Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act of 2023

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2269 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2269

 To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to permit removal of trees 
    around electrical lines on National Forest System land without 
           conducting a timber sale, and for other purposes.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 12, 2023

 Mrs. Feinstein (for herself and Mr. Padilla) introduced the following 
      bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                  Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

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                                 A BILL


 
 To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to permit removal of trees 
    around electrical lines on National Forest System land without 
           conducting a timber sale, 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 ``Fire Safe Electrical Corridors Act 
of 2023''.

SEC. 2. PERMITS AND AGREEMENTS WITH ELECTRICAL UTILITIES.

    (a) In General.--In any special use permit or easement on National 
Forest System land provided to an electrical utility, the Secretary of 
Agriculture may provide permission to cut and remove trees or other 
vegetation from within the vicinity of distribution lines or 
transmission lines without requiring a separate timber sale, if that 
cutting and removal is consistent with--
            (1) the applicable land and resource management plan; and
            (2) other applicable environmental laws (including 
        regulations).
    (b) Use of Proceeds.--A special use permit or easement that 
includes permission for cutting and removal described in subsection (a) 
shall include a requirement that, if the applicable electrical utility 
sells any portion of the material removed under the permit or easement, 
the electrical utility shall provide to the Secretary of Agriculture, 
acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, any proceeds received 
from the sale, less any transportation costs incurred in the sale.
    (c) Effect.--Nothing in subsection (b) shall require the sale of 
any material removed under a permit or easement that includes 
permission for cutting and removal described in subsection (a).
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