I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7843 
To amend the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act 
of 1974 to promote reforestation following unplanned events on Federal 
land, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 29, 2020 
Mr. PANETTA (for himself, Mr. SIMPSON, Ms. SCHRIER, Mr. LAMALFA, and 
Ms. SPANBERGER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Agriculture, and in addition to the Committee on Natural 
Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, 
in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the juris-
diction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 
Planning Act of 1974 to promote reforestation following 
unplanned events on Federal land, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Repairing Existing 
Public Lands by Adding Necessary Trees Act’’ or the 
‘‘REPLANT Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. REFORESTATION FOLLOWING WILDFIRES AND 
OTHER UNPLANNED EVENTS. 
(a) FOREST
AND RANGELAND RENEWABLE RE-
SOURCES PLANNING ACT OF 1974.— 
(1) NATIONAL FOREST COVER POLICY.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Section 3 of the Forest 
and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning 
Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1601) is amended— 
(i) by redesignating subsection (e) as 
subsection (f); 
(ii) by redesignating the second sub-
section (d) (relating to the policy of Con-
gress regarding forested land in the Na-
tional Forest System) as subsection (e); 
and 
(iii) in subsection (e) (as so redesig-
nated)— 
(I) in paragraph (2)— 
(aa) in the first sentence— 
(AA) by striking ‘‘9 of 
this Act, the Secretary shall 
annually for eight years fol-
lowing the enactment of this 
subsection’’ 
and 
inserting 
‘‘9, the Secretary shall, an-
nually during each of the 10 
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years beginning after the 
date of enactment of the Re-
pairing 
Existing 
Public 
Lands by Adding Necessary 
Trees Act’’; and 
(BB) 
by 
striking 
‘‘eight-year’’ and inserting 
‘‘10-year’’; 
(bb) in the second sentence, 
by striking ‘‘such eight-year pe-
riod’’ and inserting ‘‘the 10-year 
period’’; and 
(cc) in the third sentence, by 
striking ‘‘1978’’ and inserting 
‘‘2021’’; 
(II) in paragraph (3), in the first 
sentence, by striking ‘‘subsection (d)’’ 
and inserting ‘‘subsection’’; and 
(III) by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(4) REFORESTATION REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(A) DEFINITIONS.—In this paragraph: 
‘‘(i) NATURAL REGENERATION.— 
‘‘(I) IN
GENERAL.—The term 
‘natural regeneration’ means the es-
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tablishment of a tree or tree age class 
from natural seeding, sprouting, or 
suckering in accordance with the man-
agement objectives of an applicable 
land management plan. 
‘‘(II) 
INCLUSION.—The 
term 
‘natural regeneration’ may include 
any site preparation activity to en-
hance the success of regeneration to 
the desired species composition and 
structure. 
‘‘(ii) PRIORITY LAND.—The term ‘pri-
ority land’ means National Forest System 
land that, due to an unplanned event— 
‘‘(I) is unstocked; 
‘‘(II) requires reforestation to 
meet the objectives of an applicable 
land management plan; and 
‘‘(III) is unlikely to experience 
natural regeneration without assist-
ance. 
‘‘(iii) 
REFORESTATION.—The 
term 
‘reforestation’ means the act of renewing 
tree cover by establishing young trees 
through— 
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‘‘(I) natural regeneration; 
‘‘(II) natural regeneration with 
site preparation; or 
‘‘(III) planting direct seeding, 
taking into consideration species com-
position and resilience. 
‘‘(iv) UNPLANNED EVENT.— 
‘‘(I) IN
GENERAL.—The term 
‘unplanned event’ means any un-
planned disturbance that— 
‘‘(aa) disrupts ecosystem or 
forest structure or composition; 
or 
‘‘(bb) 
changes 
resources, 
substrate 
availability, 
or 
the 
physical environment. 
‘‘(II) 
INCLUSIONS.—The 
term 
‘unplanned event’ may include— 
‘‘(aa) a wildfire; 
‘‘(bb) an infestation of in-
sects or disease; 
‘‘(cc) a weather event; and 
‘‘(dd) animal damage. 
‘‘(v) 
UNSTOCKED.—The 
term 
‘unstocked’, with respect to forest land, 
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means that a percentage of forested land 
area of the forest land fails to achieve com-
pliance with a stocking level required 
under an applicable land management 
plan. 
