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(B) the most recently published forest plan 
monitoring report for each unit of the National 
Forest System. 
(b) GOOD FAITH UPDATES.—If the Secretary is not 
acting expeditiously and in good faith, within the funding 
available to revise, amend, or modify a plan for a unit 
of the National Forest System as required by law or a 
court order, subsection (a) shall be void with respect to 
such plan and a court of proper jurisdiction may order 
completion of the plan on an accelerated basis. 
(c) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
a report to the relevant Congressional Committees sum-
marizing the implementation of this section. 
SEC. 307. CONTAINER AERIAL FIREFIGHTING SYSTEM 
(CAFFS). 
(a) EVALUATION.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agri-
culture and the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation 
with the National Interagency Aviation Committee and the 
Interagency Airtanker Board, shall jointly conduct an 
evaluation of the container aerial firefighting system to as-
sess the use of such system to mitigate and suppress 
wildfires. 
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(b) REPORT.—Not later than 120 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture 
and the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the 
National Interagency Aviation Committee and the Inter-
agency Airtanker Board, shall jointly submit to the appro-
priate committees a report that includes the results of the 
evaluation required under subsection (a). 
(c) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘appropriate committees’’ means— 
(1) the Committees on Agriculture and Natural 
Resources of the House of Representatives; and 
(2) the Committees on Agriculture, Nutrition, 
and Forestry and Energy and Natural Resources of 
the Senate. 
SEC. 308. STUDY ON PINE BEETLE INFESTATION. 
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through 
the Chief of the Forest Service, shall— 
(1) carry out a study on the causes and effects 
of, and solutions for, the infestation of pine beetles 
in the North Eastern region of the United States; 
and 
(2) submit to the relevant Congressional Com-
mittees a report that includes the results of the 
study required under paragraph (1). 
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TITLE IV—ENSURING CASUALTY 
ASSISTANCE FOR OUR FIRE-
FIGHTERS 
SEC. 401. WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT CASUALTY AS-
SISTANCE PROGRAM. 
(a) DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAM.—Not later than 6 
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of the Interior shall develop a Wildland Fire 
Management Casualty Assistance Program (referred to in 
this section as the ‘‘Program’’) to provide assistance to 
the next-of-kin of— 
(1) firefighters who, while in the line of duty, 
suffer illness or are critically injured or killed; and 
(2) wildland fire support personnel critically in-
jured or killed in the line of duty. 
(b) ASPECTS OF PROGRAM.—The Program shall ad-
dress the following: 
(1) The initial and any subsequent notifications 
to the next-of-kin of a firefighter or wildland fire 
support personnel who— 
(A) is killed in the line of duty; or 
(B) requires hospitalization or treatment 
at a medical facility due to a line-of-duty injury 
or illness. 
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(2) The reimbursement of next-of-kin for ex-
penses associated with travel to visit a firefighter or 
wildland fire support personnel who— 
(A) is killed in the line of duty; or 
(B) requires hospitalization or treatment 
at a medical facility due to a line-of-duty injury 
or illness. 
(3) The qualifications, assignment, training, du-
ties, supervision, and accountability for the perform-
ance of casualty assistance responsibilities. 
(4) The relief or transfer of casualty assistance 
officers, including notification to survivors of critical 
injury or illness in the line of duty and next-of-kin 
of the reassignment of such officers to other duties. 
(5) Centralized, short-term and long-term case 
management procedures for casualty assistance, in-
cluding rapid access by survivors of firefighters or 
wildland fire support personnel and casualty assist-
ance officers to expert case managers and coun-
selors. 
(6) The provision, through a computer acces-
sible website and other means and at no cost to sur-
vivors and next-of-kin of firefighters or wildland fire 
support personnel, of personalized, integrated infor-
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mation on the benefits and financial assistance avail-
able to such survivors from the Federal Government. 
(7) The provision of information to survivors 
and next-of-kin of firefighters or wildland fire sup-
port personnel on mechanisms for registering com-
plaints about, or requests for, additional assistance 
related to casualty assistance. 
(8) Liaison with the Department of the Inte-
rior, the Department of Justice, and the Social Se-
curity Administration to ensure prompt and accurate 
resolution of issues relating to benefits administered 
by those agencies for survivors of firefighters or 
wildland fire support personnel. 
(9) Data collection, in consultation with the 
United States Fire Administration and the National 
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, re-
garding the incidence and quality of casualty assist-
ance provided to survivors of firefighters or wildland 
fire support personnel. 
