Giant Sequoia National Monument Transition Act of 2006

Giant Sequoia National Monument Transition Act of 2006 - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to proceed with and complete each timber sale located within the boundaries of the Giant Sequoia National Monument: (1) that was under contract as of April 15, 2000, the date of the designation of the Monument; or (2) for which a decision notice was signed after January 1, 1999, but prior to December 31, 1999.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) designate the Kings River Demonstration Project in the Sierra National Forest as the "Kings River Research Project" as a means to address disputes over fuels reduction projects and the benefits and impacts related to wildlife, watershed, and other resources; (2) provide, under the Project, for research about the potential positive and negative impacts of fuel reduction and forest health treatments on the Pacific fisher, California spotted owl, and the Kings River watershed; and (3) complete the final environmental impact statement and issue the record of decision for the Project by not later than October 31, 2006. Deems the final environmental impact statement and record of decision, along with all actions implementing the Project, to be in compliance with specified environmental laws, so long as any timber removed under the Project is removed using uneven-aged silvicultural treatments.

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5760 Introduced in House (IH)]








109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 5760

    To fulfill President Clinton's commitments made as part of the 
  designation of the Giant Sequoia National Monument by presidential 
 proclamation to provide a transition from the timber sale program in 
   effect before the designation to the more restrictive management 
   anticipated for the national monument, to promote the Kings River 
Research Project in the Sierra National Forest, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 11, 2006

  Mr. Nunes introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
     Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on 
 Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To fulfill President Clinton's commitments made as part of the 
  designation of the Giant Sequoia National Monument by presidential 
 proclamation to provide a transition from the timber sale program in 
   effect before the designation to the more restrictive management 
   anticipated for the national monument, to promote the Kings River 
Research Project in the Sierra National Forest, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Giant Sequoia National Monument 
Transition Act of 2006''.

SEC. 2. RATIFICATION OF GIANT SEQUOIA NATIONAL MONUMENT TRANSITIONAL 
              TIMBER SALE PROGRAM.

    (a) Completion of Timber Sales Recognized in Designation 
Proclamation.--The Secretary of Agriculture may proceed with and 
complete each timber sale located within the boundaries of the Giant 
Sequoia National Monument--
            (1) that was under contract as of April 15, 2000, the date 
        of the designation of the national monument by Presidential 
        Proclamation No. 7295 (65 Fed. Reg. 24095); or
            (2) for which a decision notice was signed after January 1, 
        1999, but prior to December 31, 1999.
    (b) Completion Terms.--Completion of a timber sale described in 
subsection (a) shall be consistent with the terms of the applicable 
contract or decision notice, and nothing in such contract terms or 
decision notice shall be considered to be arbitrary or capricious under 
any provision of law so long as trees greater than 30 inches in 
diameter at breast height are not harvested for other than safety 
reasons, as determined by the Secretary. Modification or amendment of 
any of the timber sale contract terms or decision notices shall not be 
required.
    (c) Prompt Implementation.--Effective upon the date of the 
enactment of this Act, implementation of the timber sales described in 
subsection (a) may proceed immediately and to completion, 
notwithstanding any previous or future amendments or revisions to the 
Sequoia Land and Resource Management Plan or the Giant Sequoia National 
Monument Management Plan.

SEC. 3. KINGS RIVER RESEARCH PROJECT, SIERRA NATIONAL FOREST.

    (a) Redesignation of Existing Demonstration Project.--The Secretary 
of Agriculture shall designate the Kings River Demonstration Project in 
the Sierra National Forest as the ``Kings River Research Project'' as a 
means to address disputes over fuels reduction projects and the short-
term and long-term benefits and impacts related to wildlife, watershed, 
and other resources.
    (b) Research Purposes.--Under the Kings River Research Project, the 
Secretary shall provide for research about the potential short-term and 
long-term positive and negative impacts of fuels reduction and forest 
health treatments on the Pacific fisher, California spotted owl, and 
the Kings River watershed, including impacts from prescribed burning, 
uneven-aged timber harvest, and possible catastrophic wildfire.
    (c) Implementation.--To expedite implementation of the Kings River 
Research Project, the Secretary shall complete the final environmental 
impact statement and issue the record of decision for the Project not 
later than October 31, 2006.
    (d) Compliance.--Because of unnaturally heavy fuel loads and the 
importance of promptly furthering the understanding of the relationship 
between vegetation management and the impacts on other resources, the 
final environmental impact statement and record of decision for the 
Kings River Research Project, along with all actions implementing the 
Project, including any research, stewardship contracts, vegetation 
management projects, and timber sales, shall be deemed to be in 
compliance with the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning 
Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.), section 14 of the National Forest 
Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a), the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4331 et seq.), and other applicable 
environmental laws, so long as any timber removed under the Project is 
removed using uneven-aged silvicultural treatments.
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