SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to encourage the collabo-
rative, science-based ecosystem restoration of priority for-
est landscapes through a process that— 
(1) encourages ecological, economic, and social 
sustainability; 
(2) leverages local resources with national and 
private resources; 
(3) facilitates the reduction of wildfire manage-
ment costs, including through reestablishing natural 
fire 
regimes 
and 
reducing 
the 
risk 
of 
uncharacteristic wildfire; and 
(4) demonstrates the degree to which— 
(A) various ecological restoration tech-
niques— 
(i) achieve ecological health objectives; 
and 
(ii) affect wildfire activity and man-
agement costs; and 
(B) the use of forest restoration byprod-
ucts can offset treatment costs while benefitting 
rural economies and improving forest health. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) COVERED
FEDERAL
LANDS.—The term 
‘‘covered Federal lands’’ means Federal lands under 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
07:27 Feb 08, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5263.IH
H5263
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management 
and National Forest System lands. 
(2) FUND.—The term ‘‘Fund’’ means the Col-
laborative Forest Landscape Restoration Fund es-
tablished by section 4(g). 
(3) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘program’’ means 
the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Pro-
gram established under section 4(a). 
(4) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘‘Secretaries’’ 
means the Secretary of the Interior and the Sec-
retary of Agriculture, acting jointly. 
SEC. 4. COLLABORATIVE FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORA-
TION PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of the Interior 
and the Secretary of Agriculture, acting jointly, shall es-
tablish a Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Pro-
gram to select and fund ecological restoration treatments 
for priority forest landscapes in accordance with applicable 
law. 
(b) COMPLIANCE WITH EXISTING LAWS.—All activi-
ties carried out under the program shall be carried out 
in compliance with section 7 of the Endangered Species 
Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536) and the National Environ-
mental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4331 et seq.). 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
07:27 Feb 08, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5263.IH
H5263
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
(c) ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.—To be eligible for nomi-
nation under subsection (d) for selection and funding 
under the program, a collaborative forest landscape res-
toration proposal shall— 
(1) be based on a landscape restoration strategy 
that— 
(A) is complete or substantially complete; 
(B) identifies and prioritizes ecological res-
toration treatments for a 10-year period across 
a landscape that is— 
(i) at least 50,000 acres; 
(ii) comprised primarily of forested 
covered Federal lands, but may also in-
clude other Federal, State, tribal, or pri-
vate land; 
(iii) in need of active ecosystem res-
toration; and 
(iv) accessible by existing or proposed 
wood-processing infrastructure at an ap-
propriate scale to use woody biomass and 
small-diameter wood removed in ecological 
restoration treatments; 
(C) incorporates— 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
07:27 Feb 08, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5263.IH
H5263
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
(i) the best available science and sci-
entific application tools in ecological res-
toration strategies; and 
(ii) the requirements for old-growth 
maintenance, restoration, and management 
direction of paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) of 
subsection (f) and the requirements for 
large-tree retention of subsection (f) of sec-
tion 102 of Public Law 108–148 (16 
U.S.C. 6512); and 
(D) does not include the establishment of 
permanent roads; 
(2) be developed and implemented through a 
collaborative process that— 
(A) includes multiple interested persons 
representing diverse interests; 
(B) is transparent and nonexclusive or 
meets the requirements for a resource advisory 
committee under section 205 of Public Law 
106–393 (16 U.S.C. 500 note); and 
(C) has an established record of successful 
planning and implementation of ecological res-
toration projects on covered Federal lands; 
(3) describe plans to— 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
07:27 Feb 08, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5263.IH
H5263
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
(A) use fire for ecological restoration and 
maintenance, where appropriate; 
(B) improve fish and wildlife habitat, in-
cluding for endangered, threatened, and sen-
sitive species; 
(C) maintain or improve water quality; 
(D) prevent, remediate, or control inva-
sions of exotic species; 
(E) maintain or decommission roads; 
(F) use woody biomass and small-diameter 
trees produced from projects implementing the 
landscape restoration strategy; 
(G) report annually on performance, in-
cluding through performance measures from the 
plan entitled the ‘‘10 Year Comprehensive 
Strategy Implementation Plan’’ and dated De-
cember 2006; 
(H) develop small business incubators and 
provide employment and training opportunities 
to people in rural communities, including con-
tracts for monitoring activities, through— 
(i) local private, nonprofit, or coopera-
tive entities; 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
07:27 Feb 08, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5263.IH
H5263
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
(ii) Youth Conservation Corps crews 
or related partnerships, with State, local, 
and non-profit youth groups; 
(iii) small or micro-businesses; or 
(iv) other entities that will hire or 
train a significant percentage of local peo-
ple to complete such contracts; and 
(I) take into account any applicable com-
munity wildfire protection plan (as defined in 
section 101 of Public Law 108–148 (16 U.S.C. 