(c) LINE OF DUTY DEATH BENEFITS.—The Pro-
gram shall not affect existing authorities for Line of Duty 
Death benefits for Federal firefighters and wildland fire 
support personnel. 
(d) NEXT-OF-KIN DEFINED.—In this section, the 
term ‘‘next-of-kin’’ means person or persons in the highest 
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category of priority as determined by the following list 
(categories appear in descending order of priority): 
(1) Surviving legal spouse. 
(2) Children (whether by current or prior mar-
riage) age 18 years or older in descending prece-
dence by age. 
(3) Father or mother, unless by court order 
custody has been vested in another (adoptive parent 
takes precedence over natural parent). 
(4) Siblings (whole or half) age 18 years or 
older in descending precedence by age. 
(5) Grandfather or grandmother. 
(6) Any other relative (precedence to be deter-
mined in accordance with the civil law of descent of 
the deceased former member’s State of domicile at 
time of death). 
TITLE V—WHITE OAK 
RESILIENCE 
SEC. 501. WHITE OAK RESTORATION INITIATIVE COALI-
TION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The White Oak Restoration Ini-
tiative Coalition shall be established— 
(1) as a voluntary collaborative group of Fed-
eral, State, Tribal, and local governments and pri-
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vate and non-governmental organizations to carry 
out the duties described in subsection (b); and 
(2) in accordance with the charter titled ‘‘White 
Oak Initiative Coalition Charter’’ adopted by the 
White Oak Initiative Board of Directors on March 
21, 2023 (or a successor charter). 
(b) DUTIES.—In addition to the duties specified in 
the charter described in subsection (a)(2), the duties of 
the White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition are— 
(1) to coordinate Federal, State, Tribal, local, 
private, and non-governmental restoration of white 
oak in the United States; and 
(2) to make program and policy recommenda-
tions, consistent with applicable forest management 
plans, with respect to— 
(A) changes necessary to address Federal 
and State policies that impede activities to im-
prove the health, resiliency, and natural regen-
eration of white oak; 
(B) adopting or modifying Federal and 
State policies to increase the pace and scale of 
white oak regeneration and resiliency of white 
oak; 
(C) options to enhance communication, co-
ordination, and collaboration between forest 
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land owners, particularly for cross-boundary 
projects, to improve the health, resiliency, and 
natural regeneration of white oak; 
(D) research gaps that should be ad-
dressed to improve the best available science on 
white oak; 
(E) outreach to forest landowners with 
white oak or white oak regeneration potential; 
and 
(F) options and policies necessary to im-
prove the quality and quantity of white oak in 
tree nurseries. 
(c) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT, TECHNICAL SERV-
ICES, AND STAFF SUPPORT.—The Secretary of the Inte-
rior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall make such per-
sonnel available to the White Oak Restoration Initiative 
Coalition for administrative support, technical services, 
and development and dissemination of educational mate-
rials as the Secretaries determine necessary to carry out 
this section. 
(d) PRIVATE FUNDING OF WHITE OAK RESTORA-
TION PROJECTS.—Subject to the availability of appropria-
tions made in advance for such purpose, the Secretary of 
Agriculture may make funds available to the White Oak 
Restoration Initiative Coalition to carry out this section 
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from the account established pursuant to section 1241(f) 
of the Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3841(f)). 
SEC. 502. FOREST SERVICE PILOT PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture, act-
ing through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall establish 
and carry out 5 pilot projects in national forests to restore 
white oak in such forests through white oak restoration 
and natural regeneration practices that are consistent with 
applicable forest management plans. 
(b) NATIONAL FORESTS RESERVED OR WITHDRAWN 
FROM THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.—At least 3 pilot projects re-
quired under subsection (a) shall be carried out on na-
tional forests reserved or withdrawn from the public do-
main. 
(c) AUTHORITY TO ENTER INTO COOPERATIVE 
AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary of Agriculture may enter 
into cooperative agreements to carry out the pilot projects 
required under subsection (a). 
(d) SUNSET.—The authority under this section shall 
terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 503. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR WHITE OAK RE-
VIEW AND RESTORATION. 
(a) ASSESSMENT.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of the Inte-
rior shall carry out an assessment of land under the 
administrative jurisdiction of the Department of the 
Interior, including fish and wildlife refuges and 
abandoned mine land, to evaluate— 
(A) whether white oak is present on such 
land; and 
(B) the potential to restore white oak for-
ests on such land. 
