Home > 106th Congressional Bills > H.R. 1043 (ih) To amend title II of the Social Security Act to strengthen the Social Security system to meet the challenges of the next century. [Introduced in House] ...H.R. 1043 (ih) To amend title II of the Social Security Act to strengthen the Social Security system to meet the challenges of the next century. [Introduced in House] ...
monitoring and evaluation required by this subsection will be
performed with respect to the project.
(2) Monitoring report.--The Secretaries shall complete a
detailed monitoring report for each project conducted under the
program that evaluates whether the project was properly
implemented and was effective in accomplishing restoration
objectives, whether the assumptions that went into the
project's design were valid, and whether funding amounts and
sources were sufficient. The monitoring report shall provide
for validation monitoring and include an assessment and
identification of the following:
(A) Whether or not the project met desired
ecological conditions, including soils, water, and
native fish and wildlife, and used low-impact
equipment.
(B) Whether or not the project created high-skill,
long-duration employment or training opportunities for
local crews, small or micro-enterprises, underserved
communities, or mobile workers, including whether or
not the project created, or used existing, natural-
resource related small or micro-enterprises.
(C) The duration of each contract used to implement
the project; the average wage received by persons
implementing the contract, and the name and size of the
entity that secured the contract.
(D) An overall assessment of the positive or
negative impact and effectiveness of the project.
(3) Annual report.--The Secretaries shall submit an annual
report to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the
Senate and the Committee on Resources of the House of
Representatives detailing the information identified pursuant
to this subsection.
(4) Collection and compilation of data.--The Secretaries
shall ensure that monitoring data is collected and compiled in
a way that the general public can easily access. The
Secretaries may collect the data using cooperative agreements,
grants, or contracts with small or micro-enterprises, or Youth
Conservation Corps work crews or related partnerships with
State, local, and non-profit youth groups.
(f) Required Assessment and Estimates. Before initiating a project
under the program, the Secretaries shall complete the following with
respect to the project:
(1) An assessment of the expected outcomes, including how the
project will help to accomplish restoration objectives to improve the
health, diversity, or ecological processes of the lands covered by the
project. Specific benefits to soil, water, and native wildlife and fish
habitats must be identified, as well as how the project will restore
naturally occurring ecological processes.
(2) Within the context of accomplishing restoration objectives, an
estimation of the number of jobs or training opportunities, crew size,
contract duration, and equipment requirements that may be created by
the project, including opportunities for Youth Conservation Corps work
crews or partnerships with non-Federal youth groups.
(3) An estimate of the number of natural resource-related small or
micro-enterprises that may be created as a result of the project and
the number of existing small or micro-enterprises that may benefit from
the project.
(g) Required Set-asides.--
(1) Set-aside of funds.--The Secretaries shall ensure that
all contracts to implement projects under the program are
issued or awarded to--
(A) natural-resource related small or micro-
enterprises;
(B) Youth Conservation Corps crews or related
partnerships with State, local and nonprofit youth
groups;
(C) entities (including Indian tribes and the
Restoration and Value-added Centers established under
section 12) that will hire or train local people, or
re-train nonlocal traditional forest workers, to
perform activities under the contract; or
(D) local entities that meet the criteria to
qualify for the Historically Underutilized Business
Zone Program under section 31 of the Small Business Act
(15 U.S.C. 657a).
(2) Set-aside of project activities.--The Secretaries shall
ensure that, on an annual basis, 50 percent of all projects
involving the sale of merchantable material under the program
are implemented using separate contracts for--
(A) the harvesting or collection of merchantable
material; and
(B) the sale of such material.
(h) Best-Value Contracting.--In order to implement a project under
the program, and consistent with the Federal acquisition requirements
for best-value contracting, the Secretaries shall select a source for
performance of a contract or agreement on a best-value basis, after
consideration of the following:
(1) Understanding of the technical demands and complexity
of the work to be done.
(2) Ability of the offeror to meet desired ecological
objectives of the project and the sensitivity of the resources
being treated.
(3) The offeror's commitment to hiring or training workers
from the local area and the potential for benefit to local
small and micro-enterprises involved in the processing of by-
products derived from the project.
(4) The past performance by the offeror with the type of
work being done, the application of low-impact equipment, and
the ability of the offeror to meet desired ecological
conditions.
(5) The commitment and feasibility of the contractor to
training workers for high wage and high skill jobs that are
long in duration.
(6) The commitment of the offeror to hiring highly
qualified workers and local residents.
(i) Sole Source Procurement Authority.--
(1) Use to promote micro- and small-enterprises.--In
implementing this section, a contracting officer may award on a
sole source basis projects up to $100,000 for the purpose of
providing projects to micro- and small-enterprises in order to
help establish them as viable enterprises.
(2) Eligible entities.--To be eligible for a sole source
contract under this subsection, a micro- or small-enterprise
must complete training provided by a Restoration and Value-
added Center established under section 12 or other program for
certification as a micro- or small-enterprise, such as the
Jobs-in-the-Woods program. The micro- or small-enterprise must
present certification from the training provider that the
micro- or small-enterprise is ready to perform.
(3) Advance payments.--The contracting officer may make
advance payment to enterprises certified as provided in
paragraph (2).
