[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2593 Reported in Senate (RS)]






                                                       Calendar No. 802
110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2593

                          [Report No. 110-370]

To establish a program at the Forest Service and the Department of the 
 Interior to carry out collaborative ecological restoration treatments 
 for priority forest landscapes on public land, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            February 5, 2008

 Mr. Bingaman (for himself, Mr. Domenici, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Allard, 
Mr. Wyden, Mr. Salazar, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Craig, Mr. Akaka, Mr. Crapo, 
 and Mrs. Murray) introduced the following bill; which was read twice 
     and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources

                             June 16, 2008

              Reported by Mr. Bingaman, with an amendment
 [Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed 
                               in italic]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish a program at the Forest Service and the Department of the 
 Interior to carry out collaborative ecological restoration treatments 
 for priority forest landscapes on public land, and for other purposes.

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

<DELETED>SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    This Act may be cited as the ``Forest Landscape 
Restoration Act of 2008''.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 2. PURPOSE.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    The purpose of this Act is to encourage the collaborative, 
science-based ecosystem restoration of priority forest landscapes 
through a process that--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) encourages ecological, economic, and social 
        sustainability;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) leverages local resources with national and 
        private resources;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) facilitates the reduction of wildfire 
        management costs, including through reestablishing natural fire 
        regimes and reducing the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire; 
        and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) demonstrates the degree to which--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) various ecological restoration 
                techniques--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) achieve ecological health 
                        objectives; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) affect wildfire activity and 
                        management costs; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the use of forest restoration 
                byproducts can offset treatment costs while benefitting 
                rural economies and improving forest health.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    In this Act:</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Fund.--The term ``Fund'' means the 
        Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Fund established by 
        section 4(f).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Plan.--The term ``Plan'' means the plan 
        entitled the ``10 Year Comprehensive Strategy Implementation 
        Plan'' and dated December 2006.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Program.--The term ``program'' means the 
        Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program established 
        under section 4(a).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the 
        Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the 
        Forest Service.</DELETED>

<DELETED>SEC. 4. COLLABORATIVE FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORATION 
              PROGRAM.</DELETED>

