Urban Forests Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.2477 | Sponsor: Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole (R-NY)
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources

Summary:
Urban Forests Act of 2021
This bill provides for support to maintain urban forests.
The Department of Agriculture (USDA) shall establish a grant program to be known as the Tree City USA Grant Program to provide competitive grants to qualifying local governments to enhance and maintain urban forests.
USDA and the Department of Labor shall jointly establish Civilian Conservation Centers in urban and community areas.
A specified five-year report on state forests and their resources shall contain an analysis of forest carbon over the previous two decades. Such report shall demonstrate the efforts taken by the Forest Service to
USDA shall enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Departments of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, the Interior, Labor, and Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency to

To provide support for urban forests, 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 ``Urban Forests Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. URBAN AND COMMUNITY FORESTRY ASSISTANCE.

    (a) Tree City USA Grant Program.--Section 9 of the Cooperative 
Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2105) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections (h) and (i) as subsections 
        (j) and (k), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (g) the following;
    ``(h) Tree City USA Grant Program.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish a grant 
        program to be known as the `Tree City USA Grant Program' to 
        provide competitive grants to eligible entities to enhance and 
        maintain urban forests.
            ``(2) Application.--
                    ``(A) In general.--To be eligible to be awarded a 
                grant under paragraph (1), an eligible entity shall 
                submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in 
                such manner, and containing such information as the 
                Secretary may require, including a proposal to enhance 
                and maintain urban forests.
                    ``(B) Application assistance.--A non-profit 
                organization that partners with an eligible entity may 
                submit an application under subparagraph (A) on behalf 
                of such eligible entity.
            ``(3) Priority.--In awarding grants under paragraph (1), 
        the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that 
        submit proposals under paragraph (2)(A) that--
                    ``(A) enhance, maintain, or improve access to urban 
                forests in--
                            ``(i) typically underserved areas; or
                            ``(ii) areas with low tree or environmental 
                        equity;
                    ``(B) further a statewide assessment or local 
                government initiative to enhance and maintain urban 
                forests;
                    ``(C) include a plan to mitigate risks from 
                insects, disease, and non-native invasive species; and
                    ``(D) include a plan to monitor and maintain new 
                and existing trees.
            ``(4) Technical assistance.--The Secretary may provide 
        technical assistance to local governments to assist such local 
        governments with--
                    ``(A) becoming eligible entities; and
                    ``(B) proposals under paragraph (2)(A).
            ``(5) Matching funds.--An eligible entity that receives a 
        grant under this subsection shall contribute an amount of non-
        Federal funds (in cash or in kind) that is at least equal to 
        the amount of the Federal funds received.
            ``(6) Premier tree city.--Not later than 1 year after the 
        date of the enactment of the Urban Forests Act of 2021, and 
        annually through 2030 thereafter, the Secretary shall designate 
        as a `Premier Tree City' one eligible entity awarded a grant 
        under this subsection to recognize the superior efforts of such 
        eligible entity in enhancing and maintaining urban forests.
            ``(7) Authorization of appropriations.--In addition to the 
        amounts authorized under subsection (k), there are authorized 
        to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 
        through 2030 to carry out this subsection.
            ``(8) Eligible entity defined.--In this subsection, the 
        term `eligible entity' means a local government that--
                    ``(A) serves an urban and community area; and
                    ``(B) a tree planting non-profit organization 
                recognizes as having--
                            ``(i) a tree board or department;
                            ``(ii) a tree care ordinance;
                            ``(iii) a community forestry program with 
                        an annual budget of at least $2 per capita; and
                            ``(iv) an Arbor Day observance and 
                        proclamation.''.
    (b) Cooperative Agreements for Urban Wood Utilization.--Section 9 
of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2105), as 
amended by subsection (a), is further amended by inserting after 
subsection (h) the following:
    ``(i) Pilot Project for Cooperative Agreements for Urban Wood 
Utilization.--
            ``(1) Cooperative agreements.--The Secretary may enter into 
        cooperative agreements with State and local governments, 
        institutions of higher education, private or non-profit 
        organizations, and other entities that support projects that 
        create wood products from dead and fallen trees in urban and 
        community areas.
            ``(2) Prioritization.--The Secretary shall prioritize 
        entering into cooperative agreements that--
                    ``(A) support local job creation;
                    ``(B) are located in typically underserved areas or 
                areas with low tree or environmental equity;
                    ``(C) develop new uses for dead and fallen trees; 
                and
                    ``(D) improve urban forest health and resiliency.
            ``(3) Technical and financial assistance.--The Secretary 
        may provide technical or financial assistance to entities that 
        enter into a cooperative agreement under paragraph (1) to 
        facilitate--
                    ``(A) research on new uses for dead and fallen 
                trees in urban and community areas; and
                    ``(B) market expansion opportunities for products 
                made from dead and fallen trees in urban and community 
                areas.
            ``(4) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
        enactment of the Urban Forests Act of 2021, the Secretary shall 
        provide a report to the relevant committees on--
                    ``(A) the implementation of this subsection; and
                    ``(B) recommendations to encourage economic 
                development and job creation by creating new markets 
                for wood products made from urban timber sources.
            ``(5) Definitions.--In this subsection--
                    ``(A) Dead and fallen trees.--The term `dead and 
                fallen trees' means trees that--
                            ``(i) are dying or have died;
                            ``(ii) have partially or completely fallen 
                        over; or
                            ``(iii) have been negatively impacted by 
                        insects, disease, or weather-related 
                        disturbances.
                    ``(B) Relevant committees.--The term `relevant 
                committees' means--
                            ``(i) the Committees on Natural Resources 
                        and Agriculture of the House of 
                        Representatives; and
                            ``(ii) the Committees on Energy and Natural 
                        Resources and Agriculture, Nutrition, and 
                        Forestry of the Senate.''.
    (c) Program of Education and Technical Assistance Clarification for 
Carbon Storage.--Section 9(d)(3) of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance 
Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2105(d)(3)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ``and'' after the 
        semicolon;
            (2) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``and'' after the 
        semicolon; and
            (3) by inserting at the end the following new subparagraph:
                    ``(E) identifying opportunities to increase carbon 
                storage through afforestation and scientific urban and 
                community forestry management;''.
    (d) National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council.--
Section 9(g) of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 
U.S.C. 2105(g)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the following 
        new subparagraph:
                    ``(F) Meetings.--The Council established under this 
                subsection shall meet not less than twice annually.''; 
                and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(7) Renewal of council.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Not later than 30 days after the 
                date of the enactment of the Urban Forests Act of 2021, 
                the Secretary shall renew the Council.
                    ``(B) Termination.--The Council shall not terminate 
                except as provided by an Act of Congress.''.
    (e) Urban and Community Forestry Action Plan Clarification for 
Carbon Storage.--Section 9(g)(3) of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance 
Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2105(g)(3)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
                    ``(G) Recommendations for identifying opportunities 
                to increase carbon storage through afforestation and 
                scientific urban and community forestry management.''.
    (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--Subsection (k) of section 9 
of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2105), as 
redesignated by subsection (a), is amended--
            (1) by striking ``$30,000,000'' and inserting 
        ``$50,000,000''; and
            (2) by striking ``fiscal years 1991 through 1995'' and 
        inserting ``fiscal years 2021 through 2025''.

