To repeal the so-called Forest Service Appeals Reform Act and to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to develop an administrative appeals process for the Forest Service in the same manner as other Federal land management agencies.

To repeal the so-called Forest Service Appeals Reform Act and to authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to develop an administrative appeals process for the Forest Service in the same manner as other Federal land management agencies.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Forest Protection and Wildfire Prevention Act of 2003'.

SEC. 2. FOREST SERVICE ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS PROCESS.

(a) REPEAL OF APPEALS REFORM ACT- Section 322 of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1993 (Public Law 102-381; 16 U.S.C. 1612 note; commonly known as the Appeals Reform Act), is repealed.

(b) AUTHORITY TO ESTABLISH ADMINISTRATIVE APPEALS PROCESS- The Secretary of Agriculture is authorized to issue regulations to establish an administrative appeals process that will serve as the means by which interested persons shall seek administrative redress regarding proposed actions of the Forest Service concerning projects and activities implementing land and resource management plans.

(c) TRANSITION- Until such time as the administrative appeals process authorized by subsection (b) is established and takes effect, section 322 of the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1993, shall continue to apply to proposed actions of the Forest Service concerning projects and activities implementing land and resource management plans notwithstanding the repeal of the section by subsection (a).