<DELETED>    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
Secretary of the Interior, shall establish a Collaborative Forest 
Landscape Restoration Program to select and fund ecological restoration 
treatments for priority forest landscapes in accordance with applicable 
law.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (b) Eligibility Criteria.--To be eligible for nomination 
under subsection (c), a collaborative forest landscape restoration 
proposal shall--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) be based on a landscape restoration strategy 
        that--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) is complete or substantially 
                complete;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) identifies and prioritizes ecological 
                restoration treatments for a 10-year period across a 
                landscape that is--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) at least 50,000 
                        acres;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) comprised primarily of 
                        forested National Forest System land, but may 
                        also include other Federal, State, tribal, or 
                        private land;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) in need of active ecosystem 
                        restoration; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iv) accessible by existing or 
                        proposed wood-processing infrastructure at an 
                        appropriate scale to use woody biomass and 
                        small-diameter wood removed in ecological 
                        restoration treatments;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) incorporates--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) the best available science and 
                        scientific application tools in ecological 
                        restoration strategies; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) the requirements for old-
                        growth maintenance, restoration, and management 
                        direction of paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) of 
                        subsection (e) and the requirements for large-
                        tree retention of subsection (f) of section 102 
                        of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 
                        (16 U.S.C. 6512); and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) does not include the establishment of 
                permanent roads;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) be developed and implemented through a 
        collaborative process that--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) includes multiple stakeholders 
                representing diverse interests;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B)(i) is transparent and nonexclusive; 
                or</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (ii) meets the requirements for a resource 
                advisory committee under section 205 of the Secure 
                Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 
                2000 (16 U.S.C. 500 note; Public Law 106-393); 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) has an established record of 
                successful planning and implementation of ecological 
                restoration projects on National Forest System 
                land;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) describe plans to--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) use fire for ecological restoration 
                and maintenance, where appropriate;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) improve fish and wildlife habitat, 
                including for endangered, threatened, and sensitive 
                species;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) maintain or improve water 
                quality;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) prevent, remediate, or control 
                invasions of exotic species;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) maintain or decommission 
                roads;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) use woody biomass and small-diameter 
                trees produced from projects implementing the landscape 
                restoration strategy;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (G) report annually on performance, 
                including through performance measures from the 
                Plan;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (H) develop small business incubators and 
                provide employment and training opportunities to people 
                in rural communities, including contracts for 
                monitoring activities, through--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) local private, nonprofit, or 
                        cooperative entities;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) Youth Conservation Corps 
                        crews or related partnerships, with State, 
                        local, and non-profit youth groups;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) small or micro-businesses; 
                        or</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iv) other entities that will hire 
                        or train a significant percentage of local 
                        people to complete such contracts; 
                        and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (I) take into account any applicable 
                community wildfire protection plan (as defined in 
                section 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 
                2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511));</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) analyze the anticipated cost savings resulting 
        from--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) reduced wildfire management costs; 
                and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) a decrease in the unit costs of 
                implementing ecological restoration treatments over 
                time;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) estimate--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the annual Federal funding necessary 
                to implement the proposal; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the amount of new non-Federal 
                investment for carrying out the proposal that would be 
                leveraged by Federal funding for ecological restoration 
                treatments; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (6) be subject to any other requirements that the 
        Secretary determines to be necessary for the efficient and 
        effective administration of the program.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (c) Nomination Process.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Submission.--Collaborative forest landscape 
        restoration proposals shall be submitted to the appropriate 
        Regional Forester for consideration.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Nomination.--A Regional Forester may nominate 
        collaborative forest landscape restoration proposals for 
        selection by the Secretary.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Documentation.--With respect to each 
