Title: Save Our Sequoias Act
Policy area: Environmental Protection

Summary:
Save Our Sequoias Act
This bill provides for the conservation of giant sequoia trees (Sequoiadendron giganteum) in California, including by

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4833 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 4833

 To improve the health and resiliency of giant sequoias, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 13, 2022

 Mrs. Feinstein (for herself and Mr. Padilla) introduced the following 
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                           Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To improve the health and resiliency of giant sequoias, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS.

    (a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Save Our Sequoias 
Act''.
    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this Act is as 
follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
Sec. 3. Shared stewardship agreement for giant sequoias.
Sec. 4. Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition.
Sec. 5. Giant Sequoia Health and Resiliency Assessment.
Sec. 6. Giant sequoia emergency response.
Sec. 7. Fuels reduction in vulnerable habitat.
Sec. 8. Projects in insect- or disease-affected treatment areas.
Sec. 9. Giant Sequoia Reforestation and Rehabilitation Strategy.
Sec. 10. Giant Sequoia Strike Teams.
Sec. 11. Giant sequoia collaborative restoration grants.
Sec. 12. Good neighbor authority for giant sequoias.
Sec. 13. Stewardship contracting for giant sequoias.
Sec. 14. Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection Program and Fund.
Sec. 15. Authorization of appropriations.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Assessment.--The term ``Assessment'' means the Giant 
        Sequoia Health and Resiliency Assessment required by section 5.
            (2) Coalition.--The term ``Coalition'' means the Giant 
        Sequoia Lands Coalition established under section 4.
            (3) Collaborative process.--The term ``collaborative 
        process'' means a process relating to the management of covered 
        National Forest System lands or covered public lands by which a 
        project or forest management activity is developed and 
        implemented by the Secretary concerned through collaboration 
        with multiple interested persons representing diverse 
        interests.
            (4) Covered national forest system lands.--The term 
        ``covered National Forest System lands'' means the proclaimed 
        National Forest System lands reserved or withdrawn from the 
        public domain of the United States covering the Sequoia 
        National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument, Sierra 
        National Forest, and Tahoe National Forest.
            (5) Covered public lands.--The term ``covered public 
        lands'' means--
                    (A) the Case Mountain Extensive Recreation 
                Management Area in California managed by the Bureau of 
                Land Management; and
                    (B) Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia National 
                Park, and Yosemite National Park in California managed 
                by the National Park Service.
            (6) Giant sequoia.--The term ``giant sequoia'' means a tree 
        of the species Sequoiadendron giganteum.
            (7) Grove-specific hazardous fuels reduction plan.--The 
        term ``grove-specific hazardous fuels reduction plan'' means a 
        plan developed by the applicable land management agency prior 
        to conducting an analysis under the National Environmental 
        Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.) to address 
        hazardous fuels in 1 or more giant sequoia groves.
            (8) Protection project.--The term ``Protection Project'' 
        means a project to carry out forest management activities that 
        are intended to benefit giant sequoias, including--
                    (A) activities recommended by the Assessment;
                    (B) conducting hazardous fuels management, 
                including mechanical thinning, mastication, and 
                prescribed burning;
                    (C) removing hazard trees, as determined by the 
                responsible official;
                    (D) removing trees to address overstocking or 
                crowding in a forest stand, consistent with the 
                appropriate basal area of the forest stand as 
                determined by the responsible official;
                    (E) activities included in the applicable grove-
                specific hazardous fuels reduction plan;
                    (F) using treatments to address insects and disease 
                and control competing vegetation; and
                    (G) any combination of activities described in 
                subparagraphs (A) through (F).
            (9) Reforestation.--The term ``reforestation'' means the 
        act of renewing tree cover, taking into consideration species 
        composition and resilience, by establishing young trees 
        through--
                    (A) natural regeneration;
                    (B) natural regeneration with--
                            (i) site preparation;
                            (ii) vegetation competition control; or
                            (iii) both; or
                    (C) planting or direct seeding.
            (10) Rehabilitation.--The term ``rehabilitation'' means any 
        action taken during the 5-year period beginning on the date on 
        which a wildland fire is contained to repair or improve fire-
        impacted lands which are unlikely to recover to management-
        approved conditions.
            (11) Relevant congressional committees.--The term 
        ``relevant congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, 
                the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, 
                and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Natural Resources, the 
                Committee on Agriculture, and the Committee on 
                Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
            (12) Responsible official.--The term ``responsible 
        official'' means an employee of the Department of the Interior 
        or the Forest Service who has the authority to make and 
        implement a decision on a proposed action.
            (13) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
        of the Interior.
            (14) Secretary concerned.--The term ``Secretary concerned'' 
        means--
                    (A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to 
                covered National Forest System lands, or their 
                designee; and
                    (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to 
                covered public lands, or their designee.
            (15) Strategy.--The term ``Strategy'' means the Giant 
        Sequoia Reforestation and Rehabilitation Strategy established 
        under section 9.
            (16) Strike team.--The term ``Strike Team'' means a Giant 
        Sequoia Strike Team established under section 10.
            (17) Tribe.--The term ``Tribe'' means--
                    (A) the Tule River Indian Tribe; and
                    (B) any other Tribal government the jurisdictional 
                boundaries of which encompass at least 1 giant sequoia 
                grove.
            (18) Tule river indian tribe.--The term ``Tule River Indian 
        Tribe'' means the Tule River Indian Tribe of the Tule River 
        Reservation, California.

