Third-party contracts for wildfire hazard fuel removal

(a)

In general

Section 604 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c) is amended— (1)in subsection (b), by inserting (including contracts proposed by such entities) after private entities; and (2)in subsection (d), by adding at the end the following:

(8)

Salvage requirements

(A)

In general

A contract or agreement for a stewardship contracting project proposed by a private person or other public or private entity may only be entered into under subsection (b) if— (i)the land management goals of the project include the removal of vegetation; and (ii)at least 10 percent of the vegetation proposed to be removed is salvage. (B)

Salvage defined

For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term salvage includes wildfire kill, beetle kill, and dead or dying organic material. (9)

Notifications and responses

(A)

Notification of opportunity to submit proposals

Not less than once per year, the Chief and the Director shall publicly notice the opportunity to submit proposals for stewardship contracting projects under subsection (b). (B)

Response to proposal

(i)

In general

In the case of a stewardship contracting project proposed by a private person or other public or private entity, the Chief and the Director shall not later than 120 days after receiving such a proposal, provide the person or entity submitting such proposal a response with respect to such proposal. (ii)

Notice of denial

In the case of a response referred to in clause (i) that is a denial, such response may— (I)identify the specific factors that caused, and explain the reasons that support, the denial; and (II)identify potential courses of action for overcoming specific issues that led to the denial. (C)

Rule of construction

Nothing in this paragraph shall be construed as requiring the Chief or the Director to enter into a contract or an agreement with respect to a stewardship contracting project proposed by a private person or other public or private entity. (10)

Environmental review

(A)

In general

Not later than 120 days after the date on which a private person or other public or private entity submits to the Chief or the Director a proposal to enter into a stewardship contracting project under subsection (b), the Chief or the Director may issue public notice of initiation of any necessary environmental review. (B)

Agreements and contracts

Following completion of any necessary environmental review, the Chief or the Director may enter into an agreement or contract with the private person or other public or private entity under subsection (b). (11)

Conflicting proposals

In the case of conflicting proposals for a stewardship contracting project under subsection (b), the Chief and the Director shall have sole discretion in determining which such proposals, if any, are accepted. (12)

Other requirements

A contract or agreement entered into under this section— (A)shall be made on a best value basis, as determined by the Chief and the Director; (B)may not be carried out— (i)on acres that are— (I)included in the National Wilderness Preservation System; or (II)located within an inventoried roadless area; or (ii)on any area where removal of vegetation is prohibited by Federal statute; and (C)may only be carried out if the Chief and the Director determine the stewardship contracting project is in accordance with the forest plan or land and resource management plan applicable to the land on which the project will be carried out.

(b)

Report

Not later than 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit a report to Congress that includes, with respect to the preceding 5-year period, information on— (1)the number of project proposals under section 604 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c) received by the Chief of the Forest Service and the Director of the Bureau of Land Management; (2)the number of contracts and agreements entered into under such section; and (3)the number of acres on which forest thinning and hazardous fuels reduction were carried out pursuant to such contracts and agreements.

Threshold for advertised sales

(a)

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that the threshold above which the Secretary of Agriculture shall advertise timber sales, absent extraordinary conditions, established in section 14(d) of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a(d)), is adjusted by the amendments made by subsection (b) to reflect the inflation that has occurred since the date of enactment of such section and to address any inflation that may occur after the date of enactment of this section. (b)

Threshold adjustment

Section 14(d) of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a(d)) is amended by— (1)striking $10,000 and inserting $55,000; and (2)by adding at the end the following: Beginning the first year after the date of enactment of the Locally Led Restoration Act of 2023, the amount in the first sentence of this subsection shall be adjusted annually by the Secretary for changes in the Consumer Price Index of All Urban Consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor..