basis, including consideration of source under other 
public and private agreements or contracts. 
(2) CONTRACT FOR SALE OF TIMBER OR FOREST 
PRODUCTS.—A contract entered into under this sec-
tion may, at the discretion of the Secretary, be con-
sidered a contract for the sale of timber or forest 
products under such terms as the Secretary may pre-
scribe without regard to any other provision of law. 
(3) TERM.—The Secretary may enter into an 
agreement or contract under subsection (a) for an ini-
tial period of not more than 20 years. 
(4) OFFSETS.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may 
apply the value of timber or forest products re-
moved as an offset against the cost of forest, 
rangeland, and watershed restoration services re-
ceived pursuant to an agreement or contract 
under this section. 
(B) VALUE OF OFFSET.—The value of tim-
ber or other forest products used as an offset— 
(i) shall be determined using appro-
priate methods of appraisal commensurate 
with the quantity of products to be removed; 
and 
(ii) may— 
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(I) be determined using a unit of 
measure appropriate to the contracts; 
and 
(II) may include valuing products 
on a per-acre basis. 
(C) 
CONTRACTING
OFFICER.—Notwith-
standing any other provision of law, the Sec-
retary may determine the appropriate con-
tracting officer to enter into and administer an 
agreement or contract under this section. 
(c) RECEIPTS.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may collect 
monies from an agreement or contract under this sec-
tion if the collection is a secondary objective of negoti-
ating the contract that will best achieve the purpose 
of this section. 
(2) DISPOSITION
AND
AVAILABILITY
OF
MON-
EYS.—Monies from an agreement or contract under 
this section shall remain available until expended for 
forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration services 
at the project site from which the monies are collected, 
or at another project site. 
(d) RELATION
TO OTHER LAWS.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, the value of services received 
by the Secretary under a stewardship contract project con-
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ducted under this section, and any payments made or re-
sources provided by the contractor or Secretary, shall not 
be considered monies received from United States Fish and 
Wildlife Service lands. 
(e) COSTS OF REMOVAL.—Notwithstanding the fact 
that a contractor did not harvest the timber or forest prod-
uct, the Secretary may collect deposits from a contractor 
covering the costs of removal of timber or other forest prod-
ucts. 
(f) PERFORMANCE AND PAYMENT GUARANTEES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may require 
performance and payment bonds under sections 
28.103–2 and 28.103–3 of the Federal Acquisition 
Regulation, in an amount that the contracting officer 
considers sufficient to protect the investment in re-
ceipts by the Federal Government generated by the 
contractor from the estimated value of the forest prod-
ucts to be removed under a contract under this sec-
tion. 
(2) EXCESS OFFSET VALUE.—If the offset value 
of the timber or forest products exceeds the value of 
the resource improvement treatments, the Secretary 
may— 
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(A) use the excess to satisfy any outstanding 
liabilities from cancelled agreements or contracts; 
or 
(B) if there are no outstanding liabilities 
described in subparagraph (A), apply the excess 
to other authorized stewardship projects. 
(g) CANCELLATION CEILINGS.—Notwithstanding sec-
tion 3903(b)(1) of title 41, United States Code, the Sec-
retary may obligate funds in stages that are economically 
or programmatically viable to cover any potential cancella-
tion or termination costs for an agreement or contract 
under this section. 
(h) MONITORING AND EVALUATION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 
a monitoring and evaluation process that accesses the 
stewardship contracting projects conducted under this 
section. 
(2) PARTICIPANTS.—Other than the Secretary, 
participants in the process described in this para-
graph may include— 
(A) any cooperating governmental agencies, 
including Tribal governments; and 
(B) other interested groups or individuals. 
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SEC. 304. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS. 
(a) GOOD NEIGHBOR AUTHORITY.—Section 8206 of 
the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting ‘‘, 
Indian tribe,’’ after ‘‘Governor’’; 
(B) in paragraph (3)(A)— 
(i) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘or’’ at 
the end; 
(ii) in clause (iii), by striking ‘‘; or’’ 
at the end and inserting a period; and 
(iii) by striking clause (iv). 