SEC. 3. SHARED STEWARDSHIP AGREEMENT FOR GIANT SEQUOIAS.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after receiving a request 
from the Governor of the State of California or a Tribe, the Secretary 
shall enter into an agreement with the Secretary of Agriculture and the 
Governor or Tribe, as applicable, that submitted the request, to 
jointly carry out the following:
            (1) Not later than 30 days after entering into the 
        agreement, establish the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition or 
        certify an existing group meeting the requirements of section 
        4(b) as the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition.
            (2) Not later than 120 days after the Giant Sequoia Lands 
        Coalition submits the Assessment under section 5, conduct 
        Protection Projects under section 6.
            (3) Not later than 120 days after entering into the 
        agreement, begin developing and implementing reforestation and 
        rehabilitation of giant sequoias, with priority given to 
        actions described in the Strategy.
    (b) No Request Submitted.--If the Secretary has not received a 
request from the Governor of the State of California or a Tribe under 
subsection (a) before the date that is 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall enter into the agreement 
under subsection (a) and jointly implement such agreement with the 
Secretary of Agriculture.
    (c) Future Participation.--If the Secretary receives a request from 
the Governor of the State of California or a Tribe any time after 
entering into the agreement under subsection (a) or (b), the Secretary 
shall accept the Governor or Tribe, as applicable, that submitted the 
request as a party to such agreement.

SEC. 4. GIANT SEQUOIA LANDS COALITION.

