the extent practicable, select nonprofit professional or 
service organizations, labor organizations, State agencies, 
community colleges, institutions of higher education, or 
other training and educational institutions— 
(1) that have qualifications and experience— 
(A) in the development of training pro-
grams and curricula relevant to the workforce 
needs of forestry and fire management; 
(B) working in cooperation with forestry 
and fire management; or 
(C) developing public education materials 
appropriate for communicating with groups of 
various ages and educational backgrounds; and 
(2) that will address the human resources and 
workforce needs of forestry and fire management. 
(d) USE OF FUNDS.—Grants awarded under sub-
section (b) may be used for activities such as— 
(1) targeted internships, apprenticeships, pre- 
apprenticeships, and post-secondary bridge programs 
for skilled forestry and fire management trades that 
provide— 
(A) on-the-job training; 
(B) skills development; 
(C) test preparation for skilled trade ap-
prenticeships; 
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(D) advance training in forestry and fire 
management 
relating 
to 
jobs 
as 
forest 
restorationists, 
members 
of 
hand 
crews, 
wildland fire fighters, machine operators, li-
censed timber operators, registered professional 
foresters, ecologists, biologists, or workers in 
construction in support of resilient infrastruc-
ture, including residential buildings; or 
(E) other support services to facilitate 
post-secondary success; 
(2) education programs designed for elemen-
tary, secondary, and higher education students 
that— 
(A) inform people about the role of for-
estry, vegetation management, and ecological 
restoration in the communities of those people; 
(B) increase the awareness of opportunities 
for careers in forestry and fire management 
and exposure of students to those careers 
through various work-based learning opportuni-
ties inside and outside the classroom; and 
(C) connect students to pathways to ca-
reers in forestry and fire management; 
(3) the development of a model curriculum and 
related vocational programs to be adopted by com-
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munity colleges, which, to the extent practicable and 
feasible, shall— 
(A) provide professional training in imple-
menting prescribed fire projects, including the 
knowledge and skills necessary to plan and im-
plement broad-scale surface and ladder fuel 
treatments within the wildland-urban interface, 
wildlands, and urbanized areas, as appropriate; 
(B) include a focus on the ecological con-
cerns, economics, and practices necessary to im-
prove community safety and forest resilience; 
and 
(C) train students in— 
(i) the retrofitting of houses, including 
the use of fire-resistant materials and the 
maintenance of defensible space; 
(ii) urban forestry; and 
(iii) policies or guidance relating to 
the management of vegetation near utility 
infrastructure and relevant portions of 
electric utility wildfire mitigation plans; 
(4) regional industry and workforce develop-
ment collaborations, including the coordination of 
candidate development, particularly in areas of high 
unemployment; 
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(5) integrated learning laboratories in sec-
ondary educational institutions that provide students 
with— 
(A) hands-on, contextualized learning op-
portunities; 
(B) dual enrollment credit for post-sec-
ondary education and training programs; and 
(C) direct connection to industry or gov-
ernment employers; and 
(6) leadership development, occupational train-
ing, mentoring, or cross-training programs that en-
sure that workers are prepared for high-level super-
visory or management-level positions. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry 
out this section such sums as are necessary. 
SEC. 303. NATIONAL COMMUNITY CAPACITY AND LAND 
STEWARDSHIP GRANT PROGRAM. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) COMMUNITY
CAPACITY.—The term ‘‘com-
munity capacity’’ means the ability of an eligible en-
tity to carry out or assist in a land stewardship ac-
tivity. 
(2) DISADVANTAGED
COMMUNITY.—The term 
‘‘disadvantaged community’’ means— 
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(A) a low-income community (as defined in 
section 45D(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986); and 
(B) a community that includes a signifi-
cant population that has been systematically de-
nied a full opportunity to participate in aspects 
of economic, social, and civic life based on a 
particular characteristic, such as Black, Latino, 
Indigenous, and Native American persons, 
Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and other 
persons of color. 
(3) ELIGIBLE ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eligible enti-
ty’’ means any the following entities that is located 
in or represents a disadvantaged community: 
(A) An organization described in section 
501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 
and exempt from taxation under section 501(a) 
of that Code. 
(B) A collaborative group fiscally spon-
sored by an organization described in subpara-
graph (A). 
(C) A unit of local government. 
(D) An Indian Tribe. 
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(E) A special district government, as de-
fined by the Director of the Bureau of the Cen-
sus. 
(4) ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY.—The term ‘‘eco-
logical integrity’’ has the meaning given the term in 
section 219.19 of title 36, Code of Federal Regula-
tions (as in effect on the date of enactment of this 
Act). 
(5) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 
Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 
Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 
(6) LAND STEWARDSHIP ACTIVITY.—The term 
‘‘land stewardship activity’’ means any of the fol-
lowing activities, as applied to a qualifying project: 
(A) Planning. 