        collaborative forest landscape restoration proposal that is 
        nominated under paragraph (2)--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the appropriate Regional Forester 
                shall--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) include a proposal to use 
                        Federal funds allocated to the region to fund 
                        those costs of planning and carrying out 
                        ecological restoration treatments on National 
                        Forest land consistent with the landscape 
                        restoration strategy that would not be covered 
                        by amounts transferred to the Secretary from 
                        the Fund; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) provide evidence that amounts 
                        proposed to be transferred to the Secretary 
                        from the Fund during the first 2 years 
                        following selection would be used to carry out 
                        ecological restoration treatments consistent 
                        with the landscape restoration strategy during 
                        the same fiscal year in which the funds are 
                        transferred to the Secretary;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) if actions under the jurisdiction of 
                the Secretary of the Interior are proposed, the 
                nomination shall require--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) the concurrence of the 
                        appropriate official of the Department of the 
                        Interior; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) a proposal to fund ecological 
                        restoration treatments consistent with the 
                        landscape restoration strategy that would be 
                        carried out by the Secretary of the Interior; 
                        and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) if actions on land not under the 
                jurisdiction of the Secretary or the Secretary of the 
                Interior are proposed, the appropriate Regional 
                Forester shall provide evidence that the landowner 
                intends to participate in, and provide appropriate 
                funding to carry out, the actions.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (d) Selection Process.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) In general.--After consulting with any 
        scientific and technical advisory panels established under 
        subsection (e), the Secretary, in consultation with the 
        Secretary of the Interior, shall, subject to paragraph (2), 
        select the best collaborative forest landscape restoration 
        proposals that--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) have been nominated under subsection 
                (c)(2); and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) meet the eligibility criteria 
                established by subsection (b).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Criteria.--In selecting collaborative forest 
        landscape restoration proposals under paragraph (1), the 
        Secretary shall give special consideration to--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the strength of the ecological case of 
                the proposal for landscape restoration and the proposed 
                restoration strategies;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) the strength of the collaborative 
                process;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) whether the proposal would reduce the 
                relative costs of carrying out treatments as a result 
                of the use of woody biomass and small-diameter 
                trees;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) whether the proposal is likely to 
                achieve reductions in long-term wildfire management 
                costs;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) the strength of the landscape 
                restoration proposal and strategy; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (F) whether an appropriate level of non-
                Federal investment would be leveraged in carrying out 
                the proposal.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Limitation.--The Secretary may select not more 
        than--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) 10 collaborative forest landscape 
                restoration proposals to be funded during any given 
                year; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) 2 collaborative forest landscape 
                restoration proposals in any 1 region of the National 
                Forest System to be funded during any given 
                year.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (e) Advisory Panels.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Scientific advisory panel.--The Secretary 
        shall establish a scientific advisory panel comprised of not 
        more than 12 experts in ecological forest restoration and fire 
        ecology to evaluate, and provide recommendations on, any 
        proposal that has been nominated under subsection (c)(2) and 
        meets the eligibility criteria established by subsection (b) 
        with respect to--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) the strength of the ecological case of 
                the proposal for landscape restoration and the proposed 
                restoration strategies; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) whether the proposal is likely to 
                achieve reductions in long-term wildfire management 
                costs.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Technical advisory panel.--The Secretary may 
        establish a technical advisory panel comprised of experts in 
        rural business development and the use of woody biomass and 
        small-diameter trees to evaluate, and provide recommendations 
        on, any proposal that has been nominated under subsection 
        (c)(2) and meets the eligibility criteria established by 
        subsection (b) with respect to whether the proposal is likely 
        to reduce the relative costs of carrying out treatments as a 
        result of the use of woody biomass and small-diameter trees and 
        provide local economic benefit.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (f) Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Fund.--
</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Establishment.--There is established in the 
        Treasury of the United States a fund, to be known as the 
        ``Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Fund'', to be used 
        to pay up to 50 percent of the cost of carrying out ecological 
        restoration treatments on National Forest System land for each 
        collaborative forest landscape restoration proposal selected to 
        be carried out under subsection (d), consisting of--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) such amounts as are appropriated to 
                the Fund under paragraph (5); and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) any interest earned on investment of 
                amounts in the Fund under paragraph (3).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Expenditures from fund.--On request by the 