6511)); 
(4) analyze the anticipated cost savings result-
ing from— 
(A) reduced wildfire management costs; 
and 
(B) a decrease in the unit costs of imple-
menting ecological restoration treatments over 
time; 
(5) estimate— 
(A) the annual Federal funding necessary 
to implement the proposal; and 
(B) the amount of new non-Federal invest-
ment for carrying out the proposal that would 
be leveraged by Federal funding for ecological 
restoration treatments; and 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
07:27 Feb 08, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5263.IH
H5263
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
(6) be subject to any other requirements that 
the Secretaries determines to be necessary for the 
efficient and effective administration of the program. 
(d) NOMINATION PROCESS.— 
(1) SUBMISSION.—A collaborative forest land-
scape restoration proposal shall be submitted to the 
Director of the Bureau of Land Management for 
each State in which the covered Federal lands in-
cluded in the proposal are located and to the Re-
gional Forester for the Forest Service Region in 
which the covered Federal lands included in the pro-
posal are located. 
(2) NOMINATION.—A State Director of the Bu-
reau of Land Management or a Regional Forester 
may nominate collaborative forest landscape restora-
tion proposals for selection by the Secretaries. 
(3) DOCUMENTATION.—With respect to each 
collaborative forest landscape restoration proposal 
that is nominated under paragraph (2)— 
(A) the State Director of the Bureau of 
Land Management or Regional Forester mak-
ing the nomination shall— 
(i) include a proposal to use Federal 
funds allocated to the State Director of the 
Bureau of Land Management or Regional 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
07:27 Feb 08, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5263.IH
H5263
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
provide appropriate funding to carry out, the 
activities on the non-covered Federal land. 
(e) SELECTION PROCESS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—After consulting with any 
scientific and technical advisory panels established 
under subsection (f), the Secretaries shall, subject to 
paragraph (2), select the best collaborative forest 
landscape restoration proposals that— 
(A) have been nominated under subsection 
(d)(2); and 
(B) meet the eligibility criteria established 
by subsection (c). 
(2) CRITERIA.—In selecting collaborative forest 
landscape restoration proposals under paragraph 
(1), the Secretaries shall give special consideration 
to— 
(A) the strength of the ecological case of 
the proposal for landscape restoration and the 
proposed restoration strategies; 
(B) the strength of the collaborative proc-
ess; 
(C) whether the proposal would reduce the 
relative costs of carrying out treatments as a 
result of the use of woody biomass and small- 
diameter trees; 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
07:27 Feb 08, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5263.IH
H5263
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
(D) whether the proposal is likely to 
achieve reductions in long-term wildfire man-
agement costs; 
(E) the strength of the landscape restora-
tion proposal and strategy; and 
(F) whether an appropriate level of non- 
Federal investment would be leveraged in car-
rying out the proposal. 
(3) LIMITATION.—The Secretaries may select 
not more than— 
(A) 10 collaborative forest landscape res-
toration proposals to be funded during any fis-
cal year; and 
(B) 2 collaborative forest landscape res-
toration proposals in any 1 region of the Na-
tional Forest System to be funded during any 
fiscal year. 
(f) ADVISORY PANELS.— 
(1) SCIENTIFIC ADVISORY PANEL.—The Secre-
taries shall establish a scientific advisory panel com-
prised of not more than 12 experts in ecological for-
est restoration and fire ecology to evaluate, and pro-
vide recommendations on, any proposal that has 
been nominated under subsection (d)(2) and meets 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
07:27 Feb 08, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00011
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5263.IH
H5263
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
the eligibility criteria established by subsection (c) 
with respect to— 
(A) the strength of the ecological case of 
the proposal for landscape restoration and the 
proposed restoration strategies; and 
(B) whether the proposal is likely to 
achieve reductions in long-term wildfire man-
agement costs. 
(2) TECHNICAL ADVISORY PANEL.—The Secre-
taries may establish a technical advisory panel com-
prised of experts in rural business development and 
the use of woody biomass and small-diameter trees 
to evaluate, and provide recommendations on, any 
proposal that has been nominated under subsection 
(d)(2) and meets the eligibility criteria established 
by subsection (c) with respect to whether the pro-
posal is likely to reduce the relative costs of carrying 
out treatments as a result of the use of woody bio-
mass and small-diameter trees and provide local eco-
nomic benefit. 
