§ 2109a. State and private forest landscape-scale restoration program

• (a) The purpose of this section is to encourage collaborative, science-based restoration of priority forest landscapes.
• (b) In this section:
  • (1) The term “Indian tribe” has the meaning given the term in section 5304 of title 25 .
  • (2) The term “nonindustrial private forest land” means land that—
    • (A) is rural, as determined by the Secretary;
    • (B) has existing tree cover or is suitable for growing trees; and
    • (C) is owned by any private individual, group, association, corporation, Indian tribe, or other private legal entity.
  • (3) The term “State forest land” means land that—
    • (A) is rural, as determined by the Secretary; and
    • (B) is under State or local governmental ownership and considered to be non-Federal forest land.
• (c) The Secretary, in consultation with State foresters or appropriate State agencies, shall establish a competitive grant program to provide financial and technical assistance to encourage collaborative, science-based restoration of priority forest landscapes.
• (d) To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an applicant shall submit to the Secretary, through the State forester or appropriate State agency, a State and private forest landscape-scale restoration proposal based on a restoration strategy that—
  • (1) is complete or substantially complete;
  • (2) is for a multiyear period;
  • (3) covers nonindustrial private forest land or State forest land;
  • (4) is accessible by wood-processing infrastructure; and
  • (5) is based on the best available science.
• (e) A State and private forest landscape-scale restoration proposal submitted under this section shall include plans—
  • (1) to reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfires;
  • (2) to improve fish and wildlife habitats, including the habitats of threatened and endangered species;
  • (3) to maintain or improve water quality and watershed function;
  • (4) to mitigate invasive species, insect infestation, and disease;
  • (5) to improve important forest ecosystems;
  • (6) to measure ecological and economic benefits, including air quality and soil quality and productivity; and
  • (7) to take other relevant actions, as determined by the Secretary.
• (f) In making grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to plans that—
  • (1) further a statewide forest assessment and resource strategy;
  • (2) promote cross boundary landscape collaboration; and
  • (3) leverage public and private resources.
• (g) The Chief of the Forest Service, the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and relevant stakeholders shall collaborate and consult on an ongoing basis regarding—
  • (1) administration of the program established under this section; and
  • (2) identification of other applicable resources for landscape-scale restoration.
• (h) As a condition of receiving a grant under this section, the Secretary shall require the recipient of the grant to provide funds or in-kind support from non-Federal sources in an amount that is at least equal to the amount of Federal funds.
• (i) In making grants under this section, the Secretary may consider coordination with and proximity to other landscape-scale projects on other land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary, the Secretary of the Interior, or a Governor of a State, including under—
  • (1) the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program established under section 7303 of this title ;
  • (2) landscape areas designated for insect and disease treatments under section 6591a of this title ;
  • (3) good neighbor authority under section 2113 1 1 So in original. See section 2113a of this title . of this title;
  • (4) stewardship end result contracting projects authorized under section 6591c of this title ;
  • (5) appropriate State-level programs; and
  • (6) other relevant programs, as determined by the Secretary.
• (j) The Secretary shall promulgate such regulations as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out this section.
• (k) Not later than 3 years after December 20, 2018 , the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate a report on—
  • (1) the status of development, execution, and administration of selected projects;
  • (2) the accounting of program funding expenditures; and
  • (3) specific accomplishments that have resulted from landscape-scale projects.
• (l)
  • (1) There is established in the Treasury a fund, to be known as the “State and Private Forest Landscape-Scale Restoration Fund” (referred to in this subsection as the “Fund”), to be used by the Secretary to make grants under this section.
  • (2) The Fund shall consist of such amounts as are appropriated to the Fund under paragraph (3).
  • (3) There is authorized to be appropriated to the Fund $20,000,000 for each fiscal year beginning with the first full fiscal year after December 20, 2018 , through fiscal year 2023, to remain available until expended.