Root and Stem Project Authorization Act of 2023

To codify the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to conduct certain landscape-scale forest restoration projects, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Root and Stem Project Authorization Act of 2023 2. Root and Stem projects (a) Definitions In this section: (1) Collaborative process The term collaborative process (A) includes multiple interested persons representing diverse interests; and (B) (i) is transparent and nonexclusive; or (ii) meets the requirements for a resource advisory committee under subsections (c) through (f) of section 205 of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 ( 16 U.S.C. 7125 (2) Federal land The term Federal land (A) land of the National Forest System (as defined in section 11(a) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 ( 16 U.S.C. 1609(a) (B) public lands (as defined in section 103 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 ( 43 U.S.C. 1702 (3) Secretary concerned The term Secretary concerned (A) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service; or (B) the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management. (b) List of contractors The Secretary concerned shall— (1) maintain a list of non-Federal, third-party contractors that the Secretary concerned can hire in each State to complete the analysis described in subsection (c)(1); and (2) not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and every 3 years thereafter, submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a copy of the list described in paragraph (1). (c) Agreements If a person submits to the Secretary concerned a proposal for a project on Federal land that was developed through a collaborative process and that meets local and rural community needs, the Secretary concerned may enter into an agreement with the person, under which— (1) the person initially provides to the Secretary concerned all, or a portion of, the funding necessary to complete any analysis that the Secretary concerned determines to be necessary under Federal law, including the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. 16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq. (2) the Secretary concerned uses the funding provided under paragraph (1) to pay a contractor included on the list maintained under subsection (b)(1) to conduct the analysis described in paragraph (1); (3) on completion of the analysis described in paragraph (1), if the Secretary concerned makes a decision to proceed with the project, the Secretary concerned— (A) solicits bids to carry out the project; and (B) enters into a contract or agreement under section 604 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 ( 16 U.S.C. 6591c (4) using any receipts described in subsection (d)(1), the Secretary concerned, to the maximum extent practicable, repays to the person the funding initially provided under paragraph (1). (d) Additional related authorities (1) Use of receipts Any receipts that are generated by a project described in subsection (c) that are normally deposited in the general fund of the Treasury shall be available for expenditure by the Secretary concerned, without further appropriation or fiscal year limitation, for the use described in subsection (c)(4). (2) Contractors The Secretary concerned may noncompetitively hire a contractor included on the list maintained under subsection (b)(1) to conduct the analysis described in subsection (c)(1). (e) Savings clauses (1) Authority of the Secretary concerned The Secretary concerned shall— (A) determine the sufficiency of any documents prepared by a contractor under subsection (c)(2); and (B) retain responsibility for any authorizing decision relating to a proposed project described in subsection (c). (2) Review and approval of independent third parties The Secretary concerned shall verify that there is no conflict of interest between— (A) a person that submits a proposal under subsection (c); and (B) a contractor that the Secretary concerned hires under paragraph (2) of that subsection to carry out an analysis with respect to that proposal. (3) Administrative costs The Secretary concerned— (A) shall only use the funding provided to the Secretary concerned under subsection (c)(1) to pay a contractor pursuant to subsection (c)(2); and (B) shall not use any portion of the funding provided to the Secretary concerned under subsection (c)(1) to cover any other expense or cost incurred by the Secretary concerned, including administrative costs. (4) Limitations on reimbursements If insufficient receipts are generated by a project described in subsection (c) to reimburse the person that provided funding under paragraph (1) of that subsection, the Secretary concerned shall not provide additional funding to the person. (f) Promotion Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary concerned shall provide guidance to each local field office of the Secretary concerned for— (1) making stakeholders aware of the authority under this Act; and (2) encouraging use of that authority to meet land management goals. (g) Treatment of collaborative members For purposes of a civil action relating to a project described in subsection (c), any person that participated in the collaborative process to develop the proposal for the project shall be— (1) entitled to intervene, as of right, in any subsequent civil action; and (2) considered to be a full participant in any settlement negotiation relating to the project. (h) Sunset The requirements described in subsection (b) and the authority to enter into an agreement under subsection (c) shall expire on January 1, 2033.

Summary: Root and Stem Project Authorization Act of 2023 This bill authorizes the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to conduct certain forest restoration projects. Specifically, the Forest Service or BLM may enter into an agreement for a project on federal land that was developed through a collaborative process that meets local and rural community needs if the party with whom it enters into an agreement initially provides the Forest Service or BLM with a portion of the funding necessary to complete any analysis deemed necessary under federal law for consideration of the proposed project; the Forest Service or BLM uses the funding to pay a contractor included on a list of contractors that it maintains to conduct the analysis; upon completion of the analysis, the Forest Service or BLM solicits bids to carry out the project and enters into a contract or agreement under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 to carry out the project; and using certain receipts from the project, the Forest Service or BLM repays the initially provided funding. For purposes of a civil action relating to such a project, any person that participated in the collaborative process to develop the proposal for the project shall be (1) entitled to intervene, as of right, in any subsequent civil action; and (2) considered to be a full participant in any settlement negotiation relating to the project. The authority to enter into an agreement and the requirement to maintain a list of contractors shall expire on January 1, 2033.