[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6503 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6503

To authorize the President to provide assistance to the Governments of 
  Haiti and Armenia to reverse the effects of deforestation, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 2018

  Ms. Clark of Massachusetts introduced the following bill; which was 
              referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the President to provide assistance to the Governments of 
  Haiti and Armenia to reverse the effects of deforestation, and for 
                            other purposes.

    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 ``Haiti and Armenia Reforestation Act 
of 2018''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.

    (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
            (1) the established policy of the Federal Government is to 
        support and seek the protection of forests around the world, 
        which provide a wide range of benefits by--
                    (A) harboring a major portion of the biological and 
                terrestrial resources of Earth;
                    (B) providing habitats for almost \2/3\ of all 
                species on Earth, including species essential to 
                medical research and agricultural productivity;
                    (C) contributing to the livelihood of more than 
                1,600,000,000 people through access to food, fresh 
                water, clothing, traditional medicines, and shelter;
                    (D) ensuring environmental services, such as 
                biodiversity, water conservation, soil enrichment, 
                water supply management, and climate regulation; and
                    (E) absorbing and storing carbon dioxide, as 
                deforestation accounts for approximately 12 percent of 
                the global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions that 
                contribute to global warming;
            (2) while forests cover a little less than \1/3\ of the 
        land area on Earth, approximately 85 percent of Earth's 
        original primary forests have been destroyed, degraded, or 
        fragmented;
            (3) in Haiti--
                    (A) the destruction of forests began centuries ago, 
                when 17th century colonists cut down trees for lumber, 
                fuel, and furniture;
                    (B) the 18th century plantation economy resulted in 
                hillsides near towns being stripped of trees;
                    (C) after gaining independence, deforestation 
                continued as Haiti rebuilt its local economy by growing 
                coffee and exporting timber;
                    (D) in 1923, more than 60 percent of the land was 
                forested, but by the 1940s and 1950s deforestation was 
                accelerating as an increasing population put more 
                pressure on forests;
                    (E) in recent years, urbanization has expanded 
                exponentially and growing cities have depended on 
                charcoal produced by cutting down trees in the 
                countryside;
                    (F) poor forestry and land use policies by the 
                Government of Haiti has exacerbated deforestation, and 
                by 2014, forest cover had decreased to approximately 9 
                to 11 percent of the country; and
                    (G) between 2000 and 2016, 5,430 hectares of forest 
                cover were lost, equal to 6.3 percent of Haiti's tree 
                cover;
            (4) in Armenia--
                    (A) while archeological data indicated that 
                approximately 35 percent of the country was originally 
                forested--
                            (i) less than 12 percent of the country was 
                        covered in forest in 1990; and
                            (ii) less than 6 percent of the country was 
                        covered in forest by 2016; and
                    (B) in August, 2017, a fire caused significant 
                damage to the Khosrov Forest, which is among the 
                world's oldest protected areas, engulfing more than 
                2,733 hectares in flames and causing substantial harm 
                to hundreds of unique plant species;
            (5) economic pressures, resulting from more than 60 percent 
        of the population of Haiti living below the poverty line and 
        29.8 percent of the population of Armenia living below the 
        poverty line--
                    (A) are factors contributing to the deforestation 
                of Haiti and Armenia; and
                    (B) are manifested particularly through the cutting 
                of areas of forest for conversion to agricultural and 
                commercial uses, where wood and charcoal produced from 
                cutting down trees accounts for a major supply toward 
                Haiti's and Armenia's energy sectors;
            (6) forests provide cover to soften the effect of heavy 
        rains and reduce erosion by anchoring the soil with tree roots;
            (7) a significant effect of the deforestation in Haiti and 
        Armenia is soil erosion, which has--
                    (A) lowered the productivity on the land due to the 
                leaching of nutrients in topsoils;
                    (B) worsened the severity of droughts and the 
                effects of landslides and floods;
                    (C) led to further deforestation due to slash and 
                burn practices when eroded areas are no longer 
                productive;
                    (D) increased the pressure on the remaining land 
                and trees in Haiti and Armenia; and
                    (E) significantly decreased water quality and the 
                quantity of freshwater and clean drinking water 
                available to populations;
            (8) research strongly suggests that deforestation increases 
        the risk of infectious diseases, including malaria, dengue 
        fever, SARS, Ebola, Hantavirus, and Zika--
                    (A) by depriving insect and animal carriers of 
                habitat; and