SEC. 3. CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CENTER URBAN FORESTRY DEMONSTRATION 
              PROGRAM.

    Section 147(d) of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 
U.S.C. 3197(d)) is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Urban forestry.--
                    ``(A) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after 
                the date of the enactment of this paragraph, the 
                Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Labor 
                shall jointly establish Civilian Conservation Centers 
                in urban and community areas (as defined in subsection 
                (j) of section 9 of the Cooperative Forestry Assistance 
                Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 2105)).
                    ``(B) Focus.--In addition to the training and 
                skills required under paragraph (1), the Civilian 
                Conservation Centers established pursuant to 
                subparagraph (A) shall provide training on urban 
                forestry issues, including urban forest conservation, 
                management, maintenance, and monitoring.''.

SEC. 4. FOREST INVENTORY 5-YEAR REPORTS.

    Section 3(e)(3) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 
Research Act of 1978 (16 U.S.C. 1642(e)(3)) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in subparagraph (C)--
                    (A) by inserting ``, including forest carbon'' 
                before ``over the previous''; and
                    (B) by striking the period at the end and inserting 
                ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(D) demonstrates the efforts taken by the Forest 
                Service to--
                            ``(i) conduct a strategic national forest 
                        inventory by measuring a statistically designed 
                        consistent historical series of field plots in 
                        combination with advanced technology to improve 
                        data, information, and estimates of precision; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) use advanced geospatial technologies 
                        to improve the area and volume estimates 
                        described in clause (i), especially for sub-
                        State regions and smaller areas.''.

SEC. 5. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING TO COORDINATE URBAN FORESTRY 
              PROGRAMS.

    Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this 
Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall enter into a memorandum of 
understanding with the Secretaries of Health and Human Services, 
Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Labor, and Transportation and 
the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to--
            (1) identify strategies to increase equitable access to 
        urban forests through existing programs and authorities;
            (2) coordinate existing urban forestry programs;
            (3) conduct research on the benefits of urban forests for 
        air quality, heat island mitigation, energy burden reduction, 
        and enhanced shading for heat-resilient housing and active 
        transit; and
            (4) conduct research on improving coordination between the 
        agencies to address insects, disease, and non-native invasive 
        species in urban and community areas.
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