(4) Limit on contracts.--Based on the performance of the
micro- or small-enterprise, and in consultation with the
training provider under paragraph (2), the contracting officer
may award up to five contracts under this subsection, after
which the enterprise will no longer be eligible for any further
sole source awards.
(5) Procurement personnel.--The Secretaries shall hire
additional procurement personnel, including contracting officer
trainees, in order to implement this section.
SEC. 12. FOREST RESTORATION AND VALUE-ADDED CENTERS.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through
the Regional Foresters, shall establish Forest Restoration and Value-
added Centers in order to improve the implementation of collaborative,
community-based restoration projects on the National Forest System
lands and other lands. The Secretary may enter into partnerships with
other Federal agencies or other organizations, including local non-
profit organizations, conservation groups, and community colleges to
establish and maintain the Restoration Centers.
(b) Location.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall ensure that at
least one Restoration Center is located in each Forest Service Region
and that every Restoration Center is located in a small, rural
community adjacent to or surrounded by National Forest System lands.
(c) Provision of Technical Assistance and Grants.--The Restoration
Centers shall develop programs to provide technical assistance and
grants to non-profit organizations, existing small or micro-
enterprises, and individuals interested in creating a natural-resource
related small or micro-enterprise for the purpose of--
(1) conducting forest restoration activities, including
environmental assessments and monitoring; or
(2) utilizing processing techniques for the by-products of
restoration and value-added manufacturing.
(d) Types of Technical Assistance.--The Restoration Centers shall
provide technical assistance in--
(1) using the latest scientific information and methodology
to accomplish restoration and land health objectives;
(2) accessing capital from public and private sources;
(3) workforce training for value-added manufacturing and
restoration activities, including environmental assessments and
monitoring;
(4) marketing and business support for conservation-based
small and micro-businesses located in rural communities to
better access urban markets;
(5) developing technology for restoration activities and
use of products resulting from restoration activities.
(e) Establishment Process.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall
select the location at which each Restoration Center will be
established based on requests for proposals. The Secretary shall
appoint an advisory committee for each Forest Service Region that,
consistent with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, will recommend a
location for the Restoration Center for that Region.
(f) Advisory Committee.--The advisory committees appointed
pursuant to subsection (e) shall include--
(1) Representatives of the Environmental Protection Agency,
United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and relevant State
wildlife-management agencies.
(2) Representatives of any affected Indian tribes or
pueblos.
(3) Representatives of the Department of Labor, the Small
Business Administration, and appropriate State agencies with
expertise in micro-enterprises.
(4) Representatives (other than elected officials) of
community groups active in National Forest or public land
conservation.
(5) At least two scientists with expertise in ecosystem
restoration who are not employees of any Federal or State
agency.
(6) Representatives of national or regional environmental
organizations.
(7) Representatives of regional value-added forest products
companies.
(g) Federal Funding.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall make
grants to each Restoration Center in amounts sufficient to cover 75
percent of the Restoration Center's operating costs, but not to exceed
$1,000,000 annually per Restoration Center. After a Restoration Center
has operated for five years, the Secretary may begin to reduce the
level of Federal funding for the Restoration Center's operating costs,
based on the performance of the Restoration Center.
(h) Expansion to Other Federal Lands.--In order to determine
whether a similar Restoration Center program is appropriate for public
lands, the Secretary of the Interior shall establish one Restoration
Center meeting the requirements of this section. Not later than three
years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the
Interior shall submit a report to the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Resources of the House of
Representatives containing recommendations regarding whether additional
Restoration Centers should be established to serve communities adjacent
to or surrounded by public lands.
SEC. 13. COMPETITIVE SERVICE HIRING PREFERENCE FOR GRADUATES OF
CERTIFIED YOUTH SERVICE OR CONSERVATION CORPS.
(a) Hiring Preference.--The Secretary of the Interior and the
Secretary of Agriculture may appoint in the competitive service any
person who--
(1) is at least 21 years of age;
(2) has satisfactorily completed a minimum of one year of
service in a certified youth service or conservation corps;
(3) received satisfactory evaluations of knowledge, skills,
and abilities by both corps supervisors or crew leaders as well
as agency liaison personnel.
(b) Duration of Preference.--A person's eligibility for
preferential hiring under this section expires after one year after the
date of the person's graduation from a certified youth service or
conservation corps.
SEC. 14. RESEARCH AND TRAINING.
(a) Applied Research Program.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall
establish a program of applied research using the resources of the
Forest Products Laboratory for the purpose of--
(1) identifying restoration methods, including assessments
and monitoring, and treatments that minimize adverse impacts to
the land, such as through the use of low-impact techniques and
equipment; and
(2) testing and developing value-added products created
from the by-products of restoration.
(b) Dissemination of Results.--The Secretary of Agriculture shall
disseminate the results of the applied research to the Restoration and
Value-added Centers, rural communities adjacent to or surrounded by
Federal lands. The Secretary shall annually conduct training workshops
and classes for the Restoration Centers as well as for other interested
communities to ensure that residents of such communities have access to
the information.
(c) Research Agenda.--The Restoration and Value-added Centers shall
work with the Forest Products Laboratory to develop the research agenda
so that research efforts respond to the needs of the user community.
SEC. 15. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be
necessary to carry out this Act.
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