(2) USE OF INFORMATION.—In carrying out the 
assessment under paragraph (1), the Secretary may 
use information from sources other than the Depart-
ment of the Interior, including from the White Oak 
Initiative and the Forest Service. 
(3) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the 
date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary 
shall submit to Congress, and make publicly avail-
able on the website of the Department of the Inte-
rior, a report regarding the results of the assessment 
carried out under this subsection. 
(b) PILOT PROJECTS.—After the date on which the 
report required under subsection (a)(3) is submitted, the 
Secretary shall establish and carry out 5 pilot projects in 
different areas of land described in subsection (a)(1) to 
restore and naturally regenerate white oak. 
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(c) AUTHORITY
TO
ENTER
INTO
COOPERATIVE 
AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary of the Interior may enter 
into cooperative agreements to carry out the pilot projects 
required under subsection (b). 
(d) SUNSET.—The authority under this section shall 
terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 504. WHITE OAK REGENERATION AND UPLAND OAK 
HABITAT. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
Agriculture (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’) 
shall establish a non-regulatory program to be known as 
the ‘‘White Oak and Upland Oak Habitat Regeneration 
Program’’ (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Program’’). 
(b) DUTIES.—In carrying out the Program, the Sec-
retary shall— 
(1) draw upon the best available science and 
management plans for species of white oak to iden-
tify, prioritize, and implement restoration and con-
servation activities that will improve the growth of 
white oak within the United States; 
(2) collaborate and coordinate with the White 
Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition to prioritize 
white oak restoration initiatives; 
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(3) adopt a white oak restoration strategy 
that— 
(A) supports the implementation of a 
shared set of science-based restoration and con-
servation activities developed in accordance with 
paragraph (1); 
(B) targets cost effective projects with 
measurable results; and 
(C) maximizes restoration outcomes with 
no net gain of Federal full-time equivalent em-
ployees; and 
(4) establish the voluntary grant and technical 
assistance programs in accordance with subsection 
(e). 
(c) COORDINATION.—In establishing the Program 
the Secretary, acting through the Chief of the Forest Serv-
ice, shall consult with— 
(1) the heads of Federal agencies, including— 
(A) the Director of the United States Fish 
and Wildlife Service; and 
(B) the Chief of the Natural Resources 
Conservation Service; and 
(2) the Governor of each State in which res-
toration efforts will be carried out pursuant to the 
Program. 
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(d) PURPOSES.—The purposes of the Program in-
clude— 
(1) coordinating restoration and conservation 
activities among Federal, State, local, and Tribal en-
tities and conservation partners to address white oak 
restoration priorities; 
(2) improving and regenerating white oak and 
upland oak forests and the wildlife habitat such for-
ests provide; 
(3) carrying out coordinated restoration and 
conservation activities that lead to the increased 
growth of species of white oak in native white oak 
regions on Federal, State, Tribal, and private land; 
(4) facilitating strategic planning to maximize 
the resilience of white oak systems and habitats 
under changing climate conditions; 
(5) engaging the public through outreach, edu-
cation, and citizen involvement to increase capacity 
and support for coordinated restoration and con-
servation activities for species of white oak; and 
(6) increasing scientific capacity to support the 
planning, monitoring, and research activities nec-
essary to carry out such coordinated restoration and 
conservation activities. 
(e) GRANTS AND ASSISTANCE.— 
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(1) IN GENERAL.—To the extent that funds are 
available to carry out this section, the Secretary 
shall establish a voluntary grant and technical as-
sistance program (in this section referred to as the 
‘‘grant program’’) to achieve the purposes of the 
Program described in subsection (d). 
(2) ADMINISTRATION.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary shall 
enter into a cooperative agreement with the Na-
tional Fish and Wildlife Foundation (in this 
subsection referred to as the ‘‘Foundation’’) to 
manage and administer the grant program. 
(B) FUNDING.—Subject to the availability 
of appropriations made in advance for such 
purpose, after the Secretary enters into a coop-
erative agreement with the Foundation under 
subparagraph (A), the Foundation shall for 
each fiscal year, receive amounts to carry out 
this subsection in an advance payment of the 
entire amount on October 1, or as soon as prac-
ticable thereafter, of that fiscal year. 
(3) APPLICATION
OF
NATIONAL
FISH
AND 
WILDLIFE
FOUNDATION
ESTABLISHMENT
ACT.— 
Amounts received by the Foundation to carry out 
the grant program shall be subject to the National 
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Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act (16 
U.S.C. 3701 et seq.), excluding section 10(a) of that 
Act (16 U.S.C. 3709(a)). 
