I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1054 
To promote botanical research and botanical sciences capacity, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 14, 2017 
Mr. QUIGLEY (for himself and Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in 
addition to the Committees on Agriculture, Armed Services, Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure, and House Administration, 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 con-
cerned 
A BILL 
To promote botanical research and botanical sciences 
capacity, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Botanical Sciences and 
Native Plant Materials Research, Restoration, and Pro-
motion Act’’. 
SEC. 2. TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
The table of contents for this Act is as follows: 
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Sec. 1. Short title. 
Sec. 2. Table of contents. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
TITLE I—PROMOTING BOTANICAL RESEARCH AND BOTANICAL 
SCIENCES CAPACITY 
Sec. 101. Department of the Interior botanical research. 
Sec. 102. Staff enhancement. 
TITLE II—GENERATING DEMAND FOR NATIVE PLANT 
MATERIALS 
Sec. 201. Policy for use of locally adapted native plant materials by Depart-
ment of Agriculture and Department of the Interior. 
Sec. 202. Policy for use of locally adapted native plant materials by Depart-
ment of Defense. 
Sec. 203. Surface transportation program. 
Sec. 204. Native plant materials requirements for Federal development 
projects. 
TITLE III—AUTHORIZATION OF FEDERAL NATIVE PLANT 
MATERIALS RELATED ACTIVITIES 
Sec. 301. Interagency plant materials efforts. 
Sec. 302. Bureau of Land Management Plant conservation program. 
Sec. 303. National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Plant conservation programs. 
Sec. 304. Grants to support collaborative efforts to prevent endangered species 
status. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
As used in this Act, the following terms have the fol-
lowing meanings: 
(1) INVASIVE
PLANT
SPECIES.—The term 
‘‘invasive plant species’’ means a plant species that 
is nonnative with respect to an ecosystem and whose 
introduction into that ecosystem will cause, or is 
likely to cause, economic harm, environmental harm, 
or harm to human, animal, or plant health. 
(2) LOCALLY
ADAPTED.—The term ‘‘locally 
adapted’’ with respect to plants, means plants that 
originate from an area that is geographically proxi-
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mate to a planting area and that are environ-
mentally adapted to, and likely to succeed in becom-
ing established and persisting within, such area. 
(3) NATIVE PLANT SPECIES.—The term ‘‘native 
plant species’’ means indigenous terrestrial and 
aquatic plant species that evolved naturally in a de-
fined native ecosystem. 
(4) NONNATIVE
PLANT
SPECIES.—The term 
‘‘nonnative plant species’’ means a plant that has 
been introduced by humans to a location outside its 
native or natural range and may, depending on rel-
evant facts and circumstances, include a species in-
troduced from another continent, ecosystem, seed 
zone, or habitat within an ecosystem. 
(5) PLANT MATERIALS.—The term ‘‘plant ma-
terials’’ includes, with respect to a native plant spe-
cies or a nonnative plant species, such a plant or its 
seeds, eggs, spores, or other biological material capa-
ble of propagating that species. 
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TITLE 
I—PROMOTING 
BOTAN-
ICAL RESEARCH AND BOTAN-
ICAL SCIENCES CAPACITY 
SEC. 101. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BOTANICAL RE-
SEARCH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Interior, act-
ing through the Bureau of Land Management, United 
States Geological Survey, United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service, National Park Service, and such other agencies 
and instrumentalities as the Secretary determines appro-
priate, shall support a robust program of intramural and 
extramural botanical science research as relevant and ap-
propriate to support the Department’s land management 
responsibilities. 
(b) AREAS OF EMPHASIS.—Research conducted pur-
suant to this section shall include a focus on the following 
topics: 
(1) Effective approaches to restoring habitat 
damaged by wildfires that incorporate the use of ap-
propriate plant materials. 
(2) Effective methods for developing and using 
locally adapted native plant materials in land man-
agement activities. 
(3) Effective mitigation strategies for com-
bating invasive plant species. 
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(4) Mitigation strategies related to the impacts 
of long- and medium-term environmental changes 
such as changes in moisture levels, temperature, 
landscape fragmentation, nonnative animal and 
plant species, and human activity. 
(5) Methods to promote the recovery of threat-
ened and endangered species. 
