text: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
  
      This Act may be cited as the ``Forest Roads-Community Right-To-Know 
  Act''.
  
  SEC. 2. FOREST SERVICE AND BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES FOR 
                PERMANENT CLOSURE OF FOREST ROADS.
  
      (a) Definitions.--In this section:
              (1) Permanent closure.--The term ``permanent closure'', 
          with respect to a forest road, means the closure of the road to 
          vehicular traffic for a continuous period of more than one 
          year. The term includes a road closure of one year or less, or 
          of an unspecified duration, unless the Secretary concerned 
          certifies at the time of the closure that the closure will not 
          extend beyond one year.
              (2) Forest road.--The term ``forest road'' means any road 
          on Federal lands.
              (3) Federal lands.--The term ``Federal lands'' means--
                      (A) lands administered by the Bureau of Land 
                  Management; and
                      (B) lands within units of the National Forest 
                  System.
              (4) State and local government officials.--The term ``State 
          and local government officials'' means elected officials of 
          States and counties within which Federal lands are located.
              (5) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned'' 
          means--
                      (A) with respect to the Federal lands described in 
                  paragraph (3)(A), the Secretary of the Interior; and
                      (B) with respect to the Federal lands described in 
                  paragraph (3)(B), the Secretary of Agriculture.
      (b) Advance Notice of Permanent Road Closures to State and Local 
  Government Officials.--
              (1) Purpose.--The purpose of this subsection is to ensure 
          that the Secretary concerned involves State and local 
          government officials in the process by which the Secretary 
          concerned considers and plans for the potential permanent 
          closure of forest roads on Federal lands.
              (2) Annual meetings required.--At least once each fiscal 
          year, the Secretary concerned shall meet with appropriate State 
          and local government officials to describe all agency plans or 
          proposals that, within the next two fiscal years, will or may 
          result in the permanent closure of forest roads on Federal 
          lands. Such agency plans or proposals include project 
          proposals, land management plan amendments or revisions, 
          resource management plan amendments or revisions, and regional 
          or subregional plans or proposals
              (3) Elements of notice.--At a meeting under paragraph (2), 
          the Secretary concerned shall provide information, using maps 
          and other means, that at a minimum--
                      (A) shows forest roads selected or proposed for 
                  permanent closure;
                      (B) shows traffic patterns and volumes on the roads 
                  over the previous five years; and
                      (C) explains how users of the roads will be 
                  adversely affected with longer travel times or adverse 
                  travel conditions by the permanent closure of the 
                  roads.
              (4) Special rule for first meeting.--At the first meeting 
          conducted under paragraph (2) for a State or local government, 
          the Secretary concerned shall also provide information on all 
          forest roads that have been subject to permanent closure in 
          that State during the previous five years. The information 
          shall include a map showing the location of the forest 
  roads and a description of the methods and costs of the permanent 
  closure of the forest roads.
      (c) Public Notice and Comment Requirements.--
              (1) Local notice.--Before proceeding with the permanent 
          closure of a forest road, the Secretary concerned shall publish 
          an announcement describing the proposed closure in the local 
          newspaper of record for the area likely to be affected by the 
          permanent closure of the road. The announcement shall include a 
          description and map of the forest road selected or proposed for 
          permanent closure and a description of any comments generated 
          regarding the closure in meetings with State and local 
          government officials under subsection (b).
              (2) Comment period.--The permanent closure of a forest road 
          may not take effect until after the end of the 90-day period 
          beginning on the date that the announcement under paragraph (1) 
          was published regarding that road so as to permit the public to 
          submit comments regarding the decision to select or propose the 
          forest road for permanent closure.
      (d) Prohibition on Permanent Road Closures.--The permanent closure 
  of a forest road is prohibited unless--
              (1) advance notice of the permanent closure of the road is 
          provided to the appropriate State and local government 
          officials in the manner provided in subsection (b); and
              (2) the Secretary complies with the public notice and 
          comment requirements under subsection (c).
      (e) Application of Requirements.--The requirements of this section 
  shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act, except that 
  the prohibition contained in subsection (d)(1) shall not apply to 
  prohibit the permanent closure of any forest road implemented during 
  the fiscal year in which this section is enacted.
      (f) Effect on Valid and Existing Rights.--Nothing in this section 
  shall invalidate rights-of-way designated under section 2477 of the 
  Revised Statutes of 1878 (43 U.S.C. 932) or other valid and existing 
  rights, including rights of ingress and egress.
      (g) Compliance With State Laws.--In carrying out this section with 
  respect to a forest road, the Secretary concerned shall comply with the 
  applicable laws of the State in which the forest road is located.
  
  SEC. 3. EMERGENCIES.
  
      (a) Emergency Road Closures.--Subject to subsection (b), the 
  requirements of section 2 shall not apply to emergency road closures 
  where life or property would be endangered or threatened in the absence 
  of the road closure.
      (b) Length of Closure.--If an emergency road closure will extend 
  beyond one year, the Secretary concerned shall comply with the 
  requirements of section 2 within three months after the date on which 
  the emergency road closure commenced.
target: Directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior, prior to making permanent road closings on National Forest System or Bureau of Land Management lands, respectively, to: (1) provide affected State and local officials with advance notice showing affected roads and traffic patterns; and (2) provide for public notice and comment.
  Requires: (1) the Secretaries to meet annually with State and local officials to describe agency proposals that will or may result in permanent road closures within the coming two fiscal years; and (2) information to be provided at the first meeting respecting the previous five years' road closings.
feat_title: Forest Roads-Community Right-To-Know Act