United States · Amendment · HAMDT

HAMDT 137 (108th)

An amendment in the nature of a substitute printed in Part B of House Report 108-239 would allow for projects within one-half mile of threatened communities to be "categorically excluded" from the National Environmental Policy Act; to codify the Bush Administration's guidance to regarding the preparation environmental documents for projects in watersheds and outside of the one-half mile zone; would focus critical federal resources on the need to protect communities; would provide for an up-front collaborative process that brings communities and federal land managers together to identify and prioritize areas most in need of thinning; would give new authority to federal land managers to enter into cooperative agreements with local and state governments, local fire districts, and homeowner associations to plan projects across ownership boundaries; and would require that 85 percent of funding be spent around homes, communities, or in a watershed.