        Secretary, the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer from 
        the Fund to the Secretary of Agriculture such amounts as the 
        Secretary of Agriculture determines are necessary to carry out 
        ecological restoration treatments under paragraph 
        (1).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Investment of amounts.--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) In general.--The Secretary of the 
                Treasury shall invest such portion of the Fund as is 
                not, in the judgment of the Secretary of the Treasury, 
                after consulting with the Secretary, required to meet 
                current withdrawals.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) Interest-bearing obligations.--
                Investments may be made only in interest-bearing 
                obligations of the United States.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) Acquisition of obligations.--For the 
                purpose of investments under subparagraph (A), 
                obligations may be acquired--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) on original issue at the issue 
                        price; or</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) by purchase of outstanding 
                        obligations at the market price.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) Sale of obligations.--Any obligation 
                acquired by the Fund may be sold by the Secretary of 
                the Treasury at the market price.</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) Credits to fund.--The interest on, and 
                the proceeds from the sale or redemption of, any 
                obligations held in the Fund shall be credited to and 
                form a part of the Fund.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Accounting and reporting system.--The 
        Secretary shall establish an accounting and reporting system 
        for the Fund.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (5) Authorization of appropriations.--There is 
        authorized to be appropriated to the Fund $40,000,000 for each 
        of fiscal years 2008 through 2018, to remain available until 
        expended.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (g) Program Implementation and Monitoring.--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) Work plan.--Not later than 180 days after the 
        date on which a collaborative forest landscape restoration 
        proposal is selected to be carried out, the Secretary shall 
        create, in collaboration with the interested stakeholders, an 
        implementation work plan and budget to implement the 
        collaborative forest landscape restoration proposal that 
        includes--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) a description of the manner in which 
                the proposal would be implemented to achieve ecological 
                and community economic benefit, including capacity 
                building to accomplish restoration;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) a business plan that addresses--
                </DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) the anticipated unit treatment 
                        cost reductions over 10 years;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) the anticipated costs for 
                        infrastructure needed for the 
                        proposal;</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iii) the projected sustainability 
                        of the supply of woody biomass and small-
                        diameter trees removed in ecological 
                        restoration treatments; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (iv) the projected local economic 
                        benefits of the proposal; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) documentation of the non-Federal 
                investment in the priority landscape, including the 
                sources and uses of the investments.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) Project implementation.--Amounts transferred 
        to the Secretary from the Fund shall be used to carry out 
        ecological restoration treatments that are--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) consistent with the landscape 
                restoration proposal and strategy; and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) identified through the collaborative 
                process described in subsection (b)(2).</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) Annual report.--Annually, the Secretary, in 
        collaboration with the Secretary of the Interior and interested 
        stakeholders, shall prepare a report on the accomplishments of 
        each selected collaborative forest landscape restoration 
        proposal that includes--</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (A) a description of all acres (or other 
                appropriate unit) treated and restored through projects 
                implementing the landscape restoration 
                strategy;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (B) an evaluation of progress, including 
                performance measures and how prior year evaluations 
                have contributed to improved project 
                performance;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (C) a description of community benefits 
                achieved, including any local economic 
                benefits;</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (D) the results of the multiparty 
                monitoring, evaluation, and accountability process 
                under paragraph (4); and</DELETED>
                <DELETED>    (E) a summary of the costs of--</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (i) treatments; and</DELETED>
                        <DELETED>    (ii) relevant fire management 
                        activities.</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) Multiparty monitoring.--The Secretary shall, 
        in collaboration with the Secretary of the Interior and 
        interested stakeholders, use a multiparty monitoring, 
        evaluation, and accountability process to assess the positive 
        or negative ecological, social, and economic effects of each 
        project implementing a selected collaborative forest landscape 
        restoration proposal for not less than 15 years after project 
        implementation commences.</DELETED>
<DELETED>    (h) Report.--Not later than 5 years after the first fiscal 
year in which funding is made available to carry out ecological 
restoration projects under the program, and every 5 years thereafter, 
the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, 
shall submit a report on the program, including an assessment of 
whether, and to what extent, the program is fulfilling the purposes of 
this Act, to--</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (1) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
        of the Senate;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (2) the Committee on Appropriations of the 
        Senate;</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (3) the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
        House of Representatives; and</DELETED>
        <DELETED>    (4) the Committee on Appropriations of the House 
        of Representatives.</DELETED>

