Contracts, grants, and agreements to carry out certain ecosystem restoration activities

(a)

Contracts, grants, and agreements

Section 40804 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (16 U.S.C. 6592a) is amended by adding at the end the following:

(g)

Contracts, grants, and agreements

To carry out the ecosystem restoration activities described in subsection (b), the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, may enter into contracts, grants, or agreements with State forestry agencies, local private or nonprofit entities, institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a))), Indian Tribes, and multistate coalitions—(1)for the collection and maintenance of native seeds, including material from managed seed orchards; and(2)for the production of seedlings for revegetation.

(b)

Collaborative forest landscape restoration program

Section 4003(b)(7) of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 7303(b)(7)) is amended—(1)in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting the collection and maintenance of native seeds for revegetation, the production of seedlings, and after or agreements for;(2)by redesignating subparagraphs (B) through (D) as subparagraphs (C) through (E), respectively; and(3)by inserting after subparagraph (A) the following:

(B)institutions of higher education (as defined in section 101(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001(a)));