I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9184 
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. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 14, 2022 
Mr. NEWHOUSE (for himself and Mr. PETERS) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addi-
tion to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be subsequently de-
termined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To codify the authority of the Secretary of Agriculture and 
the Secretary of the Interior to conduct certain land-
scape-scale forest restoration projects, 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 ‘‘Root and Stem Project 
Authorization Act of 2022’’. 
SEC. 2. ROOT AND STEM PROJECTS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
15:51 Oct 24, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9184.IH
H9184
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(1) COLLABORATIVE PROCESS.—The term ‘‘col-
laborative process’’ means a process that— 
(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’’ 
means— 
(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))); and 
(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 ‘‘Sec-
retary concerned’’ means, as applicable— 
(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, acting 
through the Chief of the Forest Service; or 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
15:51 Oct 24, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9184.IH
H9184
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
(B) the Secretary of the Interior, acting 
through the Director of the Bureau of Land 
Management. 
(b) LIST
OF CONTRACTORS.—The Secretary con-
cerned 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 sub-
section (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 Nat-
ural Resources of the House of Representatives a 
copy of the list described in paragraph (1). 
(c) AGREEMENTS.—If a person submits to the Sec-
retary 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 con-
cerned determines to be necessary under Federal 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
15:51 Oct 24, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9184.IH
H9184
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS
law, including the National Environmental Policy 
Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) and the En-
dangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 
seq.), for the consideration of the proposed project; 
(2) the Secretary concerned uses the funding 
provided under paragraph (1) to pay a contractor in-
cluded on the list maintained under subsection 
(b)(1) to conduct the analysis described in para-
graph (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 Res-
toration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c) to 
carry out the project; and 
(4) using any receipts described in subsection 
(d)(1), the Secretary concerned, to the maximum ex-
tent practicable, repays to the person the funding 
initially provided under paragraph (1). 
(d) ADDITIONAL RELATED AUTHORITIES.— 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
15:51 Oct 24, 2022
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H9184.IH
H9184
pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS