I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4208 
To reduce the risk posed by wildfires to communities and the most at- 
risk federally owned forests. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 1, 2017 
Mr. THOMPSON of California (for himself and Mr. AMODEI) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, 
and in addition to the Committee on Agriculture, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To reduce the risk posed by wildfires to communities and 
the most at-risk federally owned forests. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Wildland Fires Act of 2017’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Purpose. 
Sec. 3. Definitions. 
Sec. 4. Additional accountability. 
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Sec. 5. Incentive for cost savings. 
Sec. 6. Definition of at-risk community. 
Sec. 7. Community planning assistance for at-risk communities. 
Sec. 8. Accelerated restoration program for ponderosa pine forests. 
Sec. 9. Increasing certainty for the local workforce and infrastructure necessary 
for restoration. 
Sec. 10. National Forest Foundation. 
Sec. 11. Termination of authority. 
SEC. 2. PURPOSE. 
The purpose of this Act is to build on the successes 
of the Federal Wildland Fire Management Policy and Na-
tional Cohesive Fire Strategy established pursuant to sec-
tion 503 of the FLAME Act of 2009 (43 U.S.C. 1748b) 
(as in effect on the day before the date of enactment of 
this Act), as necessary to protect communities from 
wildfires on Federal land by— 
(1) increasing transparency and accountability 
for the costs of managing wildfires; 
(2) requiring the Secretary concerned to treat 
the most at-risk forests to protect at-risk commu-
nities and reestablish natural fire regimes; and 
(3) providing additional funding to communities 
to enable them to reduce the risks to the commu-
nities from wildfires. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) AT-RISK COMMUNITY.—The term ‘‘at-risk 
community’’ has the meaning given the term in sec-
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tion 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 
2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511). 
(2) CERTIFIED
COLLABORATIVE.—The term 
‘‘certified collaborative’’ means a group of interested 
persons certified as a collaborative by the National 
Forest Foundation under subsection (a) of section 
409 of the National Forest Foundation Act (16 
U.S.C. 583j–7) (as amended by section 11(a)). 
(3) 
COMMUNITY
WILDFIRE
PROTECTION 
PLAN.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘‘community 
wildfire protection plan’’ has the meaning given 
the term in section 101 of the Healthy Forests 
Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511). 
(B) INCLUSION.—The term ‘‘community 
wildfire protection plan’’ includes a land re-
source management plan. 
(4) FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘Federal land’’ 
means the following: 
(A) National Forest System land reserved 
from the public domain. 
(B) The following land administered by the 
Secretary of the Interior: 
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(i) Public lands (as defined in section 
103 of the Federal Land Policy and Man-
agement Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702)). 
(ii) A unit of the National Park Sys-
tem. 
(iii) A unit of the National Wildlife 
Refuge System. 
(iv) Land held in trust for an Indian 
tribe. 
(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) SECRETARIES.—The term ‘‘Secretaries’’ 
means the Secretary of the Interior and the Sec-
retary of Agriculture. 
(7) SECRETARY CONCERNED.—The term ‘‘Sec-
retary concerned’’ means— 
(A) the Secretary of the Interior, with re-
spect to activities under the Department of the 
Interior; and 
(B) the Secretary of Agriculture, with re-
spect to activities under the Department of Ag-
riculture. 
(8) WILDLAND-URBAN INTERFACE.— 
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(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘wildland- 
urban interface’’ has the meaning given the 
term in section 101 of the Healthy Forests Res-
toration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511). 
(B) EXCLUSION.—The term ‘‘wildland- 
urban interface’’ does not include— 
(i) any forest reserve not created from 
the public domain; or 
(ii) any national grassland or land uti-
lization project administered under title III 
of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act 
(7 U.S.C. 1010 et seq.). 
SEC. 4. ADDITIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY. 
(a) 
ACCOUNTING
AND
REPORTING
REQUIRE-
MENTS.—For each fiscal year, the Secretaries shall con-
duct a cost review of each wildfire that covers an area 
greater than 100,000 acres. 