    (a) Establishment.--
            (1) In general.--In accordance with the timeline and 
        agreement established in section 3(a)(1), the Secretary and the 
        Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the other 
        parties to such agreement, shall jointly establish, and appoint 
        members to, the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition.
            (2) Existing coalition.--A previously established group 
        that meets the membership requirements under subsection (b) may 
        be designated by the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture 
        as the Coalition under paragraph (1) if the parties to the 
        agreement established under section 3 approve such designation.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Members.--The Secretary and the Secretary of 
        Agriculture shall jointly appoint to the Coalition 1 member 
        from each of--
                    (A) the National Park Service, representing Sequoia 
                and Kings Canyon National Parks;
                    (B) the National Park Service, representing 
                Yosemite National Park;
                    (C) the Forest Service, representing Sequoia 
                National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument;
                    (D) the Forest Service, representing Sierra 
                National Forest;
                    (E) the Forest Service, representing Tahoe National 
                Forest;
                    (F) the Bureau of Land Management, representing 
                Case Mountain Extensive Recreation Management Area;
                    (G) the Tule River Indian Tribe, representing the 
                Black Mountain Grove;
                    (H) the State of California, representing Calaveras 
                Big Trees State Park;
                    (I) the State of California, representing Mountain 
                Home Demonstration State Forest;
                    (J) an academic institution with demonstrated 
                experience managing and owning a giant sequoia grove, 
                representing Whitaker's Research Forest; and
                    (K) the County of Tulare, California, representing 
                Balch Park.
            (2) Affiliate partners.--The Coalition may designate 
        organizations or agencies with demonstrated experience and 
        knowledge on giant sequoia management and resiliency as 
        affiliate partners of the Coalition to enhance the work of the 
        Coalition under subsection (c).
            (3) Local government participation.--Upon the written 
        request of a local government in California whose 
        jurisdictional boundaries encompass at least 1 giant sequoia 
        grove, or the governing body of a Tribe other than the Tule 
        River Indian Tribe, the Secretary shall appoint 1 member from 
        such government or governing body to serve as a member of the 
        Coalition, subject to the same requirements outlined in this 
        section.
            (4) Term.--
                    (A) Length.--The term of an appointment as a member 
                of the Coalition shall be 5 years.
                    (B) Limit.--Members of the Coalition may serve no 
                more than 2 terms.
            (5) Vacancy.--The Secretary and the Secretary of 
        Agriculture shall jointly appoint a new member to fill a 
        vacancy on the Coalition not later than 6 months after the date 
        on which such vacancy occurs.
            (6) Decisions.--Decisions of the Coalition shall be made by 
        majority vote, a quorum of \1/2\ the total members of the 
        Coalition being present.
            (7) Meetings.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 60 days after all 
                members of the Coalition are appointed under subsection 
                (a), the Coalition shall hold its first meeting.
                    (B) Regular meetings.--The Coalition shall meet not 
                less than twice per year.
            (8) Priority.--The Secretary concerned shall appoint 
        members under paragraph (1) who have a demonstrated experience 
        and knowledge on managing giant sequoia groves.
    (c) Duties.--The duties of the Coalition are to--
            (1) prepare the Assessment under section 5;
            (2) observe implementation, and provide policy 
        recommendations to the Secretary concerned, with respect to--
                    (A) Protection Projects carried out under section 
                6; and
                    (B) the Strategy established under section 9;
            (3) facilitate collaboration and coordination on Protection 
        Projects, particularly projects that cross jurisdictional 
        boundaries;
            (4) facilitate information sharing, including best 
        available science as described in section 5(d) and mapping 
        resources; and
            (5) support the development and dissemination of 
        educational materials and programs that inform the public about 
        the threats to the health and resiliency of giant sequoia 
        groves and actions being taken to reduce the risk to such 
        groves from high-severity wildfire, insects, and drought.
    (d) Pay and Expenses.--
            (1) Compensation.--
                    (A) Federal employee members.--All members of the 
                Coalition who are officers or employees of the United 
                States shall serve without compensation in addition to 
                that received for their services as officers or 
                employees of the United States.
                    (B) Non-federal employee members.--All members of 
                the Coalition not described in subparagraph (A) shall 
                serve without compensation.
            (2) Reimbursement.--A member of the Coalition may be 
        reimbursed for travel and lodging expenses incurred while 
        attending a meeting of the Coalition or any other meeting of 
        members approved for reimbursement by the Coalition in the same 
        amounts and under the same conditions as Federal employees 
        under section 5703 of title 5, United States Code.
            (3) Expenses.--The Secretary concerned may pay the expenses 
        of the Coalition that such Secretary concerned determines to be 
        reasonable and appropriate.
            (4) Administrative support, technical services, and staff 
        support.--The Secretary concerned shall make personnel of the 
        Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture, as 
        applicable, available to the Coalition for administrative 
        support, technical services, development and dissemination of 
        educational materials, and staff support that such Secretary 
        concerned determines necessary to carry out this section.
    (e) Federal Advisory Committee Act.--
            (1) In general.--The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 
        U.S.C. App.) shall apply to the Coalition, except that the 
        Coalition shall terminate on the date that is 10 years after 
        the date of enactment of this Act.
            (2) Renewal.--Prior to the termination of the Coalition 
        under paragraph (1), the Coalition may be renewed in accordance 
        with subsections (b) and (c) of section 14 of the Federal 
        Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.).