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Forest Landscape Restoration Act of 
2008''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purpose of this Act is to encourage the collaborative, science-
based ecosystem restoration of priority forest landscapes through a 
process that--
            (1) encourages ecological, economic, and social 
        sustainability;
            (2) leverages local resources with national and private 
        resources;
            (3) facilitates the reduction of wildfire management costs, 
        including through reestablishing natural fire regimes and 
        reducing the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire; and
            (4) demonstrates the degree to which--
                    (A) various ecological restoration techniques--
                            (i) achieve ecological and watershed health 
                        objectives; and
                            (ii) affect wildfire activity and 
                        management costs; and
                    (B) the use of forest restoration byproducts can 
                offset treatment costs while benefitting local rural 
                economies and improving forest health.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Fund.--The term ``Fund'' means the Collaborative Forest 
        Landscape Restoration Fund established by section 4(f).
            (2) Program.--The term ``program'' means the Collaborative 
        Forest Landscape Restoration Program established under section 
        4(a).
            (3) Proposal.--The term ``proposal'' means a collaborative 
        forest landscape restoration proposal described in section 
        4(b).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service.
            (5) Strategy.--The term ``strategy'' means a landscape 
        restoration strategy described in section 4(b)(1).

SEC. 4. COLLABORATIVE FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORATION PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary 
of the Interior, shall establish a Collaborative Forest Landscape 
Restoration Program to select and fund ecological restoration 
treatments for priority forest landscapes in accordance with--
            (1) the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
        seq.);
            (2) the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 
        U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); and
            (3) any other applicable law.
    (b) Eligibility Criteria.--To be eligible for nomination under 
subsection (c), a collaborative forest landscape restoration proposal 
shall--
            (1) be based on a landscape restoration strategy that--
                    (A) is complete or substantially complete;
                    (B) identifies and prioritizes ecological 
                restoration treatments for a 10-year period within a 
                landscape that is--
                            (i) at least 50,000 acres;
                            (ii) comprised primarily of forested 
                        National Forest System land, but may also 
                        include land under the jurisdiction of the 
                        Bureau of Land Management, land under the 
                        jurisdiction of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 
                        or other Federal, State, tribal, or private 
                        land;
                            (iii) in need of active ecosystem 
                        restoration; and
                            (iv) accessible by existing or proposed 
                        wood-processing infrastructure at an 
                        appropriate scale to use woody biomass and 
                        small-diameter wood removed in ecological 
                        restoration treatments;
                    (C) incorporates the best available science and 
                scientific application tools in ecological restoration 
                strategies;
                    (D) fully maintains, or contributes toward the 
                restoration of, the structure and composition of old 
                growth stands according to the pre-fire suppression old 
                growth conditions characteristic of the forest type, 
                taking into account the contribution of the stand to 
                landscape fire adaptation and watershed health and 
                retaining the large trees contributing to old growth 
                structure;
                    (E) would carry out any forest restoration 
                treatments that reduce hazardous fuels by--
                            (i) focusing on small diameter trees, 
                        thinning, strategic fuel breaks, and fire use 
                        to modify fire behavior, as measured by the 
                        projected reduction of uncharacteristically 
                        severe wildfire effects for the forest type 
                        (such as adverse soil impacts, tree mortality 
                        or other impacts); and
                            (ii) maximizing the retention of large 
                        trees, as appropriate for the forest type, to 
                        the extent that the trees promote fire-
                        resilient stands; and
                    (F)(i) does not include the establishment of 
                permanent roads; and
                    (ii) would commit funding to decommission all 
                temporary roads constructed to carry out the strategy;
            (2) be developed and implemented through a collaborative 
        process that--
                    (A) includes multiple interested persons 
                representing diverse interests; and
                    (B)(i) is transparent and nonexclusive; or
                    (ii) meets the requirements for a resource advisory 
                committee under subsections (c) through (f) of section 
                205 of Public Law 106-393 (16 U.S.C. 500 note);
            (3) describe plans to--
                    (A) reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire, 
                including through the use of fire for ecological 
                restoration and maintenance and reestablishing natural 
                fire regimes, where appropriate;
                    (B) improve fish and wildlife habitat, including 
                for endangered, threatened, and sensitive species;
                    (C) maintain or improve water quality and watershed 
                function;
                    (D) prevent, remediate, or control invasions of 
                exotic species;
                    (E) maintain, decommission, and rehabilitate roads 
                and trails;
                    (F) use woody biomass and small-diameter trees 
                produced from projects implementing the strategy;
                    (G) report annually on performance, including 
                through performance measures from the plan entitled the 
                ``10 Year Comprehensive Strategy Implementation Plan'' 
                and dated December 2006; and
                    (H) take into account any applicable community 
                wildfire protection plan;
            (4) analyze any anticipated cost savings, including those 
        resulting from--
                    (A) reduced wildfire management costs; and
                    (B) a decrease in the unit costs of implementing 
                ecological restoration treatments over time;
            (5) estimate--
