National Forest Management Act

(Measure passed House, amended, roll call #749 (305-24))

National Forest Management Act - Amends the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to idenfity and report to Congress annually all lands in the National Forest System which either need to be reforested or are not growing at their best potential rate.

Requires the Secretary to annually transmit to Congress an estimate of the sums necessary to replant and otherwise treat an amount of land equal to the acreage to be cut over that year plus a sufficient portion of those lands currently in need of replanting or treatment so as to eliminate the backlog of lands in need of reforestation within eight years of the enactment of this Act. Requires the Secretary, subsequent to such eight-year period, to annually transmit to Congress an estimate of the sums necessary to replant and treat lands being cut over and to maintain planned timber production on other lands within the National Forest System in order to prevent the development of a backlog larger than the needed work at the beginning of the fiscal year.

Requires the Renewable Resource Assessment to include program recommendations which reflect specified policy objectives.

Directs the Secretary to provide for public participation in the consideration of land and resource management plans for National Forest System lands.

Requires the Secretary to assure that such plans are developed, maintained, and revised so as to: (1) achieve specified goals of the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960; (2) be in accordance with specified guidelines and procedures; and (3) permit the application of silvicultural systems only in conformity with specified standards.

Limits timber sales contracts, in the absence of specified findings, to ten years.

Requires the Secretary to report to Congress on the milling and other wood fiber product fabrication facilities, their location, and their forest supply sources. Requires the Secretary to formulate and implement a process for estimating long-term costs and benefits to support the program evaluation requirements of this Act.

Requires the Secretary to promulgate regulations governing clearcutting and specified silviculture and other forest practices.

Stipulates that, unless the necessity for permanent roads is set forth in the forest development road system plan, roads constructed on land of the National Forest System in connection with a timber contract or other lease or permit shall be designed with the goal of reestablishing vegetative covers on the roadway and other affected areas.

Prohibits the return to the public domain of lands now or hereafter reserved or withdrawn from the public domain as national forests other than by Act of Congress.

Abolishes the National Forest Reservation Commission and transfers the Commission's functions to the Secretary. Requires the Secretary, prior to entering any land purchase or exchange relating to the National Forest System for the types of lands which previously were approved by the National Forest Reservation Commission, to submit to the appropriate Congressional committees a report pertaining to the proposed purchase or transfer. Prohibits concluding such purchase or transfer for 30 days after submission of the report, unless both committees approve the purchase or transfer for an earlier time.

Directs the Secretary to sell trees and forest products found upon National Forest System lands in accordance with policies set forth in the Multiple-Use Sustainted-Yield Act and the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act. Increases to $10,000 in appraised value the maximum value of timber and cordwood which the Secretary may sell without advertisement.

Requires the Secretary to conduct a study of the incidence of Dutch elm disease, including an evaluation of the methods used to control such disease.