I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 5582 

To provide for white oak restoration, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023 

Mr. BARR (for himself, Mr. BERA, Mr. DESJARLAIS, Mr. COHEN, and Mr. 

MCGARVEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committees on Natural Resources, and Education and the Workforce, 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 for white oak restoration, 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 ‘‘White Oak Resilience 

5 Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. WHITE OAK RESTORATION INITIATIVE COALITION. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—The White Oak Restoration Ini8 tiative Coalition shall be established— 

9 (1) as a voluntary collaborative group of public, 

10 State, private and non-governmental organizations 


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1 to carry out the purposes described in subsection 

2 (b); and 

3 (2) in accordance with the charter titled ‘‘White 

4 Oak Initiative Coalition Charter’’ adopted by the 

5 White Oak Initiative Board of Directors on March 

6 21, 2023 (or a successor charter). 

7 (b) DUTIES.—In addition to the duties specified in 

8 the charter described in subsection (a)(2), the duties of 

9 the White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition are— 

10 (1) to coordinate public, State, local, private 

11 and non-governmental restoration of white oak in 

12 the United States; and 

13 (2) to make program and policy recommenda14 tions with respect to— 

15 (A) changes necessary to address Federal 

16 and State policies that impede activities to im17 prove the health, resiliency, and natural regen18 eration of white oak; 

19 (B) adopting or modifying Federal and 

20 State policies to increase the pace and scale of 

21 white oak regeneration and resiliency of white 

22 oak; 

23 (C) options to enhance communication, co24 ordination, and collaboration between forest 

25 land owners, particularly for cross-boundary 


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1 projects, to improve the health, resiliency, and 

2 natural regeneration of white oak; 

3 (D) research gaps that should be ad4 dressed to improve the best available science on 

5 white oak; 

6 (E) outreach to forest landowners with 

7 white oak or white oak regeneration potential; 

8 and 

9 (F) options and policies necessary to im10 prove the quality and quantity of white oak in 

11 tree nurseries. 

12 (c) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, TECHNICAL SERV13 ICES, AND STAFF SUPPORT.—The Secretary of the Inte14 rior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall make such per15 sonnel available to the White Oak Restoration Initiative 

16 Coalition for administrative support, technical services, 

17 and development and dissemination of educational mate18 rials as the Secretaries determine necessary to carry out 

19 this section. 

20 (d) NONAPPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY

21 COMMITTEE ACT.—Chapter 10 of part I of title 5, United 

22 States Code, shall not apply to the White Oak Restoration 

23 Initiative Coalition. 

24 (e) PRIVATE FUNDING OF WHITE OAK RESTORA25 TION PROJECTS.—The Secretary of Agriculture may make 


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1 funds available to the White Oak Restoration Initiative 

2 Coalition to carry out this section from the account estab3 lished pursuant to section 1241(f) of the Food Security 

4 Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(f)). 

5 SEC. 3. FOREST SERVICE PILOT PROGRAM. 

6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture, act7 ing through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall establish 

8 and carry out 5 pilot projects in national forests to restore 

9 white oak in such forests through white oak restoration 

10 and natural regeneration practices. 

11 (b) NATIONAL FORESTS RESERVED OR WITHDRAWN

12 FROM THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.—At least 3 pilot projects re13 quired under subsection (a) shall be carried out on na14 tional forests reserved or withdrawn from the public do15 main. 

16 (c) AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO COOPERATIVE

17 AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary of Agriculture may enter 

18 into cooperative agreements to carry out the pilot projects 

19 required under subsection (a). 

20 SEC. 4. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR WHITE OAK RE21 VIEW AND RESTORATION. 

22 (a) ASSESSMENT.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Inte24 rior shall carry out an assessment of land under the 

25 administrative jurisdiction of the Department of the 


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1 Interior, including fish and wildlife refuges and 

2 abandoned mine land, to evaluate— 

3 (A) whether white oak is present on such 

4 land; and 

5 (B) the potential to restore white oak for6 ests on such land. 

7 (2) USE OF INFORMATION.—In carrying out the 

8 assessment under paragraph (1), the Secretary may 

9 use information from sources other than the Depart10 ment of the Interior, including from the White Oak 

11 Initiative and the Forest Service. 

12 (3) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the 

13 date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary 

14 shall submit to Congress, and make publicly avail15 able on the website of the Department of the Inte16 rior, a report regarding the results of the assessment 

17 carried out under this subsection. 

18 (b) PILOT PROJECTS.—After the date on which the 

19 report required under subsection (a)(3) is submitted, the 

20 Secretary shall establish and carry out 5 pilot projects in 

21 different areas of land described in subsection (a)(1) to 

22 restore and naturally regenerate white oak. 

23 (c) AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO COOPERATIVE

24 AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary of the Interior may enter 


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1 into cooperative agreements to carry out the pilot projects 

2 required under subsection (b). 

