[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 7]
[House]
[Pages 8950-8951]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




         NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2015

  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2394) to reauthorize the National Forest 
Foundation Act, and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2394

       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 ``National Forest Foundation 
     Reauthorization Act of 2015''.

     SEC. 2. NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION ACT REAUTHORIZATION.

       (a) Extension of Authority To Provide Matching Funds for 
     Administrative and Project Expenses.--Section 405(b) of the 
     National Forest Foundation Act (16 U.S.C. 583j-3(b)) is 
     amended by striking ``for a period of five years beginning 
     October 1, 1992'' and inserting ``during fiscal years 2016 
     through 2018''.
       (b) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 410(b) of the 
     National Forest Foundation Act (16 U.S.C. 583j-8(b)) is 
     amended by striking ``during the five-year period'' and all 
     that follows through ``$1,000,000 annually'' and inserting 
     ``there are authorized to be appropriated $3,000,000 for each 
     of fiscal years 2016 through 2018''.
       (c) Technical Corrections.--
       (1) Agent.--Section 404(b) of the National Forest 
     Foundation Act (16 U.S.C. 583j-2(b)) is amended by striking 
     ``under this paragraph'' and inserting ``by subsection 
     (a)(4)''.
       (2) Annual report.--Section 407(b) of the National Forest 
     Foundation Act (16 U.S.C. 583j-5(b)) is amended by striking 
     the comma after ``The Foundation shall''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) and the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. 
Michelle Lujan Grisham) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.


                             General Leave

  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend 
their remarks and include extraneous materials on the bill under 
consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  I rise today in support of H.R. 2394, the National Forest Foundation 
Reauthorization Act of 2015.
  The National Forest Foundation has a simple mission: bring people 
together to restore and enhance our national forests and grasslands. 
Through the foundation, we are able to leverage private and Federal 
dollars to support our Nation's great forests in a variety of ways. 
These include: planting trees, preserving wildlife habitat, surveying 
streams, restoring and maintaining trails, and the list goes on.
  In recent years, the foundation has leveraged funds at over a four to 
one ratio and plans to continue on this success to raise at least $125 
million for forest restoration activities.
  Since its charter in 1993, the foundation has been essential in 
helping to meet the challenges the National Forest System faces. 
Accomplishments include: over 14,000 miles of trail restored or 
maintained; nearly 4.4 million trees and shrubs planted; more than 
500,000 acres of fuel reduction completed or planned; over 120,000 
people volunteered more than 1.5 million hours with an estimated value 
of $34 million; over 46,000 youth employed or engaged; approximately 
80,000 acres of invasive weeds treated; over 117,000 acres of wildlife 
habitat restored or maintained; and more than 3,000 miles of streams 
surveyed or restored.
  The foundation has also taken it upon itself to educate and engage 
the American public on the importance of our national forests as well 
as the natural resources found within them. It is an integral component 
in keeping our national forests--such as the Allegheny national forest, 
in my district, and dozens of other national forests around the 
country--viable and thriving for years to come.
  Simply put, the National Forest Foundation works, and this is a 
commonsense reauthorization. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes.''
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. MICHELLE LUJAN GRISHAM. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as 
I may consume.
  I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for his work on this 
legislation and also for his work and dedication on the Conservation 
and Forestry Subcommittee, which we lead together.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislation. The National 
Forest Foundation Reauthorization Act will allow the public-private 
partnership responsible for the stewardship and management of our 
national forests and grasslands to continue.
  This legislation would reauthorize the National Forest Foundation's 
matching funds program. This important program brings non-Federal 
partners and stakeholders together to keep our forests healthy and less 
prone to fire. In practice, this has generated more than $4 for our 
forests for every Federal dollar invested.

[[Page 8951]]

  I have seen the benefits of this program in my own district. Since 
2010, the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance has received grants from the 
National Forest Foundation to assist the Forest Service in conducting 
surveys and data collection on the wilderness areas within the New 
Mexico national forests. This data has helped the Forest Service combat 
invasive species and improve forest health in the Cibola, Carson, and 
Santa Fe National Forests.
  Our national forests are in dire need of this type of management and 
restoration in order to maintain valuable ecosystems and prevent 
devastating and costly wildfires.
  New Mexico, like many other States in the Southwest, has been 
experiencing severe drought; and, as a result, we have had record-
breaking fires that have burned hundreds of thousands of acres and have 
caused millions of dollars in damage.
  While we have seen some recent improvements, long-term projections 
indicate that drought conditions will worsen and spread to more States 
across the country. We must ensure that this program, which prevents 
costly and, oftentimes, irreparable damage to communities, personal 
property, and wildlife habitat, receives continued support. Mr. 
Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I thank the ranking member for her leadership and support on this 
bill and, quite frankly, on everything we do as a part of our 
Subcommittee on Agriculture.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers on this bill. I urge all 
Members to join me in support of this bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, as we vote on the bipartisan bill, H.R. 
2394, in the House today, I would like to acknowledge the positive 
impact that our National Forest System has had in my home state of 
Michigan and throughout our great nation. Comprised of the United 
States Forest Service and the non-profit National Forest Foundation, 
our National Forest system encompasses 193 million acres of wilderness. 
These forests nourish a variety of animal and plant species, provide a 
wide array of recreational opportunities, and pump $13.5 billion 
annually into the U.S. economy.
  I am encouraged to see the bipartisan consensus around preserving our 
forests. In Michigan, the work done by the National Forest System has 
helped preserve two different habitats. In the Hiawatha National Forest 
on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, workers helped plant more than 96,000 
White Pine, Northern Red Oak and Hemlock trees to replenish the 
disappearing forest in 2012. Additionally, the national forest system 
helped lead a coalition to repair the disappearing habitat of the 
Kirtland's Warbler. In 2011, Forest workers planted 180,000 Jack Pine 
seedlings to help re-populate that species of tree, which is required 
for the Warbler to produce its offspring. Now, thanks to their efforts, 
the Kirtland's Warbler population is much more robust within the Huron 
and Manistee National Forests.
  The important contributions made by the National Forest Foundation 
must not be overlooked, and I wholeheartedly support the program's 
reauthorization. Our forests are an incredible economic, environmental, 
and recreational resource for our country. We must remain steadfast and 
continue the work of preserving these forests and all of the majestic 
wonders contained within them for not only those alive today, but for 
all future generations of Americans.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 2394, as amended.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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