                    (B) by directly increasing their rate of exposure 
                to human populations who are susceptible to zoonotic 
                pathogens;
            (9) both Haiti and Armenia have faced natural disasters in 
        recent years, the effects of which have been exacerbated by 
        deforestation, such as--
                    (A) flooding in Armenia that has swept away or 
                damaged thousands of homes, schools, health clinics, 
                and other institutions, partly because of damage to 
                forests through illegal logging, landslides, and soil 
                erosion;
                    (B) hurricanes in Haiti that have killed thousands 
                and displaced hundreds of thousands more, partly 
                because the clearing of large hillsides enabled 
                rainwater to run off directly into settlements located 
                at the bottom of slopes, causing severe flooding; and
                    (C) the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, which 
                destroyed much of the infrastructure of Port-au-Prince, 
                reduced hillside stability and increased the likelihood 
                of mudslides, soil erosion, and flooding factors, which 
                negatively impacted the water supply and heightened 
                concerns for the spread of waterborne diseases;
            (10) economic benefits for local communities from 
        sustainable uses of forests are critical for the long-term 
        sustainable management of forests in Haiti and Armenia;
            (11) for fiscal years 2015, 2017, and 2018, Congress 
        appropriated funding for market-based reforestation programs in 
        Haiti which have resulted in successful agroforestry 
        activities, increasing crop production and profit, as well as 
        tree cover; and
            (12) reforestation efforts would provide new sources of 
        jobs, income, and investments in Haiti and Armenia by--
                    (A) providing employment opportunities in tree 
                seedling programs, contract tree planting and 
                management, sustainable agricultural initiatives, 
                sustainable and managed timber harvesting, and wood 
                products milling and finishing services; and
                    (B) enhancing community enterprises that generate 
                income through the trading of sustainable forest 
                resources, many of which exist on small scales.
    (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to provide assistance to 
the Government of Haiti and the Government of Armenia to develop and 
implement, or improve, nationally appropriate policies and actions--
            (1) to reduce deforestation and forest degradation, and 
        improve forest management and natural regeneration;
            (2) to increase annual rates of afforestation and 
        reforestation in a sustainable, measurable, reportable, and 
        verifiable manner;
            (3) to restore social and economic conditions for the 
        environmental recovery of the forest cover of Haiti and Armenia 
        to at least 7 percent of total land mass in Haiti and 12 
        percent of total land mass in Armenia (as determined under 
        section 302(a)) not later than 10 years after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act; and
            (4) to improve sustainable resource management at the 
        watershed level.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Afforestation.--The term ``afforestation''--
                    (A) means the establishment of a new forest through 
                the planting of trees on a parcel of land not 
                previously forested; and
                    (B) includes--
                            (i) the introduction of a tree species to a 
                        parcel of nonforested land in which the species 
                        is not a native species; and
                            (ii) the increase of tree cover through 
                        plantations.
            (2) Agroforestry.--
                    (A) In general.--The term ``agroforestry'' means 
                systems in which perennial trees or shrubs--
                            (i) are integrated with crops or livestock; 
                        and
                            (ii) constitute a minimum 10 percent of 
                        ground cover.
                    (B) Inclusion.--Actual forest cover resulting from 
                agroforestry programs may be counted toward the total 
                forest cover goal set forth in section 2(b)(3).
            (3) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
                Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
                of Representatives; and
                    (D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (4) Deforestation.--The term ``deforestation'' means--
                    (A) the conversion of forest to another land use; 
                or
                    (B) the long-term reduction of the tree canopy.
            (5) Forest.--The term ``forest''--
                    (A) except as provided in subparagraph (B), means a 
                terrestrial ecosystem containing native tree species 
                generated and maintained primarily through natural 
                ecological and evolutionary processes, which spans more 
                than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a 
                canopy cover of more than 10 percent or trees able to 
                reach these thresholds in situ; and
                    (B) does not include--
                            (i) plantations, such as crops of trees 
                        planted primarily by humans for the purposes of 
                        harvesting; or
                            (ii) land that is predominantly under 
                        agricultural or urban land use.
            (6) Reforestation.--The term ``reforestation''--
                    (A) means the establishment of forest on lands that 
                were previously considered as forest, but which have 
                been deforested; and
                    (B) includes the increase of tree cover through 
                plantations.