(b) COMPONENTS.—The cost review under subsection 
(a) shall document costs and risk-based factors that influ-
enced management decisions for each wildfire, including— 
(1) a comparison of the total suppression cost 
to a stratified cost index; 
(2) the percentage of acres burned with re-
source benefits; 
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(3) the percentage of Federal land burned and 
the percentage of the total suppression costs ulti-
mately paid by the Secretaries; 
(4) the number of hours of exposure experi-
enced by firefighters; 
(5) the effectiveness of wildfire management de-
cisions, including— 
(A) an analysis of the estimated monetary 
value of the resources protected; 
(B) the risk to the resources from the wild-
fire; 
(C) the costs incurred or that would have 
been incurred to protect the resources; 
(D) the impact of any actions taken to 
protect the resources; and 
(E) whether the resources were damaged 
by the wildfire; 
(6) the total cost of aircraft for the wildfire, in-
cluding— 
(A) the cost of delivering water or fire re-
tardant to the wildfire incurred after the initial 
attack; and 
(B) the cost of aircraft use incurred after 
the wildfire is contained; 
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(7) whether the fire operations strategy tracked 
the relevant spatial wildfire risk assessment and spa-
tial fire management plan; and 
(8) any other costs or factors that the Secre-
taries determine to be appropriate. 
(c) SUBMISSION
AND PUBLICATION.—The Secre-
taries shall— 
(1) submit annually to the Committee on Ap-
propriations, the Committee on the Budget, and the 
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Appropria-
tions, the Committee on the Budget, and the Com-
mittee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Sen-
ate a report describing the information required 
under subsection (a); and 
(2) make the report submitted under paragraph 
(1) available to the public. 
SEC. 5. INCENTIVE FOR COST SAVINGS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Amounts made available in an an-
nual appropriations Act for wildfire management oper-
ations in the Wildland Fire Management account of the 
Department of the Interior or the Department of Agri-
culture for a fiscal year that are not expended for that 
fiscal year may be available to the Secretary concerned 
for wildfire risk reduction projects on Federal land (in-
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cluding land held in trust for an Indian tribe with the ap-
proval of the Indian tribe) in accordance with subsection 
(b). 
(b) PROJECT PRIORITIES.—In providing amounts 
made available to the Secretary concerned under sub-
section (a), the Secretary concerned shall give priority to 
projects that are— 
(1) conducted in areas that— 
(A) are within or adjacent to— 
(i) at-risk communities; or 
(ii) high-value watersheds; 
(B) have very high wildfire hazard poten-
tial; and 
(C) are in Fire Regime Group I, II, or III; 
and 
(2) designed to achieve one or more of the goals 
established in the report of the Secretaries entitled 
‘‘The National Strategy: the Final Phase of the De-
velopment of the National Cohesive Wildland Fire 
Management Strategy’’ and dated April 2014— 
(A) to create fire-adapted communities; 
(B) to restore and maintain resilient land-
scapes; and 
(C) to achieve safe, effective fire response. 
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(c) ANNUAL REPORTS.—The Secretary concerned 
shall submit with the annual budget of the United States 
submitted by the President under section 1105 of title 31, 
United States Code, a list of projects to be implemented 
using amounts made available to the Secretary concerned 
under subsection (a). 
SEC. 6. DEFINITION OF AT-RISK COMMUNITY. 
Section 101(1)(A) of the Healthy Forests Restoration 
Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511(1)(A)) is amended by strik-
ing ‘‘comprised of’’ in the matter preceding clause (i) and 
all that follows through ‘‘a group’’ in clause (ii) and insert-
ing ‘‘comprised of a group’’. 
SEC. 7. COMMUNITY PLANNING ASSISTANCE FOR AT-RISK 
COMMUNITIES. 
(a) DEVELOPMENT OF MAP.—Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this Act, and periodi-
cally thereafter, the Secretaries shall develop and publish 
a map depicting at-risk communities, including tribal com-
munities. 
(b) PLANNING AND PREPARING AT-RISK COMMU-
NITIES FOR WILDFIRE.—Subject to the availability of ap-
propriations, the Secretaries shall provide financial assist-
ance to at-risk communities adjacent to Federal land (in-
cluding land held in trust for Indian tribes), including 
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through States, to assist the at-risk communities in plan-
ning and preparing for wildfire, including— 
(1) cosponsoring and supporting the expansion 
of— 
(A) the Firewise Program; 
(B) the Ready, Set, Go program; 
(C) the Living with Wildfire program; or 
(D) programs similar to the programs re-
ferred to in subparagraphs (A) through (C); 
(2) supporting the development, updating, and 
implementation of community wildfire protection 
plans; 
(3) carrying out risk assessments and creating 
maps that depict wildfire risk to assist in planning 
for response and suppression resource needs and im-
plementing hazardous fuel treatment programs; 
(4) sharing costs to create defensible space for 
a distance of not less than 100 feet around a resi-
dence that was built before the date of enactment of 
this Act; and 
(5) planning and implementing cross-boundary 
hazardous fuels reduction projects as identified in a 
community wildfire protection plan. 
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(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated $100,000,000 to carry out 
this section for each fiscal year. 
SEC. 8. ACCELERATED RESTORATION PROGRAM FOR PON-
DEROSA PINE FORESTS. 
(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) AVERAGE SEVERE FIRE WEATHER.—With 
respect to a unit of Federal land, the term ‘‘average 
severe fire weather’’ means the 90th percentile of at-
mospheric and fuel conditions under which wildfires 
would burn in that unit in a given year. 
(2) FEDERAL LAND.—The term ‘‘Federal land’’ 
means— 
(A) public lands (as defined in section 103 
of the Federal Land Policy and Management 
Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702)); 
(B) land held in trust for Indian tribes; or 
(C) National Forest System land. 
(3) HAZARDOUS FUEL REDUCTION.—The term 
‘‘hazardous fuel reduction’’ means the removal or 
modification of flammable vegetation or woody de-
bris through prescribed fire, thinning, brush re-
moval, mastication, pruning, slash treatment, or a 
combination of those methods, on the condition that 
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the method is ecologically appropriate, cost-effective, 
and selected on a site-specific basis. 
(4) PILOT
PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘pilot pro-
gram’’ means the pilot program established under 
subsection (b)(1). 
(b) PILOT PROGRAM.—Subject to the availability of 
appropriations, the Secretaries shall— 
(1) establish a pilot program to reduce the risk 
of wildfires to communities in the wildland-urban 
interface and reestablish natural fire regimes outside 
the wildland-urban interface; and 
(2) implement the pilot program to treat the 
approximately 2,000,000 acres of Federal land de-
scribed in subsection (d), by not later than Sep-
tember 30, 2027. 
(c) ADMINISTRATION OF PILOT PROGRAM.— 
(1) PROTECTING COMMUNITIES.—For land lo-
cated in the wildland-urban interface, the Secretaries 
shall reduce the risk of wildfire to communities by 
removing or modifying vegetation and slash until the 
area would only sustain a wildfire that is low-inten-
sity and easy to suppress in average severe fire 
weather conditions. 
(2) RESTORING THE ROLE OF FIRE IN FOR-
ESTS.—For land located outside the wildland-urban 
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interface, the Secretaries shall reestablish natural 
fire regimes by conducting prescribed fires and asso-
ciated activities. 
(3) ACCOMPLISHMENTS.—The requirement to 
treat Federal land under subsection (b)(2) shall be 
considered to be met when— 
(A) for Federal land located in the 
wildland-urban interface, the Federal land 
would only sustain a wildfire that is low-inten-
sity and easy to suppress in average severe fire 
weather conditions; and 
(B) for Federal land located outside the 
wildland-urban interface, the Federal land has 
been burned by a prescribed fire conducted by 
the Secretaries. 
(4) BURNED AREAS.—Any Federal land that is 
burned by a wildfire after the date on which the doc-
ument described in subsection (d)(2) is published 
shall be excluded from the pilot program. 
(5) PARTNERSHIPS.—The Secretaries shall im-
plement the pilot program cooperatively with part-
ners, including States, local governments, prescribed 
fire councils, and other entities. 
(6) SAVINGS PROVISION.—Nothing in this sub-
section modifies any requirements in applicable law 
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and policy to which the Secretaries must adhere 
while conducting prescribed fires. 
(d) TREATMENT LOCATIONS.—The Secretaries shall 
only carry out the pilot program only on Federal land 
that— 
(1) is, or historically was, composed primarily 
of ponderosa pines or Jeffrey pines; and 
(2) is identified in the document of the Sec-
retary of Agriculture entitled ‘‘Wildland Fire Poten-
tial: A Tool for Assessing Wildfire Risk and Fuels 
Management Needs’’, dated July 2015, and pub-
lished as part of the Proceedings of the Large 
Wildland Fires Conference— 
(A) as being the ‘‘highest priority areas’’ 
on National Forest System land; or 
(B) as having a ‘‘very high’’ wildland fire 
potential on— 
(i) public lands (as defined in section 
103 of the Federal Land Policy and Man-
agement Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1702)); 
and 
(ii) land held in trust for an Indian 
tribe. 
