Title 16 — ConservationRelease 119-73

§6516 Judicial review in United States district courts

Title 16 › Chapter CHAPTER 84— - HEALTHY FOREST RESTORATION › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - HAZARDOUS FUEL REDUCTION ON FEDERAL LAND › § 6516

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Court challenges to an approved hazardous fuels reduction project on federal land must be filed only in the U.S. district court for the district where that land is located. The court should move the case quickly, first deciding whether it has the power to hear the case and then, if so, deciding the main legal issues soon after the case is filed. Temporary orders that stop or pause the project may not last more than 60 days, though a court may renew them. Each renewal must include updated project status from each side. When deciding whether to block the work, the court must weigh the short- and long-term effects on the ecosystem of doing the project versus not doing it.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §6516

Conservation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Notwithstanding section 1391 of title 28 or other applicable law, an authorized hazardous fuels reduction project conducted under this subchapter shall be subject to judicial review only in the United States district court for a district in which the Federal land to be treated under the authorized hazardous fuels reduction project is located.

(b)In the judicial review of an action challenging an authorized hazardous fuel reduction project under subsection (a), Congress encourages a court of competent jurisdiction to expedite, to the maximum extent practicable, the proceedings in the action with the goal of rendering a final determination on jurisdiction, and (if jurisdiction exists) a final determination on the merits, as soon as practicable after the date on which a complaint or appeal is filed to initiate the action.

(c)(1)Subject to paragraph (2), the length of any preliminary injunctive relief and stays pending appeal covering an authorized hazardous fuel reduction project carried out under this subchapter shall not exceed 60 days.

(2)(A)A court of competent jurisdiction may issue 1 or more renewals of any preliminary injunction, or stay pending appeal, granted under paragraph (1).

(B)In each renewal of an injunction in an action, the parties to the action shall present the court with updated information on the status of the authorized hazardous fuel reduction project.

(3)As part of its weighing the equities while considering any request for an injunction that applies to an agency action under an authorized hazardous fuel reduction project, the court reviewing the project shall balance the impact to the ecosystem likely affected by the project of—

(A)the short- and long-term effects of undertaking the agency action; against

(B)the short- and long-term effects of not undertaking the agency action.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 6516

Title 16 — Conservation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73