Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership Act of 2021
Bill: S.1603 | Sponsor: Sen. Bennet, Michael F. (D-CO)
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership Act of 2021
This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership program to improve the health and resilience of forest landscapes across National Forest System lands and state, tribal, and private lands. Activities under the program may include reducing the risk of wildfire, protecting water quality and supply, or improving wildlife habitat for at-risk species.

To require the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a Joint Chiefs 
   Landscape Restoration Partnership program, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration 
Partnership Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. JOINT CHIEFS LANDSCAPE RESTORATION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Chiefs.--The term ``Chiefs'' means the Chief of the 
        Forest Service and the Chief of the Natural Resources 
        Conservation Service.
            (2) Eligible activity.--The term ``eligible activity'' 
        means an activity--
                    (A) to reduce the risk of wildfire;
                    (B) to protect water quality and supply; or
                    (C) to improve wildlife habitat for at-risk 
                species.
            (3) Program.--The term ``program'' means the Joint Chiefs 
        Landscape Restoration Partnership program established under 
        subsection (b)(1).
            (4) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of Agriculture.
            (5) Wildland-urban interface.--The term ``wildland-urban 
        interface'' has the meaning given the term in section 101 of 
        the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511).
    (b) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a Joint 
        Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership program to improve the 
        health and resilience of forest landscapes across National 
        Forest System land and State, Tribal, and private land.
            (2) Administration.--The Secretary shall administer the 
        program by coordinating eligible activities conducted on 
        National Forest System land and State, Tribal, or private land 
        across a forest landscape to improve the health and resilience 
        of the forest landscape by--
                    (A) assisting producers and landowners in 
                implementing eligible activities on eligible private or 
                Tribal land using the applicable programs and 
                authorities administered by the Chief of the Natural 
                Resources Conservation Service under title XII of the 
                Food Security Act of 1985 (16 U.S.C. 3801 et seq.), not 
                including the conservation reserve program established 
                under subchapter B of chapter 1 of subtitle D of that 
                title (16 U.S.C. 3831 et seq.); and
                    (B) conducting eligible activities on National 
                Forest System land or assisting landowners in 
                implementing eligible activities on State, Tribal, or 
                private land using the applicable programs and 
                authorities administered by the Chief of the Forest 
                Service.
    (c) Selection of Eligible Activities.--The appropriate Regional 
Forester and State Conservationist shall jointly submit to the Chiefs 
on an annual basis proposals for eligible activities under the program.
    (d) Evaluation Criteria.--In evaluating and selecting proposals 
submitted under subsection (c), the Chiefs shall consider--
            (1) criteria including whether the proposal--
                    (A) reduces wildfire risk in a municipal watershed 
                or the wildland-urban interface;
                    (B) was developed through a collaborative process 
                with participation from diverse stakeholders;
                    (C) increases forest workforce capacity or forest 
                business infrastructure and development;
                    (D) leverages existing authorities and non-Federal 
                funding;
                    (E) provides measurable outcomes; or
                    (F) supports established State and regional 
                priorities; and
            (2) such other criteria relating to the merits of the 
        proposals as the Chiefs determine to be appropriate.
    (e) Outreach.--The Secretary shall provide--
            (1) public notice on the websites of the Forest Service and 
        the Natural Resources Conservation Service describing--
                    (A) the solicitation of proposals under subsection 
                (c); and
                    (B) the criteria for selecting proposals in 
                accordance with subsection (d); and
            (2) information relating to the program and activities 
        funded under the program to States, Indian Tribes, units of 
        local government, and private landowners.
    (f) Exclusions.--An eligible activity may not be carried out under 
the program--
            (1) in a wilderness area or designated wilderness study 
        area;
            (2) in an inventoried roadless area;
            (3) on any Federal land on which, by Act of Congress or 
        Presidential proclamation, the removal of vegetation is 
        restricted or prohibited; or
            (4) in an area in which the eligible activity would be 
        inconsistent with the applicable land and resource management 
        plan.
    (g) Accountability.--
            (1) Initial report.--Not later than 1 year after the date 
        of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to 
        Congress a report providing recommendations to Congress 
        relating to the program, including a review of--
                    (A) funding mechanisms for the program;
                    (B) staff capacity to carry out the program;
                    (C) privacy laws applicable to the program;
                    (D) data collection under the program;
                    (E) monitoring and outcomes under the program; and
                    (F) such other matters as the Secretary considers 
                to be appropriate.
            (2) Annual reports.--The Chiefs shall annually submit to 
        the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry and the 
        Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on 
        Agriculture and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
        Representatives a report describing projects for which funding 
        is provided under the program, including the status and 
        outcomes of those projects.
    (h) Funding.--
            (1) Authorization of appropriations.--In addition to 
        amounts otherwise available to the Secretary to carry out the 
        program, there is authorized to be appropriated to the 
        Secretary to carry out the program $90,000,000 for each of 
        fiscal years 2021 through 2030.
            (2) Duration of availability.--Funds made available under 
        paragraph (1) shall remain available until expended.
            (3) Distribution of funds.--Of the funds made available 
        under paragraph (1)--
                    (A) not less than 40 percent shall be allocated to 
                carry out eligible activities through the Natural 
                Resources Conservation Service;
                    (B) not less than 40 percent shall be allocated to 
                carry out eligible activities through the Forest 
                Service; and
                    (C) the remaining funds shall be allocated by the 
                Chiefs to the Natural Resources Conservation Service or 
                the Forest Service--
                            (i) to carry out eligible activities; or
                            (ii) for other purposes, such as technical 
                        assistance, project development, or local 
                        capacity building.
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