3 SEC. 5. WHITE OAK RESTORATION FUND. 

4 Section 409 of the National Forest Foundation Act 

5 (16 U.S.C. 583j–7) is amended— 

6 (1) by striking ‘‘The activities’’ and inserting 

7 the following: 

8 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The activities’’; and 

9 (2) by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(b) WHITE OAK RESTORATION FUND.— 

11 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Funds described in para12 graph (2) shall be made available for activities— 

13 ‘‘(A) on national forests that are approved 

14 by the Secretary, acting through the Chief of 

15 the Forest Service; and 

16 ‘‘(B) to— 

17 ‘‘(i) re-establish white oak forests 

18 where appropriate; 

19 ‘‘(ii) improve management of existing 

20 white oak forests to foster natural regen21 eration of white oak; 

22 ‘‘(iii) improve and expand white oak 

23 nursery stock; and 

24 ‘‘(iv) adapt and improve white oak 

25 seedlings. 


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1 ‘‘(2) FUND.—The National Forest Foundation 

2 may accept gifts, devises, or bequests for the pur3 poses of carrying out the activities specified in para4 graph (1). 

5 ‘‘(3) SUMMARY.—Beginning 1 year after the 

6 date of the enactment of this section, the National 

7 Forest Foundation shall include in the budget jus8 tification materials submitted to Congress in support 

9 of the budget of each such Foundation for each fis10 cal year (as submitted with the budget of the Presi11 dent under section 1105(a) of title 31, United States 

12 Code) a summary of the activities carried out under 

13 paragraph (1) and the funds accepted under para14 graph (2) that includes— 

15 ‘‘(A) the amount— 

16 ‘‘(i) accepted under paragraph (2) in 

17 the preceding fiscal year; and 

18 ‘‘(ii) described in clause (i) that is un19 obligated on the date of the report; and 

20 ‘‘(B) a description of the activities under 

21 paragraph (1) funded during the preceding fis22 cal year.’’. 


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1 SEC. 6. CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CENTERS REFOREST2 ATION ACTIVITIES. 

3 Section 147(d) of the Workforce Innovation and Op4 portunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3197(d)) is amended by adding 

5 at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(4) REFORESTATION ACTIVITIES.—Enrollees 

7 in Civilian Conservation Centers may provide assist8 ance in carrying out reforestation of white oak and 

9 associated hardwood forest reforestation projects on 

10 National Forest System land in accordance with the 

11 land and resource management plan applicable to 

12 such land pursuant to section 6 of the Forest and 

13 Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 

14 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604).’’. 

15 SEC. 7. TREE NURSERY SHORTAGES. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

17 date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Ag18 riculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, 

19 shall develop and implement a national strategy to in20 crease the capacity of Federal, State, Tribal, and private 

21 tree nurseries to address the nationwide shortage of tree 

22 seedlings. 

23 (b) ELEMENTS.—The strategy required under sub24 section (a) shall— 

25 (1) be based on the best available science and 

26 data; and 


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1 (2) identify and address— 

2 (A) regional seedling shortages of bareroot 

3 and container tree seedlings; 

4 (B) regional reforestation opportunities 

5 and the seedling supply necessary to fulfill such 

6 opportunities; 

7 (C) opportunities to enhance seedling di8 versity and close gaps in seed inventories; and 

9 (D) barriers to expanding, enhancing, or 

10 creating new infrastructure to increase nursery 

11 capacity. 

12 SEC. 8. WHITE OAK RESEARCH. 

13 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture may 

14 enter into a memorandum of understanding with a covered 

15 land grant college to conduct research on— 

16 (1) white oak genes with resistance and stress 

17 tolerance; 

18 (2) white oak trees that exhibit vigor for the 

19 purpose of increasing survival and growth; 

20 (3) establishing a diverse white oak seed bank 

21 capable of responding to stressors; 

22 (4) providing a sustainable supply of white oak 

23 seedlings and genetic resources; 

24 (5) reforestation of white oak through natural 

25 and artificial regeneration; and 


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1 (6) the best methods for reforesting abandoned 

2 mine land sites. 

3 (b) CONSULT.—In carrying out the research under 

4 subsection (a), the covered land grant college that enters 

5 into the memorandum of understanding under such sub6 section may consult with such States, nonprofit organiza7 tions, institutions of higher education, and other scientific 

8 bodies, as the covered land grant college determines appro9 priate. 

10 (c) COVERED LAND GRANT COLLEGE DEFINED.—In 

11 this section, the term ‘‘covered land grant college’’ means 

12 an 1862 Institution, an 1890 Institution, or a 1994 Insti13 tution (as such terms are defined, respectively, in section 

14 2 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education 

15 Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601)). 

16 SEC. 9. USDA FORMAL INITIATIVE. 

17 The Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the 

18 Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, shall 

19 establish a formal initiative on white oak to— 

20 (1) re-establish white oak forests where appro21 priate; 

22 (2) improve management of existing white oak 

23 forests to foster natural regeneration of white oak; 


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1 (3) provide technical assistance to private land2 owners to re-establish, improve management of, and 

3 naturally regenerate white oak; 

4 (4) improve and expand white oak nursery 

5 stock; and 

6 (5) adapt and improve white oak seedlings. 

7 SEC. 10. AUTHORITIES. 

8 To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary of 

9 the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall use the 

10 authorities provided under this Act and the amendment 

11 made by this Act in combination with other authorities 

12 to carry out projects, including— 

13 (1) good neighbor agreements entered into 

14 under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 

15 (16 U.S.C. 2113); and 

16 (2) stewardship contracting projects entered 

17 into under section 604 of the Healthy Forests Res18 toration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591). 

Æ 


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