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Title 16, ConservationRelease 119-110

§6515 Special Administrative Review Process

Title 16 › CHAPTER 84 — HEALTHY FOREST RESTORATION › SUBCHAPTER I — HAZARDOUS FUEL REDUCTION ON FEDERAL LAND › § 6515

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Agriculture must issue temporary rules within 30 days after December 3, 2003, to create a review process people can use before a final decision on an authorized hazardous fuel reduction project on Forest Service land. That review runs from after the environmental assessment or environmental impact statement is finished until the project’s final approval is issued. The temporary rules take effect when issued, and the Secretary must later issue final rules after allowing a reasonable time for public comment. To use the review, a person must have sent specific written comments about the proposal during scoping or the public comment period for the draft environmental analysis. A person can only file a lawsuit in federal court after finishing either this review or the Department of the Interior’s hearings and appeals. Courts will only hear issues that were raised in the review, though a court can allow an exception if the review would be pointless or unfair, or if needed information was not made available during the review.

Full Legal Text

Title 16, §6515

Conservation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Interim final regulations
(1)In general
Not later than 30 days after December 3, 2003, the Secretary of Agriculture shall promulgate interim final regulations to establish a predecisional administrative review process for the period described in paragraph (2) that will serve as the sole means by which a person can seek administrative review regarding an authorized hazardous fuel reduction project on Forest Service land.
(2)Period
The predecisional administrative review process required under paragraph (1) shall occur during the period—
(A)beginning after the completion of the environmental assessment or environmental impact statement; and
(B)ending not later than the date of the issuance of the final decision approving the project.
(3)Eligibility
To be eligible to participate in the administrative review process for an authorized hazardous fuel reduction project under paragraph (1), a person shall submit to the Secretary, during scoping or the public comment period for the draft environmental analysis for the project, specific written comments that relate to the proposed action.
(4)Effective date
The interim final regulations promulgated under paragraph (1) shall take effect on the date of promulgation of the regulations.
(b)Final regulations
The Secretary shall promulgate final regulations to establish the process described in subsection (a)(1) after the interim final regulations have been published and reasonable time has been provided for public comment.
(c)Administrative review
(1)In general
A person may bring a civil action challenging an authorized hazardous fuel reduction project in a Federal district court only if the person has challenged the authorized hazardous fuel reduction project by exhausting—
(A)the administrative review process established by the Secretary of Agriculture under this section; or
(B)the administrative hearings and appeals procedures established by the Department of the Interior.
(2)Issues
An issue may be considered in the judicial review of an action under section 6516 of this title only if the issue was raised in an administrative review process described in paragraph (1).
(3)Exception
(A)In general
An exception to the requirement of exhausting the administrative review process before seeking judicial review shall be available if a Federal court finds that the futility or inadequacy exception applies to a specific plaintiff or claim.
(B)Information
If an agency fails or is unable to make information timely available during the administrative review process, a court should evaluate whether the administrative review process was inadequate for claims or issues to which the information is material.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Forest Service Pre-Decisional Objection Process Pub. L. 113–79, title VIII, § 8006(b), Feb. 7, 2014, 128 Stat. 913, provided that: “section 428 of division E of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 (16 U.S.C. 6515 note; Public Law 112–74) shall not apply to any project or activity implementing a land and resource management plan developed under section 6 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604) that is categorically excluded from documentation in an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.).” Pub. L. 112–74, div. E, title IV, § 428, Dec. 23, 2011, 125 Stat. 1046, provided that: “Hereafter, upon issuance of final

Regulations

, the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall apply section 105(a) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6515(a)), providing for a pre-decisional objection process, to proposed actions of the Forest Service concerning projects and activities implementing land and resource management plans developed under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1600 et seq.), and documented with a Record of Decision or Decision Notice, in lieu of subsections (c), (d), and (e) of section 322 of Public Law 102–381 ([former] 16 U.S.C. 1612 note), providing for an administrative appeal process: Provided, That if the Chief of the Forest Service determines an emergency situation exists for which immediate implementation of a proposed action is necessary, the proposed action shall not be subject to the pre-decisional objection process, and implementation shall begin immediately after the Forest Service gives notice of the final decision for the proposed action: Provided further, That this section shall not apply to an authorized hazardous fuel reduction project under title I of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6501 et seq.) [probably should be 16 U.S.C. 6511 et seq.].”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

16 U.S.C. § 6515

Title 16, Conservation

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110