(e) EXCLUDED AREAS.—This section does not apply 
to— 
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(1) any component of the National Wilderness 
Preservation System; 
(2) any wilderness study area, if a treatment 
required by this section would impair the suitability 
of the area to be designated a component of the Na-
tional Wilderness Preservation System; 
(3) any research natural area; 
(4) any Federal land on which the removal of 
vegetation described in this section is prohibited by 
law; or 
(5) any Federal land that is burned by a 
wildland fire after the date on which the document 
described in subsection (d)(2) is published. 
(f) CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION TO REDUCE THE RISK 
OF WILDFIRES TO COMMUNITIES AND TO REESTABLISH 
NATURAL FIRE REGIMES.— 
(1) AVAILABILITY OF A CATEGORICAL EXCLU-
SION AND EXEMPTION.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
the Secretary concerned may use a categorical exclu-
sion for conducting hazardous fuel reduction activi-
ties for a project under the pilot program if the 
main purpose of which is to reduce the risk of 
wildfires to communities or to reestablish natural 
fire regimes on Federal land described in subsection 
(d). 
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(2) LIMITATIONS FOR THE USE OF THE CAT-
EGORICAL EXCLUSION.— 
(A) 
REQUIREMENT
FOR
COLLABORA-
TION.—A project covered by a categorical exclu-
sion described in paragraph (1)(A) shall be— 
(i) developed by a certified collabo-
rative; 
(ii) included in a selected proposal 
under the Collaborative Forest Landscape 
Restoration Program established under 
section 4003 of the Omnibus Public Land 
Management Act of 2009 (16 U.S.C. 
7303); 
(iii) conducted pursuant to the Tribal 
Forest Protection Act of 2004 (25 U.S.C. 
3115a); or 
(iv) covered in a community wildfire 
protection plan that was developed within 
the 5-year period preceding the date on 
which 
the 
hazardous 
fuels 
reduction 
project is authorized under this section. 
(B) SIZE CONSTRAINT IN THE WILDLAND- 
URBAN INTERFACE.—A project that is covered 
by the categorical exclusion described in para-
graph (1)(A) and conducted in the wildland- 
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urban interface shall not cover more than 3,000 
acres of Federal land. 
(C) 
APPLICATION
TO
PRESCRIBED 
FIRES.—The Secretary concerned may use the 
categorical exclusion described in paragraph 
(1)(A) to conduct a prescribed fire outside the 
wildland-urban interface, regardless of the acre-
age covered by the prescribed fire— 
(i) to treat a site initially; or 
(ii) to maintain the site. 
(D) PRESCRIBED
FIRE
ASSOCIATED
AC-
TIVITIES.—A project covered by the categorical 
exclusion described in paragraph (1)(A) may in-
clude activities associated with a prescribed fire, 
including hazardous fuel reduction activities 
and the construction of fire control lines, if— 
(i) the Secretary concerned conducts 
the prescribed fire on the Federal land on 
which the Secretary concerned conducted 
the associated activities by the date that is 
not later than 4 years after the date on 
which the Secretary concerned commenced 
the associated activities; and 
(ii) the project is located outside the 
wildland-urban interface. 
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(E) PESTICIDES.—A project covered by 
the categorical exclusion described in paragraph 
(1)(A) shall not include the use of herbicide or 
insecticide. 
(F) EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary con-
cerned shall apply the extraordinary cir-
cumstances procedures under section 220.6 
of title 36, Code of Federal Regulations (or 
successor 
regulations), 
in 
determining 
whether to use the categorical exclusion de-
scribed in paragraph (1)(A). 
(ii) FURTHER GUIDANCE.—The Sec-
retary concerned may not use the categor-
ical exclusion described in paragraph 
(1)(A) for a project located in any des-
ignated critical habitat for a species listed 
as a threatened species or an endangered 
species under the Endangered Species Act 
of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.) unless— 
(I) the natural fire regimes on 
that land are identified as being im-
portant for, or wildfire is identified as 
a threat to, an endangered species, a 
threatened species, or habitat of an 
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endangered species or threatened spe-
cies in a species recovery plan pre-
pared under section 4 of the Endan-
gered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 
1533), or a notice published in the 
Federal Register determining a spe-
cies to be an endangered species or a 
threatened species or designating crit-
ical habitat; 
(II) the authorized hazardous 
fuel reduction project will provide en-
hanced protection from uncharacteris-
tic wildfire for the endangered species, 
threatened species, or habitat of the 
endangered species or threatened spe-
cies; and 
(III) the Secretary complies with 
any applicable guidelines specified in 
any management or recovery plan de-
scribed in subparagraph (A). 
