[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 138 (Tuesday, August 3, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S5746]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 2363. Mr. BENNET (for himself and Mr. Hoeven) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 2137 proposed by Mr.
Schumer (for Ms. Sinema (for herself, Mr. Portman, Mr. Manchin, Mr.
Cassidy, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Collins, Mr. Tester, Ms. Murkowski, Mr.
Warner, and Mr. Romney)) to the bill H.R. 3684, to authorize funds for
Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs,
and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as
follows:
At the end of title VIII of division D, add the following:
SEC. 408_____. JOINT CHIEFS LANDSCAPE RESTORATION PARTNERSHIP
PROGRAM.
(a) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Chiefs.--The term ``Chiefs'' means the Chief of the
Forest Service and the Chief of the Natural Resources
Conservation Service.
(2) Eligible activity.--The term ``eligible activity''
means an activity--
(A) to reduce the risk of wildfire;
(B) to protect water quality and supply; or
(C) to improve wildlife habitat for at-risk species.
(3) Program.--The term ``program'' means the Joint Chiefs
Landscape Restoration Partnership program established under
subsection (b)(1).
(4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Agriculture.
(5) Wildland-urban interface.--The term ``wildland-urban
interface'' has the meaning given the term in section 101 of
the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511).
(b) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a Joint
Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership program to improve
the health and resilience of forest landscapes across
National Forest System land and State, Tribal, and private
land.
(2) Administration.--The Secretary shall administer the
program by coordinating eligible activities conducted on
National Forest System land and State, Tribal, or private
land across a forest landscape to improve the health and
resilience of the forest landscape by--
(A) assisting producers and landowners in implementing
eligible activities on eligible private or Tribal land using
the applicable programs and authorities administered by the
Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service under
title XII of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801 et
seq.), not including the conservation reserve program
established under subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D of
that title (16 U.S.C. 3831 et seq.); and
(B) conducting eligible activities on National Forest
System land or assisting landowners in implementing eligible
activities on State, Tribal, or private land using the
applicable programs and authorities administered by the Chief
of the Forest Service.
(c) Selection of Eligible Activities.--The appropriate
Regional Forester and State Conservationist shall jointly
submit to the Chiefs on an annual basis proposals for
eligible activities under the program.
(d) Evaluation Criteria.--In evaluating and selecting
proposals submitted under subsection (c), the Chiefs shall
consider--
(1) criteria including whether the proposal--
(A) reduces wildfire risk in a municipal watershed or the
wildland-urban interface;
(B) was developed through a collaborative process with
participation from diverse stakeholders;
(C) increases forest workforce capacity or forest business
infrastructure and development;
(D) leverages existing authorities and non-Federal funding;
(E) provides measurable outcomes; or
(F) supports established State and regional priorities; and
(2) such other criteria relating to the merits of the
proposals as the Chiefs determine to be appropriate.
(e) Outreach.--The Secretary shall provide--
(1) public notice on the websites of the Forest Service and
the Natural Resources Conservation Service describing--
(A) the solicitation of proposals under subsection (c); and
(B) the criteria for selecting proposals in accordance with
subsection (d); and
(2) information relating to the program and activities
funded under the program to States, Indian Tribes, units of
local government, and private landowners.
(f) Exclusions.--An eligible activity may not be carried
out under the program--
(1) in a wilderness area or designated wilderness study
area;
(2) in an inventoried roadless area;
(3) on any Federal land on which, by Act of Congress or
Presidential proclamation, the removal of vegetation is
restricted or prohibited; or
(4) in an area in which the eligible activity would be
inconsistent with the applicable land and resource management
plan.
(g) Accountability.--
(1) Initial report.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to
Congress a report providing recommendations to Congress
relating to the program, including a review of--
(A) funding mechanisms for the program;
(B) staff capacity to carry out the program;
(C) privacy laws applicable to the program;
(D) data collection under the program;
(E) monitoring and outcomes under the program; and
(F) such other matters as the Secretary considers to be
appropriate.
(2) Additional reports.--For each of fiscal years 2022 and
2023, the Chiefs shall submit to the Committee on
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Agriculture
and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives a report describing projects for which
funding is provided under the program, including the status
and outcomes of those projects.
(h) Funding.--
(1) Authorization of appropriations.--In addition to
amounts otherwise available to the Secretary to carry out the
program, there is authorized to be appropriated to the
Secretary to carry out the program $90,000,000 for each of
fiscal years 2022 and 2023.
(2) Duration of availability.--Funds made available under
paragraph (1) shall remain available until expended.
(3) Distribution of funds.--Of the funds made available
under paragraph (1)--
(A) not less than 40 percent shall be allocated to carry
out eligible activities through the Natural Resources
Conservation Service;
(B) not less than 40 percent shall be allocated to carry
out eligible activities through the Forest Service; and
(C) the remaining funds shall be allocated by the Chiefs to
the Natural Resources Conservation Service or the Forest
Service--
(i) to carry out eligible activities; or
(ii) for other purposes, such as technical assistance,
project development, or local capacity building.
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