                    (A) the annual Federal funding necessary to 
                implement the proposal; and
                    (B) the amount of new non-Federal investment for 
                carrying out the proposal that would be leveraged;
            (6) describe the collaborative process through which the 
        proposal was developed, including a description of--
                    (A) participation by or consultation with State, 
                local, and Tribal governments; and
                    (B) any established record of successful 
                collaborative planning and implementation of ecological 
                restoration projects on National Forest System land and 
                other land included in the proposal by the 
                collaborators; and
            (7) benefit local economies by providing local employment 
        or training opportunities through contracts, grants, or 
        agreements for restoration planning, design, implementation, or 
        monitoring with--
                    (A) local private, nonprofit, or cooperative 
                entities;
                    (B) Youth Conservation Corps crews or related 
                partnerships, with State, local, and non-profit youth 
                groups;
                    (C) existing or proposed small or micro-businesses, 
                clusters, or incubators; or
                    (D) other entities that will hire or train local 
                people to complete such contracts, grants, or 
                agreements; and
            (8) be subject to any other requirements that the 
        Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, 
        determines to be necessary for the efficient and effective 
        administration of the program.
    (c) Nomination Process.--
            (1) Submission.--A proposal shall be submitted to--
                    (A) the appropriate Regional Forester; and
                    (B) if actions under the jurisdiction of the 
                Secretary of the Interior are proposed, the 
                appropriate--
                            (i) State Director of the Bureau of Land 
                        Management;
                            (ii) Regional Director of the Bureau of 
                        Indian Affairs; or
                            (iii) other official of the Department of 
                        the Interior.
            (2) Nomination.--
                    (A) In general.--A Regional Forester may nominate 
                for selection by the Secretary any proposals that meet 
                the eligibility criteria established by subsection (b).
                    (B) Concurrence.--Any proposal nominated by the 
                Regional Forester that proposes actions under the 
                jurisdiction of the Secretary of the Interior shall 
                include the concurrence of the appropriate--
                            (i) State Director of the Bureau of Land 
                        Management;
                            (ii) Regional Director of the Bureau of 
                        Indian Affairs; or
                            (iii) other official of the Department of 
                        the Interior.
            (3) Documentation.--With respect to each proposal that is 
        nominated under paragraph (2)--
                    (A) the appropriate Regional Forester shall--
                            (i) include a plan to use Federal funds 
                        allocated to the region to fund those costs of 
                        planning and carrying out ecological 
                        restoration treatments on National Forest 
                        System land, consistent with the strategy, that 
                        would not be covered by amounts transferred to 
                        the Secretary from the Fund; and
                            (ii) provide evidence that amounts proposed 
                        to be transferred to the Secretary from the 
                        Fund during the first 2 fiscal years following 
                        selection would be used to carry out ecological 
                        restoration treatments consistent with the 
                        strategy during the same fiscal year in which 
                        the funds are transferred to the Secretary;
                    (B) if actions under the jurisdiction of the 
                Secretary of the Interior are proposed, the nomination 
                shall include a plan to fund such actions, consistent 
                with the strategy, by the appropriate--
                            (i) State Director of the Bureau of Land 
                        Management;
                            (ii) Regional Director of the Bureau of 
                        Indian Affairs; or
                            (iii) other official of the Department of 
                        the Interior; and
                    (C) if actions on land not under the jurisdiction 
                of the Secretary or the Secretary of the Interior are 
                proposed, the appropriate Regional Forester shall 
                provide evidence that the landowner intends to 
                participate in, and provide appropriate funding to 
                carry out, the actions.
    (d) Selection Process.--
            (1) In general.--After consulting with the advisory panel 
        established under subsection (e), the Secretary, in 
        consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, shall, subject 
        to paragraph (2), select the best proposals that--
                    (A) have been nominated under subsection (c)(2); 
                and
                    (B) meet the eligibility criteria established by 
                subsection (b).
            (2) Criteria.--In selecting proposals under paragraph (1), 
        the Secretary shall give special consideration to--
                    (A) the strength of the proposal and strategy;
                    (B) the strength of the ecological case of the 
                proposal and the proposed ecological restoration 
                strategies;
                    (C) the strength of the collaborative process and 
                the likelihood of successful collaboration throughout 
                implementation;
                    (D) whether the proposal is likely to achieve 
                reductions in long-term wildfire management costs;
                    (E) whether the proposal would reduce the relative 
                costs of carrying out ecological restoration treatments 
                as a result of the use of woody biomass and small-
                diameter trees; and
                    (F) whether an appropriate level of non-Federal 
                investment would be leveraged in carrying out the 
                proposal.
            (3) Limitation.--The Secretary may select not more than--
                    (A) 10 proposals to be funded during any fiscal 
                year;
                    (B) 2 proposals in any 1 region of the National 
                Forest System to be funded during any fiscal year; and
                    (C) the number of proposals that the Secretary 
                determines are likely to receive adequate funding.
    (e) Advisory Panel.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish and maintain 
        an advisory panel comprised of not more than 15 members to 
        evaluate, and provide recommendations on, each proposal that 
        has been nominated under subsection (c)(2).