(3) DECISION
MEMORANDUM.—The Secretary 
concerned shall document in a decision memo-
randum any decision of the Secretary concerned to 
use the categorical exclusion described in paragraph 
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(1)(A) to carry out hazardous fuel reduction activi-
ties under this section. 
(4) PUBLIC NOTICE.—With respect to a pro-
posed project to carry out hazardous fuel reduction 
activities under this section, the Secretary concerned 
shall— 
(A) conduct a public scoping process for 
the proposed project; and 
(B) if the Secretary concerned uses a cat-
egorical 
exclusion 
described 
in 
paragraph 
(1)(A), distribute to any parties interested in 
the proposed project the applicable decision 
memorandum prepared under paragraph (3). 
(g) LIMITATIONS ON PILOT PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.— 
In conducting a project under the pilot program, the Sec-
retary concerned— 
(1) shall seek to maximize the retention of old 
trees and medium- and large-sized trees, as appro-
priate for the forest type, to the extent that the 
trees promote fire-resilient stands and the objectives 
identified in this section can be achieved; 
(2) shall seek to remove the appropriate quan-
tity of small diameter trees and to treat accumula-
tions of slash found in the Federal land described in 
subsection (d); 
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(3) shall ensure activities are consistent with 
the applicable forest plan; and 
(4) shall not construct a permanent road. 
(h) 
ROADS
EXCEPTION.—Notwithstanding 
sub-
section (g)(4), the Secretary concerned— 
(1) may include necessary maintenance of, re-
pairs to, or rehabilitation of an existing permanent 
road to accomplish the objectives of this section; and 
(2) shall decommission any temporary road con-
structed in carrying out a project under the pilot 
program by not later than 3 years after the earlier 
of the date on which— 
(A) the temporary road is no longer need-
ed; or 
(B) the project is completed. 
(i) PROVINCIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established a com-
mittee, to be known as the ‘‘Pilot Monitoring Com-
mittee’’ (referred to in this subsection as the ‘‘Com-
mittee’’), which shall— 
(A) monitor the impacts on wildfire risk 
and the ecological effects of the projects being 
implemented under the pilot program; and 
(B) provide regular feedback to the Secre-
taries on the implementation of the pilot pro-
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gram and suggested timing of the treatments 
under the pilot program. 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The Committee shall 
consist of not more than 12 members, to be ap-
pointed by the Secretaries for a term of not 
fewer than 2 and not more than 4 years. 
(B) MEMBERSHIP.—The membership of 
the Committee shall consist of representatives 
of— 
(i) a wildlife conservation organiza-
tion; 
(ii) an environmental organization; 
(iii) the timber industry; 
(iv) a professional society for natural 
resource managers; 
(v) a fire department in an at-risk 
community; 
(vi) a State forestry agency; 
(vii) a Firewise community with a 
community wildfire protection plan in ef-
fect on the date of the appointment; 
(viii) a federally recognized Indian 
tribe; 
(ix) a prescribed fire council; 
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(x) scientists researching wildfires; 
and 
(xi) a certified collaborative. 
(C) PAY AND EXPENSES.— 
(i) COMPENSATION.—A member of 
the Committee shall serve without com-
pensation. 
(ii) TRAVEL
EXPENSES.—A member 
of the Committee shall be allowed travel 
expenses, including per diem in lieu of sub-
sistence, in accordance with section 5703 
of title 5, United States Code. 
(j) REPORTS.— 
(1) ACCOMPLISHMENT REPORTING.—Once each 
fiscal year through fiscal year 2027, the Secretaries 
shall submit to the appropriate committees of Con-
gress a concise report describing the accomplish-
ments of the Secretaries in implementing the pilot 
program. 
(2) FINAL REPORT ON PROGRAM.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year 
before the date on which the pilot program ter-
minates under subsection (k), the Secretaries 
shall prepare a final report describing the im-
plementation and results of the pilot program. 
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(B) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The final report 
shall include recommendations of the Secre-
taries relating to— 
(i) whether the authorization for the 
categorical exclusion described in sub-
section (f)(1)(A) should be extended, let 
expire, or made permanent; 
(ii) the manner in which the pilot pro-
gram should be modified; and 
(iii) if and how the scope of the pilot 
program should be expanded, including 
whether the pilot program should be ex-
panded to dry mixed-conifer forests. 
(C) AVAILABILITY.—The Secretaries shall 
submit to the appropriate committees of Con-
gress, and make available to the public, the 
final report. 