(C) in paragraph (4)(B)(i), by striking 
‘‘National Park Service, or National Wildlife 
Refuge’’ and inserting ‘‘or National Park Serv-
ice’’; 
(D) in paragraph (5), by inserting ‘‘, In-
dian tribe,’’ after ‘‘Governor’’; and 
(E) in paragraph (6), by striking ‘‘or In-
dian tribe’’; and 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ‘‘, In-
dian tribe,’’ after ‘‘Governor’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)(C)— 
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(i) by amending clause (i) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—Funds received 
from the sale of timber by a Governor, In-
dian tribe, or county under a good neighbor 
agreement shall be retained and used by the 
Governor, Indian tribe, or county, as appli-
cable— 
‘‘(I) to carry out authorized res-
toration services under the good neigh-
bor agreement; and 
‘‘(II) if there are funds remaining 
after carrying out subclause (I), to 
carry out authorized restoration serv-
ices under other good neighbor agree-
ments.’’; and 
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘2024’’ 
and inserting ‘‘2029’’; 
(C) in paragraph (3), by inserting ‘‘, In-
dian tribe,’’ after ‘‘Governor’’; and 
(D) by striking paragraph (4). 
(b) APPLICABILITY.—The amendments made by this 
title apply to any project initiated pursuant to a good 
neighbor agreement (as defined in 8206(a) of the Agricul-
tural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a(a))— 
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(1) before the date of the enactment of this Act, 
if the project was initiated after the date of the enact-
ment of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 
(Public Law 115–334); or 
(2) on or after the date of the enactment of this 
Act. 
TITLE IV—INCENTIVIZING WILD-
LIFE CONSERVATION ON PRI-
VATE LANDS 
SECTION 401. CANDIDATE CONSERVATION AGREEMENTS 
WITH ASSURANCES. 
(a) LISTING DETERMINATIONS.—Section 4(b)(1) of the 
Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1533(b)(1)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) CANDIDATE
CONSERVATION
AGREE-
MENTS WITH ASSURANCES.—In making a deter-
mination under subsection (a)(1) with respect to 
a species, the Secretary shall take into account 
and document the effect of any net conservation 
benefit (as that term is defined in section 10(k)) 
of any Candidate Conservation Agreement with 
Assurances or any programmatic Candidate 
Conservation Agreement with Assurances (as 
those terms are defined in that subsection) relat-
ing to such species.’’. 
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(b) CANDIDATE CONSERVATION AGREEMENTS WITH 
ASSURANCES.—Section 10 of the Endangered Species Act 
of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1539) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(k) CANDIDATE CONSERVATION AGREEMENTS WITH 
ASSURANCES.— 
‘‘(1) PROPOSED AGREEMENT.—A covered party 
may submit a proposed Agreement to the Secretary. 
‘‘(2) APPROVAL.—Not later than 120 days after 
the date of the receipt of a proposed Agreement under 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall approve the pro-
posed Agreement if the Secretary determines that the 
proposed Agreement— 
‘‘(A) sets forth specific management activi-
ties that the covered party will undertake to con-
serve the covered species; 
‘‘(B) provides a positive estimate of the net 
conservation benefit of such management activi-
ties to the covered species; 
‘‘(C) describes, to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, the existing population levels of the cov-
ered species or the existing quality of habitat; 
‘‘(D) includes a monitoring plan to be car-
ried out by the parties to the Agreement; and 
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‘‘(E) provides assurances to the covered 
party that no additional conservation measures 
will be required and additional land, water, or 
resource use restrictions will not be imposed on 
the covered party if the covered species becomes 
listed after the effective date of such Agreement. 
‘‘(3) DENIAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 
date of the receipt of a proposed Agreement under 
paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) deny the proposed Agreement if the 
Secretary determines that the proposed Agree-
ment does not meet the requirements described in 
paragraph (2); and 
‘‘(B) provide the submitting covered party a 
written explanation for such determination and 
the adjustments required for the Secretary to ap-
prove such proposed Agreement. 