(f) SUNSET.—The authority under this section shall 
terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 505. TREE NURSERY SHORTAGES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary of Ag-
riculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, 
shall— 
(1) develop and implement a national strategy 
to increase the capacity of Federal, State, Tribal, 
and private tree nurseries to address the nationwide 
shortage of tree seedlings; and 
(2) coordinate such strategy with— 
(A) the national reforestation strategy of 
the Forest Service; and 
(B) each regional implementation plan for 
National Forests. 
(b) ELEMENTS.—The strategy required under sub-
section (a) shall— 
(1) be based on the best available science and 
data; and 
(2) identify and address— 
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(A) regional seedling shortages of bareroot 
and container tree seedlings; 
(B) regional reforestation opportunities 
and the seedling supply necessary to fulfill such 
opportunities; 
(C) opportunities to enhance seedling di-
versity and close gaps in seed inventories; and 
(D) barriers to expanding, enhancing, or 
creating new infrastructure to increase nursery 
capacity. 
SEC. 506. WHITE OAK RESEARCH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture may 
enter into a memorandum of understanding with a Tribe 
or institution, including a covered land grant college, to 
collaboratively conduct research on— 
(1) white oak genes with resistance or tolerance 
to stress; 
(2) white oak trees that exhibit vigor for the 
purpose of increasing survival and growth; 
(3) establishing a genetically diverse white oak 
seeds bank capable of responding to stressors; 
(4) providing a sustainable supply of white oak 
seedlings and genetic resources; 
(5) improved methods for aligning seed sources 
with the future climate at planting sites; 
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(6) reforestation of white oak through natural 
and artificial regeneration; 
(7) improved methods for retaining and increas-
ing white oak trees in forests; 
(8) improved methods for reforesting aban-
doned mine land sites; and 
(9) economic and social aspects of white oak 
forest management across land ownerships. 
(b) CONSULT.—In carrying out the research under 
subsection (a), the Tribe or institution, including a cov-
ered land grant college, that enters into the memorandum 
of understanding under such subsection may consult with 
such States, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher 
education, and other scientific bodies, as the entity subject 
to such memorandum determines appropriate. 
(c) SUNSET.—The authority under this section shall 
terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
(d) COVERED LAND GRANT COLLEGE DEFINED.— 
In this section, the term ‘‘covered land grant college’’ 
means an 1862 Institution, an 1890 Institution, or a 1994 
Institution (as such terms are defined, respectively, in sec-
tion 2 of the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Edu-
cation Reform Act of 1998 (7 U.S.C. 7601)). 
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SEC. 507. USDA FORMAL INITIATIVE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture, act-
ing through the Chief of the Natural Resources Conserva-
tion Service and in coordination with the Chief of the For-
est Service, shall establish a formal initiative on white oak 
to— 
(1) re-establish white oak forests where appro-
priate; 
(2) improve management of existing white oak 
forests to foster natural regeneration of white oak; 
(3) provide technical assistance to private land-
owners to re-establish, improve management of, and 
naturally regenerate white oak; 
(4) improve and expand white oak nursery 
stock; and 
(5) adapt and improve white oak seedlings. 
(b) SUNSET.—The authority under this section shall 
terminate on the date that is 7 years after the date of 
the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 508. AUTHORITIES. 
To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary of 
the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture shall use the 
authorities provided under this title in combination with 
other authorities to carry out projects, including— 
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(1) good neighbor agreements entered into 
under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 
(16 U.S.C. 2113); and 
(2) stewardship contracting projects entered 
into under section 604 of the Healthy Forests Res-
toration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591). 
TITLE VI—EXPANSION OF PUB-
LIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS 
UNDER WATER SOURCE PRO-
TECTION PROGRAM 
SEC. 601. WATER SOURCE PROTECTION PROGRAM. 