(g) COLLABORATIVE FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORA-
TION FUND.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in 
the Treasury of the United States a fund, to be 
known as the ‘‘Collaborative Forest Landscape Res-
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
07:27 Feb 08, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00012
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5263.IH
H5263
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
toration Fund’’, to be used to pay up to 50 percent 
of the cost of carrying out ecological restoration 
treatments on covered Federal lands for each col-
laborative forest landscape restoration proposal se-
lected to be carried out under subsection (e), con-
sisting of— 
(A) such amounts as are appropriated to 
the Fund under paragraph (5); and 
(B) any interest earned on investment of 
amounts in the Fund under paragraph (3). 
(2) EXPENDITURES FROM FUND.—On request 
by the Secretaries, the Secretary of the Treasury 
shall transfer from the Fund to the Secretaries such 
amounts as the Secretaries determines are necessary 
to carry out ecological restoration treatments under 
paragraph (1). 
(3) ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING SYSTEM.— 
The Secretaries shall establish an accounting and re-
porting system for the Fund. 
(4) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.— 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Fund 
$40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 
2018, to remain available until expended. 
(h) 
PROGRAM
IMPLEMENTATION
AND
MONI-
TORING.— 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
07:27 Feb 08, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00013
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5263.IH
H5263
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
(1) WORK
PLAN.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date on which a collaborative forest land-
scape restoration proposal is selected to be carried 
out, the Secretaries shall create, in collaboration 
with the interested persons, an implementation work 
plan and budget to implement the collaborative for-
est landscape restoration proposal that includes— 
(A) a description of the manner in which 
the proposal would be implemented to achieve 
ecological and community economic benefit, in-
cluding capacity building to accomplish restora-
tion; 
(B) a business plan that addresses— 
(i) the anticipated unit treatment cost 
reductions over 10 years; 
(ii) the anticipated costs for infra-
structure needed for the proposal; 
(iii) the projected sustainability of the 
supply of woody biomass and small-diame-
ter trees removed in ecological restoration 
treatments; and 
(iv) the projected local economic bene-
fits of the proposal; and 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
07:27 Feb 08, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00014
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5263.IH
H5263
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
(C) documentation of the non-Federal in-
vestment in the priority landscape, including 
the sources and uses of the investments. 
(2) 
PROJECT
IMPLEMENTATION.—Amounts 
transferred to the Secretaries from the Fund shall 
be used to carry out ecological restoration treat-
ments that are— 
(A) consistent with the landscape restora-
tion proposal and strategy; and 
(B) identified through the collaborative 
process described in subsection (c)(2). 
(3) ANNUAL REPORT.—The Secretaries, in col-
laboration with interested persons, shall prepare an 
annual report on the accomplishments of each se-
lected collaborative forest landscape restoration pro-
posal that includes— 
(A) a description of all acres (or other ap-
propriate unit) treated and restored through 
projects implementing the landscape restoration 
strategy; 
(B) an evaluation of progress, including 
performance measures and how prior year eval-
uations have contributed to improved project 
performance; 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
07:27 Feb 08, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00015
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5263.IH
H5263
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
(C) a description of community benefits 
achieved, including any local economic benefits; 
(D) the results of the multiparty moni-
toring, evaluation, and accountability process 
under paragraph (4); and 
(E) a summary of the costs of— 
(i) treatments; and 
(ii) relevant fire management activi-
ties. 
(4) MULTIPARTY
MONITORING.—The Secre-
taries, in collaboration with interested persons, shall 
use a multiparty monitoring, evaluation, and ac-
countability process to assess the positive or negative 
ecological, social, and economic effects of each 
project implementing a selected collaborative forest 
landscape restoration proposal for not less than 15 
years after project implementation commences. 
(i) REPORT.—Not later than 5 years after the first 
fiscal year in which funding is made available to carry out 
ecological restoration projects under the program, and 
every 5 years thereafter, the Secretaries shall submit a 
report on the program, including an assessment of wheth-
er, and to what extent, the program is fulfilling the pur-
poses of this Act, to— 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
07:27 Feb 08, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00016
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H5263.IH
H5263
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS
(1) the Committee on Energy and Natural Re-
sources of the Senate; 
(2) the Committee on Appropriations of the 
Senate; 
(3) the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
House of Representatives; and 
(4) the Committee on Appropriations of the 
House of Representatives. 
Æ 
VerDate Aug 31 2005 
07:27 Feb 08, 2008
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00017
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H5263.IH
H5263
wwoods2 on PRODPC68 with BILLS