(c) EXTRAMURAL RESEARCH.—As determined appro-
priate by the Secretary, research conducted under this sec-
tion may be carried out through competitively awarded 
grants or contracts, or cooperative agreements, awarded 
in accordance with all applicable requirements governing 
such activities. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 
out the purposes of this section, there are authorized to 
be appropriated $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2018, and 
such sums as may be necessary for subsequent fiscal 
years. 
SEC. 102. STAFF ENHANCEMENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose of improving the 
Department’s land management capabilities, the Secretary 
of the Interior is authorized to augment the expertise of 
the Department of the Interior in the botanical sciences 
by— 
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(1) hiring additional personnel with expertise in 
the botanical sciences; and 
(2) establishing a loan forgiveness program to 
facilitate the hiring of such personnel. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION.— 
(1) Subject to the availability of appropriations 
for such purpose, by not later than September 30, 
2019, the Secretary shall hire not more than 20 full- 
time Botanical Science Personnel to support the De-
partment’s land management responsibilities. The 
Secretary shall determine the appropriate placement 
of such personnel within the appropriate agencies of 
the Department with major land management re-
sponsibilities. The Secretary may waive any limita-
tion on the number of full-time equivalent personnel 
assigned to the Department and its constituent 
agencies in order to carry out the purposes of this 
section. 
(2) Personnel hired pursuant to paragraph (1) 
shall be— 
(A) in addition to any positions authorized 
before the date of the enactment of this Act 
and any existing vacancies within the Depart-
ment on such date; 
(B) part of the Competitive Service; and 
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(C) hired in compliance with all applicable 
provisions of title 5, United States Code. 
(c) LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 
a program to provide educational loan repayment to 
qualifying individuals who agree to a term of em-
ployment with the Department as Botanical Science 
Personnel. 
(2) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to participate 
in the loan repayment program under this sub-
section, an individual shall— 
(A) either— 
(i) have a degree in botanical sciences; 
(ii) be enrolled in an approved grad-
uate 
training 
program 
in 
botanical 
sciences; or 
(iii) be enrolled as a full-time student 
in an accredited educational institution, 
and in the final year of a course of a study 
or program, offered by such institution and 
approved by the Secretary, leading to a de-
gree in botanical sciences; and 
(B) submit to the Secretary an application 
for a contract described in paragraph (4). 
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(3) INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED WITH AP-
PLICATION
AND
CONTRACT
FORMS.—In dissemi-
nating application forms and contract forms to indi-
viduals desiring to participate in the loan repayment 
program, the Secretary shall include with such forms 
a fair summary of the rights and liabilities of an in-
dividual whose application is approved (and whose 
contract is accepted). Such information shall be 
written in a manner calculated to be understood by 
the average individual applying to participate in the 
loan repayment program. 
(4) CONTRACTS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—An individual becomes 
a participant in the loan repayment program 
only upon the Secretary and the individual en-
tering into a written contract whereby— 
(i) the Secretary agrees to pay on be-
half of the individual loans in accordance 
with paragraph (5), subject to the avail-
ability of appropriated funds; and 
(ii) the individual agrees to— 
(I) accept loan payments on be-
half of the individual; and 
(II) if applicable, maintain enroll-
ment and acceptable academic stand-
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ing in a course of study or training 
described in paragraph (2) and serve 
for a time period equal to 2 years or 
such longer period as the individual 
may agree to as a botanical scientist 
employed by the Department. 
(B) OTHER
TERMS
AND
CONDITIONS.— 
Such contracts shall include all other necessary 
and appropriate terms and conditions to clarify 
the rights, obligations, and liabilities of the par-
ties. 
(5) REPAYMENT.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—A loan repayment pro-
vided for an individual under a written contract 
under the repayment program authorized by 
this subsection shall consist of payment on be-
half of the individual of the principal, interest, 
and related expenses on government and com-
mercial loans received by the individual regard-
ing the undergraduate or graduate education of 
the individual (or both), which loans were made 
for tuition, other reasonable educational ex-
penses, or reasonable living expenses, as deter-
mined by the Secretary. 