‘‘(B) REQUIREMENT.—Each reforestation 
activity under this section shall be carried out 
in accordance with applicable Forest Service 
management practices and definitions, including 
those contained in— 
‘‘(i) the amendment numbered 2400– 
2014–1 to chapter 2470 (relating to sil-
vicultural practices) of the Forest Service 
document numbered FSM 2400 (relating 
to forest management) (or a successor 
amendment or manual); and 
‘‘(ii) section 219.19 of title 36, Code 
of Federal Regulations (or a successor reg-
ulation). 
‘‘(C) REFORESTATION PRIORITY.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—In carrying out 
this subsection, the Secretary shall give 
priority to projects on the priority list de-
scribed in clause (ii). 
‘‘(ii) PRIORITY LIST.— 
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‘‘(I) IN GENERAL.—The Chief of 
the Forest Service shall, based on rec-
ommendations from regional foresters, 
create a priority list of reforestation 
projects that— 
‘‘(aa) primarily take place 
on priority land; 
‘‘(bb) promote effective re-
forestation following unplanned 
events; and 
‘‘(cc) may include activities 
to ensure adequate and appro-
priate seed availability. 
‘‘(II) RANKING.—The Chief of 
the Forest Service shall rank projects 
on the priority list under subclause (I) 
based on— 
‘‘(aa) documentation of an 
effective 
reforestation 
project 
plan; 
‘‘(bb) the ability to measure 
the progress and success of the 
project; and 
‘‘(cc) the ability of a project 
to provide benefits relating to 
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forest function and health, soil 
health and productivity, wildlife 
habitat, improved air and water 
quality, carbon sequestration po-
tential, resilience, job creation, 
and enhanced recreational oppor-
tunities.’’. 
(B) CONFORMING
AMENDMENT.—Section 
9 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 
1978 (16 U.S.C. 2105) is amended, in the un-
designated matter following paragraph (5) of 
subsection (g)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘section 3(d)’’ and in-
serting ‘‘subsection (e) of section 3’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘1601(d)’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘1601’’. 
(2) NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM PROGRAM ELE-
MENTS.—Section 9 of the Forest and Rangeland Re-
newable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 
1607) is amended, in the second sentence, by strik-
ing ‘‘2000’’ and inserting ‘‘2029’’. 
(b) REFORESTATION TRUST FUND.—Section 303 of 
Public Law 96–451 (16 U.S.C. 1606a) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking paragraph (2); 
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(B) in paragraph (3)— 
(i) in the second sentence, by striking 
‘‘Proper adjustment’’ and inserting the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(3) ADJUSTMENT OF ESTIMATES.—Proper ad-
justment’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘(3) The amounts’’ 
and inserting the following: 
‘‘(2) FREQUENCY.—The amounts’’; and 
(C) by striking the subsection designation 
and all that follows through ‘‘the Secretary’’ in 
paragraph (1) and inserting the following: 
‘‘(b) TRANSFERS TO TRUST FUND.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary’’; and 
(2) in subsection (d)(1)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘section 3(d)’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘subsection (e) of section 3’’; and 
(B) by striking ‘‘1601(d)’’ and inserting 
‘‘1601’’. 
(c) STEWARDSHIP
END
RESULT
CONTRACTING 
PROJECTS.—Section 604(c) of the Healthy Forests Res-
toration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(c)) is amended by 
adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(8) With respect to projects under subsection 
(b) entered into only by the Chief, reforestation in 
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accordance with subsection (e)(4)(C)(ii) of section 3 
of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 
Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1601).’’. 
(d) GOOD NEIGHBOR AUTHORITY.—Section 8206 of 
the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subsection (a)(4)(A)— 
(A) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(B) by redesignating clause (iii) as clause 
(iv); and 
(C) by inserting after clause (ii) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(iii) with respect to National Forest 
System land only, reforestation activities; 
and’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)(1), by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(C) 
REFORESTATION
PRIORITY.—The 
Secretary shall enter into good neighbor agree-
ments under this section with respect to forest, 
rangeland, and watershed restoration services 
described in subsection (a)(4)(A)(iii) in accord-
ance with subsection (e)(4)(C)(ii) of section 3 
of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Re-
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