    TITLE I--FORESTATION AND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE TO THE 
           GOVERNMENT OF HAITI AND THE GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIA

SEC. 101. FORESTATION ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Authority.--
            (1) In general.--In accordance with section 118 of the 
        Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151p-1) and 
        consistent with paragraph (2), the President is authorized to 
        provide financial assistance, technology transfers, or 
        capacity-building assistance to the Government of Haiti and to 
        the Government of Armenia for activities to develop and 
        implement 1 or more forestation proposals described in 
        paragraph (2)--
                    (A) to reduce the deforestation of Haiti or 
                Armenia; and
                    (B) to increase the rates of afforestation and 
                reforestation in Haiti or Armenia.
            (2) Proposals.--
                    (A) In general.--Assistance may be provided under 
                this section to the Government of Haiti and to the 
                Government of Armenia to implement 1 or more proposals 
                submitted by either country that contain--
                            (i) a description of each policy and 
                        initiative to be carried out with such 
                        assistance;
                            (ii) adequate documentation to ensure, as 
                        determined by the President, that--
                                    (I) each policy and initiative--
                                            (aa) will be carried out 
                                        and managed in accordance with 
                                        widely accepted, 
                                        environmentally sustainable 
                                        forestry and agricultural 
                                        practices; and
                                            (bb) will be designed and 
                                        implemented in a manner that 
                                        improves the governance of 
                                        forests by building local 
                                        capacity to be transparent, 
                                        inclusive, accountable, and 
                                        coordinated in decision-making 
                                        processes and the 
                                        implementation of the policy or 
                                        initiative; and
                                    (II) the proposals will further 
                                establish and enforce legal regimes, 
                                standards, and safeguards designed to 
                                ensure that members of local 
                                communities in affected areas, as 
                                partners and primary stakeholders, will 
                                be engaged in the design, planning, 
                                implementation, monitoring, and 
                                evaluation of the policies and 
                                initiatives; and
                            (iii) a description of how the proposal 
                        supports and aids forest restoration efforts in 
                        accordance with the purpose set forth in 
                        section 2(b).
                    (B) Determination of compatibility with certain 
                programs.--In evaluating each proposal submitted under 
                subparagraph (A), the President shall ensure that each 
                policy and initiative described in such proposal is 
                compatible with--
                            (i) broader development, poverty 
                        alleviation, sustainable energy usage, and 
                        natural resource conservation objectives and 
                        initiatives in Haiti or in Armenia;
                            (ii) the development, poverty alleviation, 
                        disaster risk management, and climate 
                        resilience programs of the United States Agency 
                        for International Development, including 
                        program involving technical support from the 
                        United States Forest Service; and
                            (iii) activities of international 
                        organizations and multilateral development 
                        banks.
    (b) Eligible Activities.--Any assistance received by the Government 
of Haiti or by the Government of Armenia under subsection (a)(1) shall 
be conditional upon the development and implementation of a proposal 
submitted under subsection (a)(2), which may include--
            (1) the provision of technologies and associated support 
        for activities to reduce deforestation or increase 
        afforestation and reforestation rates, including--
                    (A) fire reduction initiatives;
                    (B) sustainable land use management initiatives;
                    (C) initiatives to increase agricultural 
                productivity;
                    (D) forest law enforcement initiatives;
                    (E) the development of timber tracking systems;
                    (F) the development of cooking fuel substitutes;
                    (G) tree-planting initiatives; and
                    (H) programs that are designed to focus on market-
                based solutions to reduce deforestation and increase 
                reforestation and afforestation, including programs 
                that leverage the international carbon-offset market;
            (2) the enhancement and expansion of governmental and 
        nongovernmental institutional capacity to effectively design 
        and implement a proposal developed under subsection (a)(2) 
        through initiatives, including--
                    (A) the establishment of transparent, accountable, 
                and inclusive decision-making processes relating to all 
                stakeholders (including affected local communities);
                    (B) the promotion of enhanced coordination among 
                ministries and agencies responsible for agro-ecological 
                zoning, mapping, land planning and permitting, 
                sustainable agriculture, forestry, mining, and law 
                enforcement; and
                    (C) the clarification of land tenure and resource 
                rights of affected communities, including local 
                communities;
            (3) the development and support of institutional capacity 
        to measure, verify, and report the activities carried out by 
        the Government of Haiti and by the Government of Armenia to 
        reduce deforestation and increase afforestation and 
        reforestation rates through the use of appropriate methods, 
        including--
                    (A) the use of best practices and technologies to 
                monitor land use change in Haiti and in Armenia, and 
                changes in the extent of natural forest cover, 
                protected areas, mangroves, agroforestry, and 
                agriculture;
                    (B) the monitoring of the impacts of policies and 
                initiatives on--
                            (i) affected communities;
                            (ii) the biodiversity of the environment of 
                        Haiti and Armenia; and
                            (iii) the health of the forests of Haiti 
                        and Armenia; and
                    (C) independent and participatory forest 
                monitoring; and
            (4) the development of and coordination with watershed 
        restoration programs in Haiti and Armenia, including--
                    (A) agreements between the Government of Haiti or 
                the Government of Armenia and nongovernmental 
