Home > 106th Congressional Bills > S. 1288 (rh) To provide incentives for collaborative forest restoration projects on National Forest System and other public lands in New Mexico, and for other purposes. [Reported in House] ...S. 1288 (rh) To provide incentives for collaborative forest restoration projects on National Forest System and other public lands in New Mexico, and for other purposes. [Reported in House] ...
106th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 1288
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 27, 2000
Referred to the Committee on Resources
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AN ACT
To provide incentives for collaborative forest restoration projects on
National Forest System and other public lands in New Mexico, and for
other purposes.
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 ``Community Forest Restoration Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) A century of fire suppression, logging, and livestock
grazing has altered the ecological balance of New Mexico's
forests.
(2) Some forest lands in New Mexico contain an unnaturally
high number of small diameter trees that are subject to large,
high intensity wildfires that can endanger human lives,
livelihoods, and ecological stability.
(3) Forest lands that contain an unnaturally high number of
small diameter trees have reduced biodiversity and provide
fewer benefits to human communities, wildlife, and watersheds.
(4) Healthy and productive watersheds minimize the threat
of large, high intensity wildfires, provide abundant and
diverse wildlife habitat, and produce a variety of timber and
non-timber products including better quality water and
increased water flows.
(5) Restoration efforts are more successful when there is
involvement from neighboring communities and better stewardship
will evolve from more diverse involvement.
(6) Designing demonstration restoration projects through a
collaborative approach may--
(A) lead to the development of cost effective
restoration activities;
(B) empower diverse organizations to implement
activities which value local and traditional knowledge;
(C) build ownership and civic pride; and
(D) ensure healthy, diverse, and productive forests
and watersheds.
SEC. 3. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are--
(1) to promote healthy watersheds and reduce the threat of
large, high intensity wildfires, insect infestation, and
disease in the forests in New Mexico;
(2) to improve the functioning of forest ecosystems and
enhance plant and wildlife biodiversity by reducing the
unnaturally high number and density of small diameter trees on
Federal, Tribal, State, County, and Municipal forest lands;
(3) to improve communication and joint problem solving
among individuals and groups who are interested in restoring
the diversity and productivity of forested watersheds in New
Mexico;
(4) to improve the use of, or add value to, small diameter
trees;
(5) to encourage sustainable communities and sustainable
forests through collaborative partnerships, whose objectives
are forest restoration; and
(6) to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate ecologically
sound forest restoration techniques.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this Act--
(1) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of
Agriculture acting through the Chief of the Forest Service; and
(2) the term ``stakeholder'' includes: tribal governments,
educational institutions, landowners, and other interested
public and private entities.
SEC. 5. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.
(a) The Secretary shall establish a cooperative forest restoration
program in New Mexico in order to provide cost-share grants to
stakeholders for experimental forest restoration projects that are
designed through a collaborative process (hereinafter referred to as
the ``Collaborative Forest Restoration Program''). The projects may be
entirely on, or on any combination of, Federal, Tribal, State, County,
or Municipal forest lands. The Federal share of an individual project
cost shall not exceed eighty percent of the total cost. The twenty
percent matching may be in the form of cash or in-kind contribution.
(b) Eligibility Requirements.--To be eligible to receive funding
under this Act, a project shall--
(1) address the following objectives--
(A) reduce the threat of large, high intensity
wildfires and the negative effects of excessive
competition between trees by restoring ecosystem
functions, structures, and species composition,
including the reduction of non-native species
populations;
(B) re-establish fire regimes approximating those
that shaped forest ecosystems prior to fire
suppression;
(C) preserve old and large trees;
(D) replant trees in deforested areas if they exist
in the proposed project area; and
(E) improve the use of, or add value to, small
diameter trees;
(2) comply with all Federal and State environmental laws;
(3) include a diverse and balanced group of stakeholders as
well as appropriate Federal, Tribal, State, County, and
Municipal government representatives in the design,
implementation, and monitoring of the project;
(4) incorporate current scientific forest restoration
information; and
(5) include a multi-party assessment to--
(A) identify both the existing ecological condition
of the proposed project area and the desired future
condition; and
(B) report, upon project completion, on the
positive or negative impact and effectiveness of the
project including improvements in local management
skills and on the ground results;
(6) create local employment or training opportunities
within the context of accomplishing restoration objectives,
that are consistent with the purposes of this Act, including
summer youth jobs programs such as the Youth Conservation Corps
where appropriate;
(7) not exceed four years in length;
(8) not exceed a total annual cost of $150,000, with the
Federal portion not exceeding $120,000 annually, nor exceed a
total cost of $450,000 for the project, with the Federal
portion of the total cost not exceeding $360,000;
(9) leverage Federal funding through in-kind or matching
contributions; and
(10) include an agreement by each stakeholder to attend an
annual workshop with other stakeholders for the purpose of
discussing the cooperative forest restoration program and
projects implemented under this Act. The Secretary shall
coordinate and fund the annual workshop. Stakeholders may use
funding for projects authorized under this Act to pay for their
travel and per diem expenses to attend the workshop.
SEC. 6. SELECTION PROCESS.
(a) After consulting with the technical advisory panel established
in subsection (b), the Secretary shall select the proposals that will
receive funding through the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program.
(b) The Secretary shall convene a technical advisory panel to
evaluate the proposals for forest restoration grants and provide
recommendations regarding which proposals would best meet the
objectives of the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program. The
technical advisory panel shall consider eligibility criteria
established in section 5, the effect on long term management, and seek
to use a consensus-based decision making process to develop such
recommendations. The panel shall be composed of 12 to 15 members, to be
appointed by the Secretary as follows:
(1) A State Natural Resource official from the State of New
Mexico.
(2) At least two representatives from Federal land
management agencies.
(3) At least one tribal or pueblo representative.
(4) At least two independent scientists with experience in
forest ecosystem restoration.
(5) Equal representation from--
(A) conservation interests;
(B) local communities; and
(C) commodity interests.
SEC. 7. MONITORING AND EVALUATON.
The Secretary shall establish a multi-party monitoring and
evaluation process in order to assess the cumulative accomplishments or
adverse impacts of the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program. The
Secretary shall include any interested individual or organization in
the monitoring and evaluation process. The Secretary also shall conduct
a monitoring program to assess the short and long term ecological
effects of the restoration treatments, if any, or a minimum of 15
years.
SEC. 8. REPORT.
No later than five years after the first fiscal year in which
funding is made available for this program, the Secretary shall submit
a report to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the United
States Senate and the Committee on Resources of the United States House
of Representatives. The report shall include an assessment on whether,
and to what extent, the projects funded pursuant to this Act are
meeting the purposes of the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program.
SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 annually to
carry out this Act.
Passed the Senate November 19, 1999.
Attest:
GARY SISCO,
Secretary.
Pages: 1 Other Popular 106th Congressional Bills Documents:
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