[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 93 (Monday, June 28, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7717-S7718]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. BINGAMAN:
  S. 1288. A bill to provide incentives for collaborative forest 
restoration projects on National Forest System and other public lands 
in New Mexico, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and 
Natural Resources.


                    COMMUNITY FOREST RESTORATION ACT

  Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President I rise today to introduce the Community 
Forest Restoration Act of 1999. This legislation provides incentives 
for collaborative forest restoration projects on National Forest System 
and other public lands in New Mexico.
  The densely stocked stands of small diameter trees in New Mexico 
present an increasing danger of catastrophic wildfire that endangers 
peoples' lives and livelihoods. These conditions dramatically reduce 
plant and animal biological diversity, decrease watershed productivity, 
and provide fewer benefits to people. Healthy, productive watersheds 
minimize the threat of catastrophic wildfire, provide diverse wildlife 
habitat, and produce a variety of timber and non-timber products 
including better quality water and increased water flows.

[[Page S7718]]

  My goal is to promote healthy watersheds and reduce the threat of 
catastrophic wildfire, insect infestation, and disease in the forests 
in New Mexico. To do this we must restore and maintain the forest 
ecosystem by reducing the unnaturally high number of small diameter 
trees on Federal, State, and tribal forest lands, and improve the 
utilization of small diameter material.
  This legislation directs the Secretary of Agriculture to create a 
program that provides forest restoration demonstration project grants 
to community organizations. The intent of the program is to encourage 
innovation and collaboration on forest restoration projects among 
stakeholders at the local level, and provide for multi-party assessment 
of those projects.
  Forest restoration activities that empower local organizations to 
implement activities which value local and traditional knowledge can 
help build ownership and civic pride, and can lead to healthy, diverse, 
productive forest ecosystems. This approach will encourage the 
development of industries which are based on the creation and 
maintenance of healthy forest ecosystems. This bill will encourage 
sustainable community development through collaborative partnerships 
that improve communication and joint problem solving. The objective of 
these partnerships is to restore the forests of New Mexico by reducing 
the density of stands that contain an unnaturally high number of small 
diameter trees and improving the use of those trees.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to print the text of the bill 
in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record. as follows:

                                S. 1288

       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 ``Community Forest Restoration 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress finds the following:
       (1) forest lands in New Mexico that are densely stocked 
     with small diameter, even-aged trees can erupt in 
     catastrophic wildfire that can endanger human lives and 
     livelihoods;
       (2) forest lands that are densely stocked with small 
     diameter trees can reduce biodiversity and provide fewer 
     benefits to human communities, wildlife, and watersheds;
       (3) healthy and productive watersheds minimize the threat 
     of catastrophic wildfire, provide abundant and diverse 
     wildlife habitat, and produce a variety of timber and non-
     timber products including better quality water and increased 
     water flows;
       (4) restoration efforts are more successful when there is 
     involvement from neighboring communities and better 
     stewardship will evolve from more diverse involvement; and
       (5) designing demonstration restoration projects through a 
     collaborative approach may--
       (A) lead to the development of cost effective restoration 
     activities;
       (B) empower diverse organizations to implement activities 
     which value local and traditional knowledge;
       (C) build ownership and civic pride; and
       (D) ensure healthy, diverse, and productive forests and 
     watersheds.

     SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

       The purposes of this Act are--
       (1) to promote healthy watersheds and reduce the threat of 
     catastrophic wildfire, insect infestation, and disease in the 
     forests in New Mexico;
       (2) to improve the functioning of forest ecosystems and 
     enhance plant and wildlife biodiversity by reducing the 
     unnaturally high number and density of small diameter trees 
     on Federal, State, and tribal forest lands;
       (3) to improve communication and joint problem solving 
     among individuals and groups who are interested in restoring 
     the diversity and productivity of forested watersheds in New 
     Mexico;
       (4) to promote the use of small diameter trees; and
       (5) to encourage sustainable community and sustainable 
     forests through collaborative partnerships, whose objectives 
     are forest restoration.

     SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

       As used in this Act--
       (1) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of 
     Agriculture acting through the Chief of the Forest Service; 
     and
       (2) the term ``stakeholder'' includes: tribal governments, 
     educational institutions, landowners, and other interested 
     public and private entities.

     SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.

       (a) The Secretary shall establish a cooperative forest 
     restoration program in New Mexico in order to provide cost-
     share grants to stakeholders for experimental forest 
     restoration projects that are designed through a 
     collaborative process (hereinafter referred to as the 
     ``Collaborative Forest Restoration Program''). The Federal 
     share of an individual project cost shall not exceed eighty 
     percent of the total cost.
       (b) Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible to receive 
     funding under this Act, a project shall--
       (1) achieve one or more of the following objectives--
       (A) reducing the danger of catastrophic wildfire and re-
     introducing natural fire regimes on Federal, State, or tribal 
     forest lands;
       (B) restoring healthy, biologically diverse, and productive 
     watersheds on Federal, State, or tribal forest lands or
       (C) improving the use of, or add value to, small diameter 
     trees;
       (2) comply with all Federal and State environmental laws;
       (3) include a diverse and balanced group of stakeholders as 
     well as appropriate Federal, State, and tribal government 
     representatives in the design, implementation, and monitoring 
     of the project;
       (4) incorporate current scientific forest restoration 
     information;
       (5) include a multi-party assessment to report, upon 
     project completion, on the impact and effectiveness of the 
     project including improvements in local management skills and 
     on the ground results;
       (6) create local employment training opportunities within 
     the context of accomplishing restoration objectives, that are 
     consistent with the purposes of this Act, including summer 
     youth jobs programs such as the Youth Conservation Corps 
     where appropriate;
       (7) not exceed four years in length;
       (8) not cost more than $150,000 annually nor $450,000 
     total;
       (9) leverage Federal funding through in-kind or matching 
     contributions; and
       (10) include an agreement by the stakeholders that they 
     will attend an annual workshop with other groups that receive 
     funding pursuant to this Act.

     SEC. 6. SELECTION PROCESS.

       (a) After consulting with the technical advisory panel 
     established in subsection (b), the Secretary shall select the 
     proposals that will receive funding through the Collaborative 
     Forest Restoration Program.
       (b) The Secretary shall convene a technical advisory panel 
     to evaluate the proposals for forest restoration grants and 
     provide recommendations regarding which proposals would best 
     meet the objectives of the Collaborative Forest Restoration 
     Program. The technical advisory panel shall consider current 
     scientific forest restoration information, the effect on long 
     term management, and seek to use a consensus-based decision 
     making process to develop such recommendations. The panel 
     shall be composed of 12 to 15 members to be appointed by the 
     Secretary as follows:
       (1) a State Natural Resource official from the State of New 
     Mexico;
       (2) at least two representatives from Federal land 
     management agencies;
       (3) at least one tribal or pueblo representative;
       (4) at least one academic or other scientist, qualified to 
     address issues of southwestern forest ecology; and
       (5) equal representation from
       (1) conservation interests;
       (2) local communities; and
       (3) commodity interests.

     SEC. 7. MONITORING AND EVALUATION.

       The Secretary shall establish a multi-party monitoring and 
     evaluation process in order to assess the cumulative 
     accomplishments of the Collaborative Forest Restoration 
     Program. The Secretary shall include any interested 
     individual or organization in the monitoring and evaluation 
     process.

     SEC. 8. REPORT.

       No later than five years after the first fiscal year in 
     which funding is made available for this program, the 
     Secretary shall submit a report to the Committee on Energy 
     and Natural Resources of the United States House of 
     Representatives. The report shall include an assessment on 
     whether, and to what extent, the projects funded pursuant to 
     this Act are meeting the purposes of the Collaborative Forest 
     Restoration Program.
                                 ______