SEC. 5. GIANT SEQUOIA HEALTH AND RESILIENCY ASSESSMENT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the first meeting of 
the Coalition, the Coalition shall submit to the relevant congressional 
committees a Giant Sequoia Health and Resiliency Assessment that, based 
on the best available science--
            (1) identifies--
                    (A) each giant sequoia grove that has experienced 
                a--
                            (i) stand-replacing disturbance; or
                            (ii) disturbance but continues to have 
                        living giant sequoias within the grove, 
                        including identifying the tree mortality and 
                        regeneration of giant sequoias within such 
                        grove;
                    (B) each giant sequoia grove that is at high risk 
                of experiencing a stand-replacing disturbance;
                    (C) lands located within 1 mile of giant sequoia 
                groves that are at risk of experiencing high-severity 
                wildfires that could adversely impact such giant 
                sequoia groves; and
                    (D) each giant sequoia grove that has experienced a 
                disturbance and is unlikely to naturally regenerate and 
                is in need of reforestation;
            (2) analyzes the resiliency of each giant sequoia grove to 
        threats, such as--
                    (A) high-severity wildfire;
                    (B) insects, including beetle kill; and
                    (C) drought;
            (3) with respect to Protection Projects, proposes a list of 
        highest priority Protection Projects, giving priority to 
        projects located on lands identified under subparagraphs (B) 
        and (C) of paragraph (1);
            (4) examines how historical, Tribal, and current approaches 
        to wildland fire suppression and forest management activities 
        across various jurisdictions have impacted the health and 
        resiliency of giant sequoia groves with respect to--
                    (A) high-severity wildfires;
                    (B) insects, including beetle kill; and
                    (C) drought; and
            (5) includes program and policy recommendations that 
        address--
                    (A) Federal and State policies that impede 
                activities to improve the health and resiliency of 
                giant sequoias and proposed policy changes to address 
                such impediments;
                    (B) new Federal and State policies necessary to 
                increase the pace and scale of treatments that improve 
                the health and resiliency of giant sequoias;
                    (C) options to enhance communication, coordination, 
                and collaboration, particularly for cross-boundary 
                projects, to improve the health and resiliency of giant 
                sequoias;
                    (D) research gaps that should be addressed to 
                improve the best available science on the giant 
                sequoias; and
                    (E) options and best practices for conducting 
                Protection Projects without causing the incidental 
                taking of threatened or endangered species.
    (b) Annual Updates.--Not later than 1 year after the submission of 
the Assessment under subsection (a), and annually thereafter, the 
Coalition shall submit an updated Assessment to the relevant 
congressional committees that--
            (1) includes any new data, information, or best available 
        science that has changed or become available since the previous 
        Assessment was submitted;
            (2) with respect to Protection Projects--
                    (A) includes information on the number of 
                Protection Projects initiated the previous year and the 
                estimated timeline for completing those projects;
                    (B) includes information on the number of 
                Protection Projects planned in the upcoming year and 
                the estimated timeline for completing those projects;
                    (C) provides status updates and long-term 
                monitoring reports on giant sequoia groves after the 
                completion of Protection Projects, including comparing 
                the efficacy of those Protection Projects;
                    (D) if either Secretary concerned failed to 
                initiate at least 1 Protection Project in the previous 
                year, a written explanation that includes--
                            (i) a detailed explanation of what 
                        impediments resulted in failing to initiate at 
                        least 1 Protection Project;
                            (ii) a detailed explanation of what actions 
                        the Secretary concerned is taking to ensure 
                        that at least 1 Protection Project is initiated 
                        the following year; and
                            (iii) recommendations to Congress on any 
                        policies that need to be changed to assist the 