                organizations or private sector partners to provide 
                technical assistance, capacity building, or technology 
                transfers which support the environmental recovery of 
                Haiti's and Armenia's watersheds through forest 
                restoration activities if such assistance will--
                            (i) strengthen economic drivers of 
                        sustainable resource inventory mapping and 
                        management;
                            (ii) reduce environmental vulnerability; or
                            (iii) improve governance, planning, and 
                        community action of watersheds in Haiti and 
                        Armenia;
                    (B) actions to support economic incentives for 
                sustainable resource management, including enhanced 
                incentives for the replacement of annual hillside 
                cropping with perennial and non-erosive production 
                systems;
                    (C) enhanced extension services supporting the 
                sustainable intensification of agriculture to increase 
                farmer incomes and reduce pressure on degraded land; 
                and
                    (D) investments in watershed infrastructure to 
                reduce environmental vulnerability, including the 
                establishment of appropriate erosion control measures 
                through reforestation activities in targeted watersheds 
                or sub-watersheds.
    (c) Development of Performance Metrics.--
            (1) In general.--If the President provides assistance to 
        the Government of Haiti or the Government of Armenia under 
        subsection (a)(1), the President, in cooperation with such 
        government, shall develop appropriate performance metrics to 
        measure, verify, and report--
                    (A) the implementation of each policy and 
                initiative to be carried out by the Government of Haiti 
                or the Government of Armenia, as the case may be;
                    (B) the progress of each policy and initiative with 
                respect to the forests of Haiti and Armenia; and
                    (C) impacts of reforestation policies and 
                initiatives on the local communities of Haiti and 
                Armenia.
            (2) Requirements.--Performance metrics developed under 
        paragraph (1) shall include, to the maximum extent practicable, 
        short-term and long-term metrics to evaluate the implementation 
        of each policy and initiative contained in each proposal 
        developed under subsection (a)(2).
    (d) Reports.--
            (1) Initial report.--Not later than 18 months after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit a 
        report to the appropriate committees of Congress that describes 
        the actions the President has taken, or plans to take--
                    (A) to engage with the Government of Haiti and the 
                Government of Armenia, nongovernmental stakeholders, 
                civil society, and public and private nonprofit 
                organizations to implement this section; and
                    (B) to enter into agreements with the Government of 
                Haiti and with the Government of Armenia under 
                subsection (a)(1).
            (2) Biennial reports.--Not later than 2 years after the 
        date on which the President first provides assistance to the 
        Government of Haiti or the Government of Armenia under 
        subsection (a)(1), and biennially thereafter, the President 
        shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of Congress 
        that describes the progress made by the Government of Haiti and 
        by the Government of Armenia in implementing each policy and 
        initiative contained in the proposal submitted by each such 
        government under subsection (a)(2).
    (e) Additional Assistance.--
            (1) In general.--The President is authorized to provide 
        financial and other assistance to the Government of Haiti, the 
        Government of Armenia, local government bodies, or 
        nongovernmental organizations--
                    (A) to provide information to local communities 
                relating to each policy and initiative to be carried 
                out by the Government of Haiti or by the Government of 
                Armenia with assistance made available under subsection 
                (a)(1);
                    (B) to promote effective participation by local 
                communities in the design, implementation, and 
                independent monitoring of each policy and initiative;
                    (C) to promote, in support of sustainable 
                forestation activities, enhanced watershed governance, 
                national planning, and community action programs that 
                increase--
                            (i) the development of national watershed 
                        management policies for Haiti and for Armenia 
                        by the appropriate government ministries and 
                        agencies;
                            (ii) the establishment of an effective 
                        forum for donor coordination related to 
                        management and reforestation in Haiti and 
                        Armenia;
                            (iii) support for the Centre National de 
                        l'Information Geo-Spatiale (CNIGS), the Center 
                        for Ecological-Noosphere Studies (CENS), and 
                        the United States Forest Service to provide 
                        technology, data, and monitoring support for 
                        improved watershed and forest resource 
                        management at a national scale in Haiti and in 
                        Armenia; and
                            (iv) development of effective governance 
                        structures in Haiti and in Armenia for 
                        stakeholder engagement, coordination of 
                        approaches, land use planning, and disaster 
                        mitigation at the watershed scale; and
                    (D) to meet the goals of this Act.
            (2) Termination of direct funding.--If the President 
        determines that the goals of this Act are not being 
        appropriately and efficiently met with the assistance provided 
        under this section, the President may terminate such assistance 
        to either the Government of Haiti or the Government of Armenia, 
        as appropriate.
    (f) Minimum Country Reforestation Fund Percentage.--Not less than 
85 percent of amounts provided for programs under this section shall be 
spent on actual reforestation activities in Haiti and Armenia, which 
may include the protection of reforested areas.
    (g) Sunset.--
            (1) In general.--The authority under this section shall 
        terminate on the date that is 10 years after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, or the date that is 10 years after an 
        extension under paragraph (2), unless the President certifies 
        to the appropriate committees of Congress that--
                    (A) effective and sustainable programs are in place 
                through the Government of Haiti, the Government of 
                Armenia, or local governments in Haiti or in Armenia, 
                in potential partnership with international donors, 
                nongovernmental organizations, or civil society groups, 
                to protect and manage areas reforested with assistance 
                provided under this Act; and
                    (B) additional time is necessary to accomplish the 
                goals of this Act.
            (2) Extensions.--If a certification is made under paragraph 
        (1), the authority under this section shall be extended for an 
        additional 10-year term. Not more than 2 extensions are 
        permitted under this paragraph.