(k) TERMINATION OF AUTHORITY.—The authorities 
provided by and requirements described in this section 
shall terminate on the date that is 10 years after the date 
of enactment of this Act. 
(l) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Any contract entered into by 
the Secretaries under this section before the date de-
scribed in subsection (k) shall not be affected by the termi-
nation of the pilot program. 
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(m) JUDICIAL REVIEW.—Section 106 of the Healthy 
Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6516) shall 
apply to a forest management activity carried out under 
this section in the same manner as that section applies 
to an authorized hazardous fuel reduction project under 
that Act. 
(n) EFFECT OF SECTION.—Nothing in this section— 
(1) affects, or otherwise biases, the use by the 
Secretary concerned of any other statutory or ad-
ministrative authority (including any categorical ex-
clusion available under the National Environmental 
Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.)) to 
carry out one or more forest management activities 
under this section; or 
(2) prohibits the Secretary concerned from car-
rying out a treatment in an ecologically sensitive 
area, if the area is in need of restoration. 
SEC. 9. INCREASING CERTAINTY FOR THE LOCAL WORK-
FORCE AND INFRASTRUCTURE NECESSARY 
FOR RESTORATION. 
(a) CLARIFICATION ON USE OF STEWARDSHIP AU-
THORITIES.—The Secretary concerned may issue a stew-
ardship contract or enter into a stewardship agreement 
under the authority provided in section 604 of the Healthy 
Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c) for 
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periods of not longer than 10 years to conduct prescribed 
fires on Federal land. 
(b) PILOT PROGRAM FOR LONG-TERM CONTRACTS 
FOR RESTORATION OF FIRE-DEPENDENT FORESTS.— 
(1) AUTHORIZATION.—Subject to the avail-
ability of appropriations, the Secretaries shall estab-
lish a pilot program to award contracts or agree-
ments for terms of not longer than 20 years to carry 
out restoration projects or hazardous fuels reduction 
projects on Federal land (referred to in this sub-
section as the ‘‘pilot program’’). 
(2) LIMITATIONS.— 
(A) 
QUANTITY.—The 
Secretaries 
may 
enter into not more than 10 contracts or agree-
ments under the pilot program during the pe-
riod beginning on the date of enactment of this 
Act and ending on September 30, 2027. 
(B) TYPES
OF
CONTRACTS.—Under the 
pilot program, the Secretary concerned may 
award only— 
(i) timber contracts under section 14 
of the National Forest Management Act of 
1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a); or 
(ii) stewardship contracts and agree-
ments under section 604 of the Healthy 
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Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 
U.S.C. 6591c). 
(C) LOCATIONS.— 
(i) TYPE
OF
FORESTS.—The Secre-
taries may enter into a contract or agree-
ment under the pilot program to carry out 
projects only on Federal land located with-
in Fire Regime Group I. 
(ii) ADDITIONAL CRITERIA.—The Sec-
retaries may enter into a contract or 
agreement under the pilot program only in 
a location for which there are fewer than 
2 local entities that are able to process for-
est products from the contract or agree-
ment. 
(D) PREFERENCES.—In awarding a con-
tract or agreement under the pilot program, the 
Secretary concerned shall give preference to an 
entity that will use forest products to manufac-
ture— 
(i) wood products that can be used in 
green building construction; or 
(ii) mass timbers, including cross-lam-
inated timber. 
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(3) TERMINATION.—The pilot program shall 
terminate on September 30, 2027. 
(4) SAVINGS CLAUSE.—Any contract or agree-
ment entered into by the Secretaries under this sub-
section before the termination of the pilot program 
shall not be affected by that termination. 
SEC. 10. NATIONAL FOREST FOUNDATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 409 of the National For-
est Foundation Act (16 U.S.C. 583j–7) is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘SEC. 409. ACTIVITIES OF THE FOUNDATION AND THE FOR-
EST SERVICE. 
‘‘(a) CERTIFICATION
OF
COLLABORATIVES.—Not 
later than September 30, 2019, the Foundation shall es-
tablish and administer a program to certify as a collabo-
rative a group of interested persons that— 
‘‘(1) is interested in assisting the Secretary of 
the Interior or the Secretary of Agriculture to in-
crease the quantity of projects or activities carried 
out by the applicable Secretary on an individual unit 
of National Forest System land or public land ad-
ministered by the Bureau of Land Management, as 
applicable, in accordance with the management plan 
that covers the land; and 
‘‘(2) at a minimum— 
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