Section 303 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act 
of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6542(g)(4)(B)) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(1) 
through (7) as paragraphs (2) through (8), re-
spectively; 
(B) by inserting before paragraph (2), as 
so redesignated, the following: 
‘‘(1) ADJACENT
LAND.—The term ‘adjacent 
land’ means non-Federal land, including State, local, 
and private land, that is adjacent to, and within the 
same watershed as, National Forest System land on 
which a watershed protection and restoration project 
is carried out under this section.’’; and 
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(C) in paragraph (2), as so redesignated— 
(i) by redesignating subparagraphs 
(G) and (H) as subparagraphs (K) and 
(L), respectively; and 
(ii) by inserting after subparagraph 
(F) the following: 
‘‘(G) an acequia association; 
‘‘(H) a local, regional, or other public enti-
ty that manages stormwater or wastewater re-
sources or other related water infrastructure; 
‘‘(I) a land-grant mercedes; 
‘‘(J) a local, regional, or other private enti-
ty that has water delivery authority;’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘The Secretary shall’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—A watershed protection 
and restoration project under the Program shall be 
designed to— 
‘‘(A) protect and restore watershed health, 
water supply and quality, a municipal or agri-
cultural water supply system, and water-related 
infrastructure; 
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‘‘(B) protect and restore forest health from 
insect infestation and disease or wildfire; or 
‘‘(C) advance any combination of the pur-
poses described in subparagraphs (A) and (B). 
‘‘(3) PRIORITIES.—In selecting watershed pro-
tection and restoration projects under the Program, 
the Secretary shall give priority to projects that 
would— 
‘‘(A) provide risk management benefits as-
sociated with: drought; wildfire; post-wildfire 
conditions; extreme weather; flooding; resilience 
to climate change; and watershed and fire resil-
ience, including minimizing risks to watershed 
health, water supply and quality, and water-re-
lated infrastructure, including municipal and 
agricultural water supply systems; 
‘‘(B) support aquatic restoration and con-
servation efforts that complement existing or 
planned forest restoration or wildfire risk re-
duction efforts; or 
‘‘(C) provide quantifiable benefits to water 
supply or quality and include the use of nature- 
based solutions, such as restoring wetland and 
riparian ecosystems. 
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‘‘(4) CONDITIONS FOR PROJECTS ON ADJACENT 
LAND.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—No project or activity 
may be carried out under this section on adja-
cent land unless the owner of the adjacent land 
agrees in writing that the owner is a willing and 
engaged partner in carrying out that project or 
activity. 
‘‘(B) EFFECT.—Nothing in this section 
shall be construed to authorize any change in— 
‘‘(i) the ownership of adjacent land on 
which a project or activity is carried out 
under this section; or 
‘‘(ii) the management of adjacent land 
on which a project or activity is carried out 
under this section, except during the car-
rying out of that project or activity.’’; 
(3) in subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘with 
end water users’’ and inserting ‘‘with end water 
users to protect and restore the condition of 
National Forest watersheds and adjacent land 
that provide water— 
‘‘(A) to the end water users subject to the 
agreement; or 
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‘‘(B) for the benefit of another end water 
user.’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2)— 
(i) in subparagraph (C), by striking 
‘‘or’’ at the end; 
(ii) by redesignating subparagraph 
(D) as subparagraph (E); and 
(iii) by inserting after subparagraph 
(C) the following: 
‘‘(D) a good neighbor agreement entered 
into under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act 
of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a); or’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) COOPERATION WITH NON-FEDERAL PART-
NERS.—The Secretary shall cooperate with non-Fed-
eral partners in carrying out assessments, planning, 
project design, and project implementation under 
this section.’’; 
(4) in subsection (d)— 
(A) by amending paragraph (2) to read as 
follows: 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENT.—A water source manage-
ment plan shall be— 
‘‘(A) designed to protect and restore eco-
logical integrity (as defined in section 219.19 of 
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title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (as in ef-
fect on the date of enactment of this subpara-
graph)); 
‘‘(B) based on the best available scientific 
information; and 
‘‘(C) conducted in a manner consistent 
with the forest plan applicable to the National 
Forest System land on which the watershed 
protection and restoration project is carried 
out.’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) REDUCING
REDUNDANCY.—An existing 
watershed plan, such as a watershed protection and 
restoration action plan developed under section 
304(a)(3), or other applicable watershed planning 
documents as approved by the Secretary may be 
used as the basis for a water source management 
plan under this subsection.’’; and 
(5) in subsection (e)(1), by striking ‘‘primary 
purpose of’’ and all that follows through the period 
at the end and inserting ‘‘primary purpose of ad-
vancing any of the purposes described in subsection 
(b)(2).’’. 
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SEC. 602. WATERSHED CONDITION FRAMEWORK TECH-
NICAL CORRECTIONS. 
Section 304(a) of the Healthy Forests Restoration 
Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6543(a)) is amended in para-
graphs (3) and (5) by striking ‘‘protection and’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives September 24, 
2024. 
Attest: 
KEVIN F. MCCUMBER, 
Clerk. 
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