                   TITLE II--GRANTS FOR REFORESTATION

SEC. 201. REFORESTATION GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--The President is authorized to establish a 
grant program to carry out the purpose described in section 2(b), 
including reversing deforestation and improving reforestation and 
afforestation in Haiti and in Armenia.
    (b) Grants Authorized.--
            (1) In general.--The President is authorized to award 
        grants and contracts, for a period not to exceed 3 years, to 
        carry out projects that, in the aggregate, reverse 
        deforestation and improve reforestation and afforestation in 
        Haiti or in Armenia.
            (2) Maximum amount.--
                    (A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph 
                (B), the President may not award a grant under this 
                section in an amount greater than $500,000 per year.
                    (B) Exception.--The President may award a grant 
                under this section in an amount greater than $500,000 
                per year if the President determines that the recipient 
                of the grant has demonstrated success with respect to a 
                project that was funded under this section.
    (c) Use of Funds.--
            (1) In general.--Grants awarded pursuant to subsection (b) 
        may be used--
                    (A) to provide a financial incentive to protect 
                forests;
                    (B) to provide hands-on management and oversight of 
                replanting efforts;
                    (C) to support sustainable, income-generating, 
                forest-related economic growth;
                    (D) to provide--
                            (i) seed money to start cooperative 
                        reforestation and afforestation efforts; and
                            (ii) subsequent conditional funding for 
                        such efforts contingent upon required tree care 
                        and maintenance activities;
                    (E) to promote the widespread use of--
                            (i) improved cooking stove technologies 
                        that do not involve the harvesting of forest 
                        growth; and
                            (ii) other renewable fuel technologies that 
                        reduce deforestation and improve human health; 
                        and
                    (F) to secure the involvement and commitment of 
                local communities--
                            (i) to protect forests in existence as of 
                        the date of the enactment of this Act; and
                            (ii) to partner in and carry out 
                        afforestation and reforestation activities.
            (2) Local community participation.--Activities to secure 
        the participation of local communities under paragraph (1)(F) 
        should include 1 or more of the following activities:
                    (A) Creation of local jobs involving establishing, 
                protecting, and managing reforested areas.
                    (B) Collaboration to analyze biodiversity and 
                ecosystem services integral to sustainability and 
                business decisions.
                    (C) Cooperative conservation programs, including--
                            (i) working with local water sources to 
                        ensure clean water through improved forestland 
                        and watershed; or
                            (ii) working with food suppliers to ensure 
                        sustainable agroforestry products.
            (3) Consistency with proposals.--To the maximum extent 
        practicable, projects using grant funds shall support, and be 
        consistent with, the proposal developed under section 101(a)(2) 
        that is the subject of the project.
    (d) Application.--
            (1) In general.--An entity desiring a grant under this 
        section shall submit an application at such time, in such 
        manner, and containing such information as the President may 
        reasonably require.
            (2) Content.--Each application submitted under paragraph 
        (1)--
                    (A) should be consistent with the findings, 
                recommendations, and ongoing work relating to--
                            (i) the United States Agency for 
                        International Development Haiti Reforestation 
                        Project for Haiti; or
                            (ii) the 2009 United States Agency for 
                        International Development report entitled 
                        ``Biodiversity Analysis Update for Armenia 
                        Final Report: Prosperity, Livelihoods, and 
                        Conserving Ecosystems (PLACE) IQC Task Order 
                        #4''; and
                    (B) shall include--
                            (i) a description of the objectives to be 
                        attained;
                            (ii) a description of the manner in which 
                        grant funds will be used;
                            (iii) a plan for evaluating the success of 
                        the project based on verifiable evidence; and
                            (iv) to the extent that the applicant 
                        intends to use nonnative species in 
                        afforestation efforts--
                                    (I) an explanation of the benefit 
                                of using nonnative species rather than 
                                native species; and
                                    (II) verification that the species 
                                to be used are not invasive.
            (3) Preference for certain projects.--In awarding grants 
        under this section, preference shall be given to applicants 
        that propose--
                    (A) to develop market-based solutions to the 
                challenges of reforestation in Haiti and Armenia, 
                including the use of conditional cash transfers and 
                similar financial incentives to protect reforestation 
                efforts;
                    (B) to partner with local communities and 
                cooperatives; and
                    (C) to focus on efforts that build local capacity 
                to sustain growth after the completion of the 
                underlying grant project.
    (e) Dissemination of Information.--The President shall collect and 
widely disseminate information about the effectiveness of the 
demonstration projects assisted under this section.

SEC. 202. FOREST PROTECTION PROGRAMS.

    Chapter 7 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
U.S.C. 2281 et seq.) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating sections 461 through 466 as sections 
        471 through 476, respectively; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:

``SEC. 477. PILOT PROGRAM FOR HAITI.

    ``(a) Submission of List of Areas of Severely Degraded Natural 
Resources.--The President, in cooperation with nongovernmental 
conservation organizations, shall invite the Government of Haiti to 
submit a list of areas within Haiti in which forests are seriously 
degraded or threatened.
    ``(b) Review of List.--The President shall--
            ``(1) analyze the areas on the list submitted by the 
        Government of Haiti under subsection (a); and
            ``(2) seek to reach an agreement with the Government of 
        Haiti to assist with the restoration and future sustainable use 
        of such areas.
    ``(c) Grant Program.--
            ``(1) Grants authorized.--The President is authorized to 
        award grants to nongovernmental organizations, on such terms 
        and conditions as may be necessary, for the purchase on the 
        open market of discounted debt of the Government of Haiti, if a 
        market is determined to be viable, in exchange for commitments 
        by the Government of Haiti--
                    ``(A) to restore forests identified pursuant to 
                subsection (a); or
                    ``(B) to develop plans for sustainable use of such 
                forests.
            ``(2) Management of protected areas.--Each recipient of a 
        grant under this subsection shall participate in the ongoing 
        management of the area or areas protected pursuant to such 
        grant.
            ``(3) Matching of grant funds.--Any United States funding 
        provided to a nongovernmental organization under this 
        subsection should be matched by an equal or greater amount of 
        funding from the nongovernmental organization. Such matching 
        funds may include funding provided by other international 
        donors, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropic bodies, 
        corporations or other private entities, institutions of higher 
        learning, the Government of Haiti, or other non-United States 
        Government sources.
            ``(4) Minimum country reforestation fund percentage.--Not 
        less than 85 percent of grant funds provided under this 
        subsection shall be spent on actual reforestation activities in 
        Haiti, which may include the protection of reforested areas.
            ``(5) Retention of proceeds.--Notwithstanding any other 
        provision of law, a grantee (or any subgrantee) under this 
        subsection may retain, without deposit in the Treasury of the 
        United States and without further appropriation by Congress--
                    ``(A) interest earned on the proceeds of any 
                resulting debt-for-nature exchange pending the 
                disbursements of such proceeds; and
                    ``(B) interest for approved program purposes, which 
                may include the establishment of an endowment, the 
                income of which is used for such purposes.
            ``(6) Sunset.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The authority to award grants 
                under this subsection shall terminate on the date that 
                is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act 
                unless the President determines and certifies to 
                Congress that--
                            ``(i) the grant program under this 
                        subsection has been effective in meeting the 
                        goals of the Haiti and Armenia Reforestation 
                        Act of 2018; and
                            ``(ii) the Government of Haiti has 
                        committed to returning land in Haiti to long-
                        term sustainable forests.
                    ``(B) Renewal.--If the President makes a 
                certification under subparagraph (A), the authority to 
                award grants under this subsection may be renewed for 1 
                additional 5-year period.