‘‘(4) PROGRAMMATIC CANDIDATE CONSERVATION 
AGREEMENT WITH ASSURANCES.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may 
enter into a Candidate Conservation Agreement 
with Assurances with a covered party that au-
thorizes such covered party— 
‘‘(i) to administer such Candidate 
Conservation Agreement with Assurances; 
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‘‘(ii) to hold any permit issued under 
this section with regard to such Candidate 
Conservation Agreement with Assurances; 
‘‘(iii) to enroll other covered parties 
within the area covered by such Candidate 
Conservation Agreement with Assurances in 
such Candidate Conservation Agreement 
with Assurances; and 
‘‘(iv) to convey any permit authoriza-
tion held by such covered party under 
clause (ii) to each covered party enrolled 
under clause (iii). 
‘‘(B) PUBLICATION.—Upon receipt of a pro-
posed programmatic Candidate Conservation 
Agreement with Assurances under paragraph (1) 
and before approving or denying such a proposed 
programmatic Candidate Conservation Agree-
ment with Assurances under paragraph (2) or 
(3), respectively, the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(i) not later than 30 days after the 
date of such receipt, publish the proposed 
programmatic 
Candidate 
Conservation 
Agreement with Assurances in the Federal 
Register for public comment for a period of 
not less than 60 days; 
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‘‘(ii) review any comments received 
under clause (i); and 
‘‘(iii) after the close of the public com-
ment period for the proposed programmatic 
Candidate Conservation Agreement with As-
surances, publish in the Federal Register— 
‘‘(I) any comments received under 
clause (i); and 
‘‘(II) the approval or denial of the 
proposed 
programmatic 
Candidate 
Conservation Agreement with Assur-
ances under paragraph (2) or (3), re-
spectively. 
‘‘(5) INCIDENTAL TAKE AUTHORIZATION.—If a 
covered species is listed under section 4, the Secretary 
shall issue a permit to the relevant covered party 
under this section allowing incidental take of and 
modification to the habitat of such covered species 
consistent with the Agreement. 
‘‘(6) TECHNICAL
ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary 
shall, upon request, provide a covered party with 
technical assistance in developing a proposed Agree-
ment. 
‘‘(7) APPLICABILITY
TO
FEDERAL
LAND.—An 
Agreement may apply to a covered party that con-
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ducts activities on land administered by any Federal 
agency pursuant to a permit or lease issued to the 
covered party by that Federal agency. 
‘‘(8) EXEMPTION FROM CONSULTATION REQUIRE-
MENT.—An Agreement approved under this subsection 
shall be deemed to have been granted an exemption 
under section 7(h) for the purposes of that section. 
‘‘(9) EXEMPTION FROM DISCLOSURE.—Informa-
tion submitted by a private party to the Secretary 
under this subsection shall be exempt from disclosure 
under section 552(b)(3)(B) of title 5, United States 
Code. 
‘‘(10) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) AGREEMENT.—The term ‘Agreement’ 
means— 
‘‘(i) a Candidate Conservation Agree-
ment with Assurances; or 
‘‘(ii) a programmatic Candidate Con-
servation Agreement with Assurances. 
‘‘(B) CANDIDATE
CONSERVATION
AGREE-
MENT WITH ASSURANCES.—The term ‘Candidate 
Conservation Agreement with Assurances’ means 
any voluntary agreement, including a conserva-
tion benefit agreement, between the Secretary 
and a covered party in which— 
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The term ‘programmatic Candidate Conservation 
Agreement with Assurances’ means a Candidate 
Conservation Agreement with Assurances de-
scribed in paragraph (4)(A).’’. 
SEC. 402. DESIGNATION OF CRITICAL HABITAT. 