            (2) Representation.--The Secretary shall ensure that the 
        membership of the advisory panel is fairly balanced in terms of 
        the points of view represented and the functions to be 
        performed by the advisory panel.
            (3) Inclusion.--The advisory panel shall include experts in 
        ecological restoration, fire ecology, fire management, rural 
        economic development, strategies for ecological adaptation to 
        climate change, fish and wildlife ecology, and woody biomass 
        and small-diameter tree utilization.
    (f) Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Fund.--
            (1) Establishment.--There is established in the Treasury of 
        the United States a fund, to be known as the ``Collaborative 
        Forest Landscape Restoration Fund'', to be used to pay up to 50 
        percent of the cost of carrying out and monitoring ecological 
        restoration treatments on National Forest System land for each 
        proposal selected to be carried out under subsection (d).
            (2) Inclusion.--The cost of carrying out ecological 
        restoration treatments as provided in paragraph (1) may, as the 
        Secretary determines to be appropriate, include cancellation 
        and termination costs required to be obligated for contracts to 
        carry out ecological restoration treatments on National Forest 
        System land for each proposal selected to be carried out under 
        subsection (d).
            (3) Contents.--The Fund shall consist of such amounts as 
        are appropriated to the Fund under paragraph (6).
            (4) Expenditures from fund.--
                    (A) In general.--On request by the Secretary, the 
                Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer from the Fund 
                to the Secretary such amounts as the Secretary 
                determines are appropriate, in accordance with 
                paragraph (1).
                    (B) Limitation.--The Secretary shall not expend 
                money from the Fund on any 1 proposal--
                            (i) during a period of more than 10 fiscal 
                        years; or
                            (ii) in excess of $4,000,000 in any 1 
                        fiscal year.
            (5) Accounting and reporting system.--The Secretary shall 
        establish an accounting and reporting system for the Fund.
            (6) Authorization of appropriations.--There is authorized 
        to be appropriated to the Fund $40,000,000 for each of fiscal 
        years 2009 through 2019, to remain available until expended.
    (g) Program Implementation and Monitoring.--
            (1) Work plan.--Not later than 180 days after the date on 
        which a proposal is selected to be carried out, the Secretary 
        shall create, in collaboration with the interested persons, an 
        implementation work plan and budget to implement the proposal 
        that includes--
                    (A) a description of the manner in which the 
                proposal would be implemented to achieve ecological and 
                community economic benefit, including capacity building 
                to accomplish restoration;
                    (B) a business plan that addresses--
                            (i) the anticipated unit treatment cost 
                        reductions over 10 years;
                            (ii) the anticipated costs for 
                        infrastructure needed for the proposal;
                            (iii) the projected sustainability of the 
                        supply of woody biomass and small-diameter 
                        trees removed in ecological restoration 
                        treatments; and
                            (iv) the projected local economic benefits 
                        of the proposal; and
                    (C) documentation of the non-Federal investment in 
                the priority landscape, including the sources and uses 
                of the investments; and
                    (D) a plan to decommission any temporary roads 
                established to carry out the proposal.
            (2) Project implementation.--Amounts transferred to the 
        Secretary from the Fund shall be used to carry out ecological 
        restoration treatments that are--
                    (A) consistent with the proposal and strategy; and
                    (B) identified through the collaborative process 
                described in subsection (b)(2).
            (3) Annual report.--The Secretary, in collaboration with 
        the Secretary of the Interior and interested persons, shall 
        prepare an annual report on the accomplishments of each 
        selected proposal that includes--
                    (A) a description of all acres (or other 
                appropriate unit) treated and restored through projects 
                implementing the strategy;
                    (B) an evaluation of progress, including 
                performance measures and how prior year evaluations 
                have contributed to improved project performance;
                    (C) a description of community benefits achieved, 
                including any local economic benefits;
                    (D) the results of the multiparty monitoring, 
                evaluation, and accountability process under paragraph 
                (4); and
                    (E) a summary of the costs of--
                            (i) treatments; and
                            (ii) relevant fire management activities.
            (4) Multiparty monitoring.--The Secretary shall, in 
        collaboration with the Secretary of the Interior and interested 
        persons, use a multiparty monitoring, evaluation, and 
        accountability process to assess the positive or negative 
        ecological, social, and economic effects of projects 
        implementing a selected proposal for not less than 15 years 
        after project implementation commences.
    (h) Report.--Not later than 5 years after the first fiscal year in 
which funding is made available to carry out ecological restoration 
projects under the program, and every 5 years thereafter, the 
Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, shall 
submit a report on the program, including an assessment of whether, and 
to what extent, the program is fulfilling the purposes of this Act, 
to--
            (1) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the 
        Senate;
            (2) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
            (3) the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
        Representatives; and
            (4) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
        Representatives.
    (i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary and the Secretary of the Interior such 
sums as are necessary to carry out this Act.
                                                       Calendar No. 802

110th CONGRESS

  2d Session

                                S. 2593

                          [Report No. 110-370]

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL

To establish a program at the Forest Service and the Department of the 
 Interior to carry out collaborative ecological restoration treatments 
 for priority forest landscapes on public land, and for other purposes.

_______________________________________________________________________

                             June 16, 2008

                       Reported with an amendment