``SEC. 478. PILOT PROGRAM FOR ARMENIA.

    ``(a) Submission of List of Areas of Severely Degraded Natural 
Resources.--The President, in cooperation with nongovernmental 
conservation organizations, shall invite the Government of Armenia to 
submit a list of areas within the territory of Armenia in which forests 
are seriously degraded or threatened.
    ``(b) Review of List.--The President shall--
            ``(1) analyze the areas on the list submitted by the 
        Government of Armenia under subsection (a); and
            ``(2) seek to reach an agreement with the Government of 
        Armenia for the restoration and future sustainable use of such 
        areas.
    ``(c) Debt Forgiveness Agreement.--
            ``(1) Debt forgiveness.--The President is authorized to 
        forgive debt owed to the United States by the Government of 
        Armenia in exchange for commitments by the Government of 
        Armenia--
                    ``(A) to restore forests identified by the 
                Government under subsection (a); or
                    ``(B) to develop plans for sustainable use of such 
                forests.
            ``(2) Management of protected areas.--The Government of 
        Armenia shall participate in the ongoing management of the area 
        or areas protected pursuant to such debt relief.
            ``(3) Minimum country reforestation fund percentage.--Not 
        less than 85 percent of funds that qualify under a debt relief 
        agreement under this section shall be spent on actual 
        reforestation activities in Armenia, which may include the 
        protection of reforested areas or of existing forests.
            ``(4) Termination of program.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The authority to offer debt 
                relief under this subsection shall terminate on the 
                date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of 
                this Act unless the President determines and certifies 
                to Congress that--
                            ``(i) the debt forgiveness pilot program 
                        under this subsection has been effective in 
                        meeting the goals of the Haiti and Armenia 
                        Reforestation Act of 2018; and
                            ``(ii) the Government of Armenia has 
                        committed to returning land in Armenia to long-
                        term sustainable forests.
                    ``(B) Renewal.--If the President makes a 
                certification under subparagraph (A), the authority to 
                forgive debt under this subsection may be renewed for 1 
                additional 5-year period.''.

                  TITLE III--ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION

SEC. 301. DELEGATION.

    The President, or the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development or the Secretary of State, acting as the 
President's delegate, may draw on the expertise of the United States 
Forest Service and the United States Agency for International 
Development in designing and implementing programs under this Act 
relating to reforestation, watershed restoration, and monitoring of 
land use change.

SEC. 302. DETERMINATION AND MONITORING OF FOREST LEVELS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Chief of the United States Forest Service, 
in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development, using the latest available Landsat data, 
shall--
            (1) determine the current level of forest cover in Haiti 
        and the current level of forest cover in Armenia, expressed as 
        a percentage of each country's total land mass; and
            (2) submit this information to the appropriate committees 
        of Congress.
    (b) Updates.--The Chief of the United States Forest Service, in 
consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for 
International Development, shall submit an annual report to the 
appropriate committees of Congress that contains an updated 
determination, using the latest available Landsat data, of the level of 
forest cover in Haiti and the level of forest cover in Armenia.
    (c) Use of Determinations.--Each determination under subsection 
(a)(1) and each updated determination under subsection (b) shall be 
used for the purposes of setting and achieving the goals described in 
section 2(b)(3).
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