others: the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP, available only for Forest Service), stewardship contracting authority, and the good neighbor authority. Aspects of several of these programs allow Forest Service and BLM to partner with various stakeholders in different ways to perform specified forest management and restoration activities.
Both the FY2018 omnibus and the 2018 farm bill enacted various other provisions related to land acquisition, exchange and disposal; the issuance of special use authorizations for the use or occupancy of federal lands; the payments, activities, and Resource Advisory Committees authorized by the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act; and forest management on tribal lands.