(a) Establishment
The Secretary shall establish the Forest Service Legacy Road and Trail Remediation Program (referred to in this section as the “Program”).
(b) ActivitiesIn carrying out the Program, the Secretary shall, taking into account foreseeable changes in weather and hydrology—
(2) decommission unauthorized user-created roads and trails that are not a National Forest System road or a National Forest System trail, if the applicable unit of the National Forest System has published—
(3) prepare previously closed National Forest System roads for long-term storage, in accordance with subsections (c)(1) and (d), in a manner that—
(4)
decommission previously closed National Forest System roads and trails in accordance with subsections (c)(1) and (d);
(6)
convert National Forest System roads to National Forest System trails, while allowing for continued use for motorized and nonmotorized recreation, to the extent the use is compatible with the management status of the road or trail;
(7) decommission temporary roads—
(C)
(i)
in violation of section 1608(b) of this title, on which vegetation cover has not been reestablished; or
(c) Project selection
(1) Project eligibility
(A) In generalThe Secretary may only fund under the Program a project described in paragraph (3) or (4) of subsection (b) if the Secretary previously and separately—
(B) RequirementEach project carried out under the Program shall be on a National Forest System road or trail, except with respect to—
(ii)
a project carried out on a watershed for which the Secretary has entered into a cooperative agreement under section 1011a of this title.
(2) Annual selection of projects for fundingThe Secretary shall—
(A)
establish a process for annually selecting projects for funding under the Program, consistent with the requirements of this section;
(B)
solicit and consider public input regionally in the ranking of projects for funding under the Program;
(C) give priority for funding under the Program to projects that would—
(iii)
maintain future access to the adjacent area for the public, contractors, permittees, or firefighters; and
(d) ImplementationIn implementing the Program, the Secretary shall ensure that—
(1) the system of roads and trails on the applicable unit of the National Forest System—
(B)
provides for intensive use, protection, development, and management of the land under principles of multiple use and sustained yield of products and services;
(e) Savings clause
A decision to fund a project under the Program shall not affect any determination made previously or to be made in the future by the Secretary with regard to road or trail closures.
(Pub. L. 88–657, § 8, as added Pub. L. 117–58, div. D, title VIII, § 40801(a), Nov. 15, 2021, 135 Stat. 1094.)