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(6) to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate ecologically sound
forest restoration techniques.
SEC. 604. DEFINITIONS.
As used in this title—
(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. 605. ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM.
(a) FOREST RESTORATION PROGRAM.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish 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 Restora-
tion Program’’). The projects may be entirely on, or on any combina-
tion of, Federal, Tribal, State, County, or Municipal forest lands.
The Federal share of an individual project cost shall not exceed
80 percent of the total cost. The 20-percent matching may be
in the form of cash or in-kind contribution.
(b) ELIGIBILITY
REQUIREMENTS.—To be eligible to receive
funding under this title, 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 spe-
cies composition, including the reduction of non-native spe-
cies 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 informa-
tion; and
(5) include a multiparty 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 title, including summer
youth jobs programs such as the Youth Conservation Corps
where appropriate;
(7) not exceed 4 years in length;
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(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 title. The Secretary shall
coordinate and fund the annual workshop. Stakeholders may
use funding for projects authorized under this title to pay
for their travel and per diem expenses to attend the workshop.
SEC. 606. SELECTION PROCESS.
(a) After consulting with the technical advisory panel estab-
lished in subsection (b), the Secretary shall select the proposals
that will receive funding through the Collaborative Forest Restora-
tion 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 605, the effect on long-term management, and seek to
use a consensus-based decisionmaking process to develop such rec-
ommendations. 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 manage-
ment 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. 607. MONITORING AND EVALUATION.
The Secretary shall establish a multiparty monitoring and
evaluation process in order to assess the cumulative accomplish-
ments 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 Sec-
retary also shall conduct a monitoring program to assess the short-
and long-term ecological effects of the restoration treatments, if
any, for a minimum of 15 years.
SEC. 608. REPORT.
No later than 5 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
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funded pursuant to this title are meeting the purposes of the
Collaborative Forest Restoration Program.
SEC. 609. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 annually
to carry out this title.
Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Vice President of the United States and
President of the Senate.