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(B) AMOUNTS.—For each year of obligated 
service that an individual contracts to serve, the 
Secretary may pay up to $50,000 (plus, begin-
ning with fiscal year 2019, an amount deter-
mined by the Secretary on an annual basis to 
reflect inflation) on behalf of the individual for 
loans described in this paragraph. In making a 
determination of the amount to pay for a year 
of such service by an individual, the Secretary 
may enter into an agreement with the holder of 
any such loan for which payments are made to 
establish a schedule for the making of such pay-
ments. 
(6) EMPLOYMENT
CEILING.—Notwithstanding 
any other provision of law, individuals who have en-
tered into written contracts with the Secretary under 
this section, while undergoing academic or other 
training, shall not be counted against any employ-
ment ceiling affecting the Department. 
(d) DEFINITION.—For the purposes of this section, 
the term ‘‘Botanical Science Personnel’’ means individuals 
with post-secondary education in the field of botany, in-
cluding plant ecologists and individuals with a bachelor’s 
degree in plant biology. 
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(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 
out the purposes of this section, there are authorized to 
be appropriated— 
(1) for fiscal year 2018— 
(A) $3,000,000 for subsection (b); and 
(B) $1,000,000 for subsection (c); and 
(2) for each fiscal year after fiscal year 2018, 
such sums as may be necessary. 
TITLE II—GENERATING DEMAND 
FOR NATIVE PLANT MATERIALS 
SEC. 201. POLICY FOR USE OF LOCALLY ADAPTED NATIVE 
PLANT MATERIALS BY DEPARTMENT OF AG-
RICULTURE AND DEPARTMENT OF THE INTE-
RIOR. 
(a) POLICY.—In undertaking a land management ac-
tivity on Federal lands under the jurisdiction of the De-
partment of Agriculture or the Department of the Interior, 
including maintenance and restoration in response to deg-
radation caused by human activity or natural events (such 
as fire, flood, or infestation), it is the policy of the United 
States that preference shall be made to the extent prac-
ticable for the use of locally adapted native plant mate-
rials. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary of Agri-
culture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, 
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and the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the heads 
of land management agencies of the Department of the 
Interior, shall— 
(1) implement the policy established by sub-
section (a) through appropriate administrative ac-
tions; and 
(2) specifically identify situations in which the 
use of nonnative plant materials may be warranted, 
including situations in which— 
(A) emergency conditions require the pro-
tection of basic resource values; 
(B) an interim, nonpersistent measure is 
needed to aid in the reestablishment of native 
plant species; 
(C) native plant materials are not reason-
ably available; or 
(D) the plant community subject to the 
land management activity has been permanently 
altered. 
SEC. 202. POLICY FOR USE OF LOCALLY ADAPTED NATIVE 
PLANT MATERIALS BY DEPARTMENT OF DE-
FENSE. 
(a) POLICY.—Chapter 159 of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting after section 2692 the fol-
lowing: 
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‘‘§ 2693. Policy for use of locally adapted native plant 
materials in management of Department 
of Defense lands 
‘‘(a) POLICY.—In undertaking a land management 
activity on land under the jurisdiction of the Department 
of Defense, including land withdrawn for or held by permit 
or lease, it is the policy of the United States that pref-
erence to the extent practicable shall be made for the use 
of locally adapted native plant materials. 
‘‘(b) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary of Defense, 
acting through the Under Secretary for Installations, 
shall— 
‘‘(1) implement the policy established by sub-
section (a) through appropriate administrative ac-
tions; and 
‘‘(2) specifically identify situations in which the 
use of nonnative plant materials may be warranted, 
including situations in which— 
‘‘(A) emergency conditions require the pro-
tection of basic resource values; 
‘‘(B) an interim, nonpersistent measure is 
needed to aid in the reestablishment of native 
plant species; 
‘‘(C) native plant materials are not reason-
ably available; or 
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‘‘(D) the plant community subject to the 
land management activity has been permanently 
altered. 
‘‘(c) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary of Defense 
shall consult with the Secretary of the Interior and the 
Secretary of Agriculture regarding implementation of this 
section. 
‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
‘‘(1) LAND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITY.—The term 
‘land management activity’ includes— 
‘‘(A) maintenance and restoration; and 
‘‘(B) conservation and cultural activities 
pursuant to sections 2691 and 2694 of this 
title. 
