Accelerating Forest Management Act

Streamlined Forest Management: By categorizing salvage harvesting as excluded from environmental assessments, the bill allows for faster actions regarding dead or dying trees (Section 2(a)).

Resource Re-establishment: The definition of covered actions includes seeding or planting which is necessary to accelerate the re-establishment of native species (Section 2(c)(2)).

Extended Funding: The bill extends the Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery Fund to the year 2033, providing continued financial support for forest ecosystems (Section 3).

Controlled Road Infrastructure: The bill allows for the maintenance of existing roads and the construction of new permanent or temporary roads to facilitate harvesting (Section 2(b)(1) and (2)).

Reduced Environmental Review: Salvage harvesting activities will be exempt from the preparation of environmental assessments or environmental impact statements (Section 2(a)).

Land Disturbance Requirements: Harvesting activities involve the cutting, yarding, and removal of both dead or dying trees and live trees needed for operations (Section 2(c)(2)).

Road Construction and Use: The bill allows for the construction of up to 1 mile of new permanent roads and various temporary roads to facilitate harvesting (Section 2(b)(2)(A) and (C)).

Resource Management Requirements: Actions must include documentation regarding several resource considerations, such as soil compaction, erosion control, and invasive species (Section 2(b)(2)(D)).