(B) Collaboration and building community 
support. 
(C) Implementation on land other than 
National Forest System land. 
(D) Monitoring, including multiparty moni-
toring, and adaptive management. 
(7) QUALIFYING PROJECT.—The term ‘‘quali-
fying project’’ means any of the following activities 
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that takes place at least in substantial part on Na-
tional Forest System land or national grasslands: 
(A) Restoration of the ecological integrity 
of a forest, meadow, grassland, prairie, or other 
habitat. 
(B) Tribal management for aligned cul-
tural and ecological values. 
(C) Enhancing community wildfire resil-
ience in the wildland-urban interface. 
(D) Increasing equitable access to environ-
mental education and volunteerism opportuni-
ties. 
(8) RESTORATION.—The term ‘‘restoration’’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 219.19 of 
title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (as in effect on 
the date of enactment of this Act). 
(9) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through— 
(A) the regional offices of the State and 
Private Forestry Deputy Area of the Forest 
Service; and 
(B) as appropriate, regional offices of 
other Deputy Areas of the Forest Service. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this section is to sup-
port increasing community capacity, partnerships, and col-
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laborations within and involving disadvantaged commu-
nities for land stewardship activities and restoration of ec-
ological integrity on— 
(1) National Forest System land; 
(2) national grasslands; and 
(3) adjacent private, State, and trust land asso-
ciated with the health and resilience of land de-
scribed in paragraphs (1) and (2). 
(c) ADMINISTRATION.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may issue 
grants to eligible entities for increasing community 
capacity for land stewardship activities and related 
activities based on the criteria described in sub-
section (d). 
(2) FEDERAL COST-SHARE.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may 
fund up to 100 percent of the cost of land stew-
ardship activities and related activities carried 
out using a grant issued under paragraph (1). 
(B) MATCHING
ELIGIBILITY.—A grant 
issued under this section may be considered a 
non-Federal matching contribution from the eli-
gible entity that received the grant towards 
other sources of Federal funding. 
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(3) DURATION.—The Secretary may issue a 
grant under paragraph (1) for a period of 1 or more 
years. 
(4) MAXIMUM GRANT AMOUNT.—The amount of 
a grant issued under paragraph (1) shall be not 
more than $50,000 per year. 
(5) APPLICABLE
LAWS.—The Secretary shall 
administer grants under paragraph (1) in accord-
ance with all applicable Federal and State laws. 
(d) CRITERIA FOR AWARDING GRANTS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
the Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities 
under subsection (c)(1) on a competitive basis in ac-
cordance with the following criteria: 
(A) The extent to which the proposed land 
stewardship activities benefit units of the Na-
tional Forest System and national grasslands 
over the short and long term. 
(B) The extent to which valuable ecologi-
cal, economic, and social benefits to disadvan-
taged communities, including job creation and 
business development or retention, are likely to 
result from the scope of the land stewardship 
activities. 
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(C) The extent to which the grant would 
benefit disadvantaged communities that have 
historically received less investment in collabo-
rative capacity. 
(D) The extent to which the proposal 
brings together diverse interests through plan-
ning, collaboration, implementation, or moni-
toring of land stewardship activities to benefit 
units of the National Forest System or national 
grasslands. 
(E) The extent to which the grant funds 
appear to be critical for the success of the eligi-
ble entity and the identified land stewardship 
activities. 
(F) The extent to which the budget for the 
land stewardship activities is reasonable given 
the anticipated outcomes. 
(2) SET-ASIDE FOR INDIAN TRIBES.—The Sec-
retary shall allocate not less than 10 percent of the 
funding awarded under this section to Indian Tribes 
or eligible entities representing Indian Tribes. 
(e) ANNUAL REVIEWS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 
and maintain an advisory panel composed of not 
more than 15 members to provide feedback each 
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year to each regional office of the State and Private 
Forestry Deputy Area of the Forest Service on the 
extent to which the implementation of this section by 
the regional office is fulfilling the purpose described 
in subsection (b). 
(2) INCLUSIONS.—The advisory panel estab-
lished under paragraph (1) shall include representa-
tion from a diversity of public land stakeholders 
from across interest groups, including— 
(A) not fewer than 8 members rep-
resenting the interests of a diversity of dis-
advantaged communities; and 
(B) not fewer than 2 members rep-
resenting not fewer than 2 Indian Tribes. 
(3) EXEMPTION.—The advisory panel estab-
lished under paragraph (1) shall be exempt from the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.). 
(f) REPORT EVALUATING PROGRAM IMPLEMENTA-
TION.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 4 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall submit to the Committee on Natural Resources 
and the Committee on Appropriations of the House 
of Representatives and the Committee on Energy 
and Natural Resources and the Committee on Ap-
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