‘‘(2) LOCALLY
ADAPTED.—The term ‘locally 
adapted’ with respect to plants, means plants that 
originate from an area that is geographically proxi-
mate to a planting area and that are environ-
mentally adapted to, and likely to succeed in becom-
ing established and persisting within, such area. 
‘‘(3) NATIVE PLANT SPECIES.—The term ‘na-
tive plant species’ means indigenous terrestrial and 
aquatic plant species that evolved naturally in a de-
fined native ecosystem. 
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‘‘(4) NONNATIVE PLANT SPECIES.—The term 
‘nonnative plant species’ means a plant that has 
been introduced by humans to a location outside its 
native or natural range and may, depending on rel-
evant facts and circumstances, include a species in-
troduced from another continent, ecosystem, seed 
zone, or habitat within an ecosystem. 
‘‘(5) PLANT MATERIALS.—The term ‘plant ma-
terials’ includes, with respect to a native plant spe-
cies or a nonnative plant species, such a plant or its 
seeds, eggs, spores, or other biological material capa-
ble of propagating that species.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 159 of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 2692 the following: 
‘‘2693. Policy for use of locally adapted native plant materials in management 
of Department of Defense lands.’’. 
SEC. 203. SURFACE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM. 
Section 329 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(d) NATIVE PLANT MATERIALS.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—In carrying out environ-
mental mitigation efforts and environmental restora-
tion and pollution abatement activities as authorized 
by section 133(b), a State shall, to the extent prac-
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ticable, maximize the use of locally adapted native 
plant materials. 
‘‘(2) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall con-
sult with the Secretary of the Interior and the Sec-
retary of Agriculture regarding the implementation 
of this subsection.’’. 
SEC. 204. NATIVE PLANT MATERIALS REQUIREMENTS FOR 
FEDERAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS. 
The sponsor of any development or redevelopment 
project involving a Federal facility with a footprint that 
exceeds 5,000 square feet shall use site planning, design, 
construction, and maintenance strategies for the property 
to establish, maintain, or restore, to the maximum extent 
technically feasible, the use of locally adapted native plant 
materials on all natural spaces, including, where feasible, 
roofs and other appropriate portions of the structure. 
TITLE III—AUTHORIZATION OF 
FEDERAL NATIVE PLANT MA-
TERIALS 
RELATED 
ACTIVI-
TIES 
SEC. 301. INTERAGENCY PLANT MATERIALS EFFORTS. 
(a) ACTIVITIES.—The heads of the agencies shall col-
laborate, as appropriate, regarding land use responsibility 
to undertake the following activities related to native plant 
materials: 
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(1) Identify seed needs and ensure the reliable 
availability of genetically appropriate seed. 
(2) Conduct research to develop genetically ap-
propriate seed and to improve technology for seed 
production and ecological restoration. 
(3) Support land managers’ ability to make 
timely and informed seeding decisions for ecological 
restoration. 
(4) Efforts to enhance, protect, and restore 
plant materials necessary to support pollinators and 
dispersers. 
(5) Efforts to coordinate activities aimed at 
sustaining and restoring public lands through the 
use of techniques and materials that promote to the 
extent practicable the use of locally adapted native 
plant materials. 
(b) AGENCIES.—For the purposes of this section, the 
term ‘‘agencies’’ means the following: 
(1) In the Department of the Interior: 
(A) Bureau of Indian Affairs. 
(B) Bureau of Land Management. 
(C) National Park Service. 
(D) United States Fish and Wildlife Serv-
ice. 
(E) United States Geological Survey. 
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(2) In the Department of Agriculture: 
(A) Agricultural Research Service. 
(B) Forest Service. 
(C) National Institute of Food and Agri-
culture. 
(D) Natural Resources Conservation Serv-
ice. 
(3) United States Botanic Garden. 
(4) Smithsonian Institution. 
(5) Federal Highway Administration. 
SEC. 302. BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT PLANT CON-
SERVATION PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Bureau of Land Management 
is authorized to undertake activities to develop and use 
native plant materials. 
(b) ACTIVITIES.—The following activities are within 
the scope of this authority: 
(1) Identifying, evaluating, and protecting rare 
plants on public lands. 
(2) Understanding the effects of human activity 
on native plant species and communities on public 
lands. 
(3) Supporting efforts to develop genetically ap-
propriate native plant materials for restoring and 
maintaining habitat for animal and plant species, in-
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