[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 125 (Wednesday, July 25, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5369-S5373]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Mr. Nelson):
  S. 3272. 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; to the Committee on Foreign 
Relations.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 3272

       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

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       (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) Congress appropriated funding for fiscal years 2015, 
     2017, and 2018 to support market-based reforestation programs 
     in Haiti, which have resulted in successful agroforestry 
     activities that have increased crop production, profits, and 
     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

[[Page S5371]]

       (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

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     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) securing 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.

[[Page S5373]]

       ``(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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