[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2401 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2401

  To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the 
  Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with State foresters 
 authorizing State foresters to provide certain forest, rangeland, and 
             watershed restoration and protection services.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 17, 2013

  Mr. Cotton introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
  Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on 
Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the 
                jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the 
  Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with State foresters 
 authorizing State foresters to provide certain forest, rangeland, and 
             watershed restoration and protection services.

    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 ``Good Neighbor Forestry Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Eligible state.--The term ``eligible State'' means a 
        State that contains National Forest System land or Bureau of 
        Land Management land.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means--
                    (A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to 
                National Forest System land; or
                    (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to 
                Bureau of Land Management land.
            (3) State forester.--The term ``State forester'' means the 
        head of a State agency with jurisdiction over State forestry 
        programs in an eligible State.

SEC. 3. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS AND CONTRACTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary may enter into a cooperative 
agreement or contract (including a sole source contract) with a State 
forester to authorize the State forester to provide the forest, 
rangeland, and watershed restoration, management, and protection 
services described in subsection (b) on National Forest System land or 
Bureau of Land Management land, as applicable, in the eligible State.
    (b) Authorized Services.--The forest, rangeland, and watershed 
restoration, management, and protection services referred to in this 
section include the conduct of--
            (1) activities to treat insect-infected forests;
            (2) activities to reduce hazardous fuels;
            (3) activities involving commercial harvesting or other 
        mechanical vegetation treatments; or
            (4) any other activities to restore or improve forest, 
        rangeland, and watershed health, including fish and wildlife 
        habitat
    (c) State as Agent.--Except as provided in subsection (f), a 
cooperative agreement or contract entered into under subsection (a) may 
authorize the State forester to serve as the agent for the Secretary in 
providing the restoration, management, and protection services 
authorized under subsection (a).
    (d) Subcontracts.--In accordance with applicable contract 
procedures for the eligible State, a State forester may enter into 
subcontracts to provide the restoration, management, and protection 
services authorized under a cooperative agreement or contract entered 
into under subsection (a).
    (e) Timber Sales.--Subsections (d) and (g) of section 14 of the 
National Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a) shall not apply 
to services performed under a cooperative agreement or contract entered 
into under subsection (a).
    (f) Retention of NEPA Responsibilities.--Any decision required to 
be made under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.) with respect to any restoration, management, and 
protection services to be provided under this Act by a State forester 
on National Forest System land or Bureau of Land Management land, as 
applicable, shall not be delegated to a State forester or any other 
officer or employee of the eligible State.
    (g) Applicable Law.--The restoration, management, and protection 
services to be provided under this Act shall be carried out on a 
project-to-project basis under existing authorities of the Forest 
Service or Bureau of Land Management, as applicable.
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