I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2477 

To provide support for urban forests, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 13, 2021 

Ms. MALLIOTAKIS (for herself, Mr. SCHRADER, Mr. WESTERMAN, Mr. YOUNG, 

and Mr. BISHOP of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee 

on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by 

the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To provide support for urban forests, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Urban Forests Act 

5 of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY ASSISTANCE. 

7 (a) TREE CITY USA GRANT PROGRAM.—Section 9 

8 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 

9 U.S.C. 2105) is amended— 


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1 (1) by redesignating subsections (h) and (i) as 

2 subsections (j) and (k), respectively; and 

3 (2) by inserting after subsection (g) the fol4 lowing; 

5 ‘‘(h) TREE CITY USA GRANT PROGRAM.— 

6 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab7 lish a grant program to be known as the ‘Tree City 

8 USA Grant Program’ to provide competitive grants 

9 to eligible entities to enhance and maintain urban 

10 forests. 

11 ‘‘(2) APPLICATION.— 

12 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—To be eligible to be 

13 awarded a grant under paragraph (1), an eligi14 ble entity shall submit an application to the 

15 Secretary at such time, in such manner, and 

16 containing such information as the Secretary 

17 may require, including a proposal to enhance 

18 and maintain urban forests. 

19 ‘‘(B) APPLICATION ASSISTANCE.—A non20 profit organization that partners with an eligi21 ble entity may submit an application under sub22 paragraph (A) on behalf of such eligible entity. 

23 ‘‘(3) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under 

24 paragraph (1), the Secretary shall give priority to elVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:05 May 27, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2477.IH H2477

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1 igible entities that submit proposals under para2 graph (2)(A) that— 

3 ‘‘(A) enhance, maintain, or improve access 

4 to urban forests in— 

5 ‘‘(i) typically underserved areas; or 

6 ‘‘(ii) areas with low tree or environ7 mental equity; 

8 ‘‘(B) further a statewide assessment or 

9 local government initiative to enhance and 

10 maintain urban forests; 

11 ‘‘(C) include a plan to mitigate risks from 

12 insects, disease, and non-native invasive species; 

13 and 

14 ‘‘(D) include a plan to monitor and main15 tain new and existing trees. 

16 ‘‘(4) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary 

17 may provide technical assistance to local govern18 ments to assist such local governments with— 

19 ‘‘(A) becoming eligible entities; and 

20 ‘‘(B) proposals under paragraph (2)(A). 

21 ‘‘(5) MATCHING FUNDS.—An eligible entity 

22 that receives a grant under this subsection shall con23 tribute an amount of non-Federal funds (in cash or 

24 in kind) that is at least equal to the amount of the 

25 Federal funds received. 


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1 ‘‘(6) PREMIER TREE CITY.—Not later than 1 

2 year after the date of the enactment of the Urban 

3 Forests Act of 2021, and annually through 2030 

4 thereafter, the Secretary shall designate as a ‘Pre5 mier Tree City’ one eligible entity awarded a grant 

6 under this subsection to recognize the superior ef7 forts of such eligible entity in enhancing and main8 taining urban forests. 

9 ‘‘(7) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—In 

10 addition to the amounts authorized under subsection 

11 (k), there are authorized to be appropriated 

12 $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 through 

13 2030 to carry out this subsection. 

14 ‘‘(8) ELIGIBLE ENTITY DEFINED.—In this sub15 section, the term ‘eligible entity’ means a local gov16 ernment that— 

17 ‘‘(A) serves an urban and community area; 

18 and 

19 ‘‘(B) a tree planting non-profit organiza20 tion recognizes as having— 

21 ‘‘(i) a tree board or department; 

22 ‘‘(ii) a tree care ordinance; 

23 ‘‘(iii) a community forestry program 

24 with an annual budget of at least $2 per 

25 capita; and 


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1 ‘‘(iv) an Arbor Day observance and 

2 proclamation.’’. 

3 (b) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS FOR URBAN WOOD

4 UTILIZATION.—Section 9 of the Cooperative Forestry As5 sistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2105), as amended by 

6 subsection (a), is further amended by inserting after sub7 section (h) the following: 

8 ‘‘(i) PILOT PROJECT FOR COOPERATIVE AGREE9 MENTS FOR URBAN WOOD UTILIZATION.— 

10 ‘‘(1) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—The Sec11 retary may enter into cooperative agreements with 

12 State and local governments, institutions of higher 

13 education, private or non-profit organizations, and 

14 other entities that support projects that create wood 

15 products from dead and fallen trees in urban and 

16 community areas. 

17 ‘‘(2) PRIORITIZATION.—The Secretary shall 

18 prioritize entering into cooperative agreements 

19 that— 

20 ‘‘(A) support local job creation; 

21 ‘‘(B) are located in typically underserved 

22 areas or areas with low tree or environmental 

23 equity; 

24 ‘‘(C) develop new uses for dead and fallen 

25 trees; and 


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1 ‘‘(D) improve urban forest health and re2 siliency. 

3 ‘‘(3) TECHNICAL AND FINANCIAL ASSIST4 ANCE.—The Secretary may provide technical or fi5 nancial assistance to entities that enter into a coop6 erative agreement under paragraph (1) to facili7 tate— 

8 ‘‘(A) research on new uses for dead and 

9 fallen trees in urban and community areas; and 

10 ‘‘(B) market expansion opportunities for 

11 products made from dead and fallen trees in 

12 urban and community areas. 

13 ‘‘(4) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 

14 date of the enactment of the Urban Forests Act of 

15 2021, the Secretary shall provide a report to the rel16 evant committees on— 

17 ‘‘(A) the implementation of this subsection; 

18 and 

19 ‘‘(B) recommendations to encourage eco20 nomic development and job creation by creating 

21 new markets for wood products made from 

22 urban timber sources. 

23 ‘‘(5) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection— 

24 ‘‘(A) DEAD AND FALLEN TREES.—The 

25 term ‘dead and fallen trees’ means trees that— 


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1 ‘‘(i) are dying or have died; 

2 ‘‘(ii) have partially or completely fall3 en over; or 

4 ‘‘(iii) have been negatively impacted 

5 by insects, disease, or weather-related dis6 turbances. 

7 ‘‘(B) RELEVANT COMMITTEES.—The term 

8 ‘relevant committees’ means— 

9 ‘‘(i) the Committees on Natural Re10 sources and Agriculture of the House of 

11 Representatives; and 

12 ‘‘(ii) the Committees on Energy and 

13 Natural Resources and Agriculture, Nutri14 tion, and Forestry of the Senate.’’. 

15 (c) PROGRAM OF EDUCATION AND TECHNICAL AS16 SISTANCE CLARIFICATION FOR CARBON STORAGE.—Sec17 tion 9(d)(3) of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act 

18 of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2105(d)(3)) is amended— 

19 (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘and’’ 

20 after the semicolon; 

21 (2) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ‘‘and’’ 

22 after the semicolon; and 

23 (3) by inserting at the end the following new 

24 subparagraph: 


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1 ‘‘(E) identifying opportunities to increase 

2 carbon storage through afforestation and sci3 entific urban and community forestry manage4 ment;’’. 

5 (d) NATIONAL URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY

6 ADVISORY COUNCIL.—Section 9(g) of the Cooperative 

7 Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2105(g)) is 

8 amended— 

9 (1) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the 

10 following new subparagraph: 

11 ‘‘(F) MEETINGS.—The Council established 

12 under this subsection shall meet not less than 

13 twice annually.’’; and 

14 (2) by adding at the end the following new 

15 paragraph: 

16 ‘‘(7) RENEWAL OF COUNCIL.— 

17 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 30 

18 days after the date of the enactment of the 

19 Urban Forests Act of 2021, the Secretary shall 

20 renew the Council. 

21 ‘‘(B) TERMINATION.—The Council shall 

22 not terminate except as provided by an Act of 

23 Congress.’’. 

24 (e) URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY ACTION

25 PLAN CLARIFICATION FOR CARBON STORAGE.—Section 


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1 9(g)(3) of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 

2 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2105(g)(3)) is amended by adding at the 

3 end the following: 

4 ‘‘(G) Recommendations for identifying op5 portunities to increase carbon storage through 

6 afforestation and scientific urban and commu7 nity forestry management.’’. 

8 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Sub9 section (k) of section 9 of the Cooperative Forestry Assist10 ance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2105), as redesignated by 

11 subsection (a), is amended— 

12 (1) by striking ‘‘$30,000,000’’ and inserting 

13 ‘‘$50,000,000’’; and 

14 (2) by striking ‘‘fiscal years 1991 through 

15 1995’’ and inserting ‘‘fiscal years 2021 through 

16 2025’’. 

17 SEC. 3. CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CENTER URBAN FOR18 ESTRY DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM. 

19 Section 147(d) of the Workforce Innovation and Op20 portunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3197(d)) is amended by adding 

21 at the end the following: 

22 ‘‘(4) URBAN FORESTRY.— 

23 ‘‘(A) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 1 

24 year after the date of the enactment of this 

25 paragraph, the Secretary of Agriculture and the 


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1 Secretary of Labor shall jointly establish Civil2 ian Conservation Centers in urban and commu3 nity areas (as defined in subsection (j) of sec4 tion 9 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance 

5 Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2105)). 

6 ‘‘(B) FOCUS.—In addition to the training 

7 and skills required under paragraph (1), the Ci8 vilian Conservation Centers established pursu9 ant to subparagraph (A) shall provide training 

10 on urban forestry issues, including urban forest 

11 conservation, management, maintenance, and 

12 monitoring.’’. 

13 SEC. 4. FOREST INVENTORY 5-YEAR REPORTS. 

14 Section 3(e)(3) of the Forest and Rangeland Renew15 able Resources Research Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 

16 1642(e)(3)) is amended— 

17 (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

18 the end; 

19 (2) in subparagraph (C)— 

20 (A) by inserting ‘‘, including forest car21 bon’’ before ‘‘over the previous’’; and 

22 (B) by striking the period at the end and 

23 inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

24 (C) by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘(D) demonstrates the efforts taken by the 

2 Forest Service to— 

3 ‘‘(i) conduct a strategic national forest 

4 inventory by measuring a statistically de5 signed consistent historical series of field 

6 plots in combination with advanced tech7 nology to improve data, information, and 

8 estimates of precision; and 

9 ‘‘(ii) use advanced geospatial tech10 nologies to improve the area and volume 

11 estimates described in clause (i), especially 

12 for sub-State regions and smaller areas.’’. 

13 SEC. 5. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING TO COORDI14 NATE URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAMS. 

15 Not later than 120 days after the date of the enact16 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall enter 

17 into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretaries 

18 of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban De19 velopment, Interior, Labor, and Transportation and the 

20 Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency 

21 to— 

22 (1) identify strategies to increase equitable ac23 cess to urban forests through existing programs and 

24 authorities; 


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1 (2) coordinate existing urban forestry pro2 grams; 

3 (3) conduct research on the benefits of urban 

4 forests for air quality, heat island mitigation, energy 

5 burden reduction, and enhanced shading for heat-re6 silient housing and active transit; and 

7 (4) conduct research on improving coordination 

8 between the agencies to address insects, disease, and 

9 non-native invasive species in urban and community 

10 areas. 

Æ 


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