Section 4(a)(3) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 
(16 U.S.C. 1533(a)(3)) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(C) PRIVATELY
OWNED
OR
CONTROLLED 
LAND.—The Secretary may not designate as crit-
ical habitat under subparagraph (A) any pri-
vately owned or controlled land or other geo-
graphical area that is subject to a land manage-
ment plan that— 
‘‘(i) the Secretary determines is simi-
lar in nature to an integrated natural re-
sources management plan described in sec-
tion 101 of the Sikes Act (16 U.S.C. 670a); 
‘‘(ii)(I) is prepared in cooperation 
with the Secretary and the head of each ap-
plicable State fish and wildlife agency of 
each State in which such land or other geo-
graphical area is located; or 
‘‘(II) is submitted to the Secretary 
in a manner that is similar to the 
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manner in which an applicant submits 
a conservation plan to the Secretary 
under section 10(a)(2)(A); 
‘‘(iii) includes an activity or a limita-
tion on an activity that the Secretary deter-
mines will likely conserve the species con-
cerned; 
‘‘(iv) the Secretary determines will re-
sult in— 
‘‘(I) an increase in the population 
of the species concerned above the pop-
ulation of such species on the date that 
such species is listed as threatened or 
endangered; or 
‘‘(II) maintaining the same popu-
lation of such species on the land or 
other geographical area as the popu-
lation that would likely occur if such 
land or other geographical area is des-
ignated as critical habitat; and 
‘‘(v) to the maximum extent prac-
ticable, will minimize and mitigate the im-
pacts of any activity that will likely result 
in an incidental taking of the species con-
cerned.’’. 
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SEC. 403. AVAILABILITY OF CERTAIN INFORMATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection 
(b), information regarding the occurrence of, including the 
specific location of, a species of fish or wildlife or plant 
may not be made available to the public under section 552 
of title 5, United States Code. 
(b) EXCEPTION.— 
(1) VOLUNTARY PUBLIC DISCLOSURE OF OCCUR-
RENCES
ON
FEDERAL
LAND.—The Secretary may 
make publicly available information described in sub-
section (a) with respect to Federal land. 
(2) SHARING
INFORMATION
WITH
PARTICULAR 
ENTITIES.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may make 
available, to an entity listed in subparagraph 
(B), information described in subsection (a) 
upon receipt— 
(i) of a written request submitted by 
that entity; and 
(ii) written permission from each 
owner or manager of the land or water 
within which the species of fish or wildlife 
or plant occurs. 
(B) ENTITIES.—An entity referred to in 
clause (i) is— 
(i) a Federal agency; 
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(ii) a State governmental agency; 
(iii) an Indian Tribe (as such term is 
defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-De-
termination and Education Assistance Act 
(25 U.S.C. 5304)); 
(iv) a bona fide educational or research 
institution; or 
(v) a landowner or land manager of 
privately owned land. 
(C) REQUIREMENTS.—A written request 
submitted under subparagraph (A) by an entity 
listed in subparagraph (B) shall— 
(i) describe the specific site or area for 
which information described in subsection 
(a) is sought; 
(ii) explain the purpose for which such 
information is sought; and 
(iii) describe the manner and degree to 
which the entity is able to maintain the 
confidentiality of such information. 
TITLE V—FOREST INFORMATION 
REFORM 
SEC. 501. NO ADDITIONAL CONSULTATION REQUIRED. 
(a) FOREST SERVICE PLANS.—Section 6(d)(2) of the 
Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act 
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of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604(d)(2)) is amended to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(2) NO ADDITIONAL CONSULTATION REQUIRED 
UNDER
CERTAIN
CIRCUMSTANCES.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, the Secretary shall not be 
required to reinitiate consultation under section 
7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
U.S.C. 1536(a)(2)) or section 402.16 of title 50, Code 
of Federal Regulations (or a successor regulation), on 
a land management plan approved, amended, or re-
vised under this section when— 
‘‘(A) a new species is listed or critical habi-
tat is designated under the Endangered Species 
Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.); or 
‘‘(B) new information reveals effects of the 
land management plan that may affect a species 
listed or critical habitat designated under that 
Act in a manner or to an extent not previously 
considered.’’. 
(b) BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT PLANS.—Section 
202 of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 
1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712) is amended by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(g) NO
ADDITIONAL
CONSULTATION
REQUIRED 
UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.—Notwithstanding any 
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