§6543 Watershed Condition Framework

Summary

The Secretary of Agriculture must create and run a Watershed Condition Framework for National Forest System lands. The Framework will check and rate watershed health by looking at water amount and quality, fish and other aquatic life, stream and wetland plants, roads and trails, soils, groundwater‑dependent systems, and land factors like fire risk, vegetation, invasive species, and pests. It must pick up to 5 priority watersheds in each National Forest and up to 2 in each national grassland, using factors like wildfire and flood risk, fish and wildlife, drinking and irrigation water, and effects on forest communities. For each priority watershed the Framework must make a protection and restoration plan that notes the main causes of damage, the key projects to fix them, a schedule, likely partners and funding, and a monitoring program. The Secretary must then set priorities, carry out the plans, and track how well the work restores watershed health. The Secretary must work with nearby non‑Federal landowners and State, Tribal, and local governments and keep the public involved. A Forest Supervisor can fast‑track a watershed as a priority for rehabilitation if a wildfire has badly harmed it and the Burned Area Emergency Response Team’s emergency actions are not enough to restore function. The term "Secretary" here means the Secretary of Agriculture acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.