                        Secretary concerned in initiating Protection 
                        Projects; and
            (3) with respect to reforestation and rehabilitation of 
        giant sequoias--
                    (A) contains updates on the implementation of the 
                Strategy under section 9, including grove-level data on 
                reforestation and rehabilitation activities; and
                    (B) provides status updates and monitoring reports 
                on giant sequoia groves that have experienced natural 
                or artificial regeneration as part of the Strategy 
                under section 9.
    (c) Dashboard.--
            (1) Requirement to maintain.--The Coalition shall create 
        and maintain a website that--
                    (A) publishes the Assessment, annual updates to the 
                Assessment, and other educational materials developed 
                by the Coalition;
                    (B) contains searchable information about 
                individual giant sequoia groves, including the--
                            (i) resiliency of such groves to threats 
                        described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of 
                        subsection (a);
                            (ii) Protection Projects that have been 
                        proposed, initiated, or completed in such 
                        groves; and
                            (iii) reforestation and rehabilitation 
                        activities that have been proposed, initiated, 
                        or completed in such groves; and
                    (C) maintains a searchable database to track--
                            (i) the status of Federal environmental 
                        reviews and authorizations for specific 
                        Protection Projects and reforestation and 
                        rehabilitation activities; and
                            (ii) the projected cost of Protection 
                        Projects and reforestation and rehabilitation 
                        activities.
            (2) Searchable database.--The Coalition shall include 
        information on the status of Protection Projects in the 
        searchable database created under paragraph (1)(C), including--
                    (A) a comprehensive permitting timetable;
                    (B) the status of the compliance of each lead 
                agency, cooperating agency, and participating agency 
                with the permitting timetable;
                    (C) any modifications of the permitting timetable 
                required under subparagraph (A), including an 
                explanation as to why the permitting timetable was 
                modified; and
                    (D) information about project-related public 
                meetings, public hearings, and public comment periods, 
                which shall be presented in English and the predominant 
                language of the community or communities most affected 
                by the project, as that information becomes available.
    (d) Best Available Science.--In utilizing the best available 
science for the Assessment, the Coalition shall include--
            (1) data and peer-reviewed research from academic 
        institutions with a demonstrated history of studying giant 
        sequoias and with experience analyzing distinct management 
        strategies to improve giant sequoia resiliency;
            (2) traditional ecological knowledge from each Tribe 
        related to improving the health and resiliency of giant sequoia 
        groves; and
            (3) data from Federal, State, and Tribal governments or 
        agencies.
    (e) Technology Improvements.--In carrying out this section, the 
Secretary concerned may enter into memorandums of understanding or 
agreements with other Federal agencies or departments, State or local 
governments, Tribal governments, private entities, or academic 
institutions to improve, with respect to the Assessment, the use and 
integration of--
            (1) advanced remote sensing and geospatial technologies;
            (2) statistical modeling and analysis; or
            (3) any other technology the Secretary concerned determines 
        will benefit the quality of information used in the Assessment.
    (f) Planning.--The Coalition shall make information from this 
Assessment available to the Secretary concerned and the State of 
California to integrate into--
            (1) the State of California's Wildfire and Forest 
        Resilience Action Plan; and
            (2) the Forest Service's 10-year Wildfire Crisis Strategy 
        (or successor plan).

SEC. 6. GIANT SEQUOIA EMERGENCY RESPONSE.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) Emergency determination.--Congress determines that--
                    (A) an emergency exists on covered public lands and 
                covered National Forest System lands that makes it 
                necessary to carry out Protection Projects that take 
                needed actions to respond to the threat of wildfires, 
                insects, and drought to giant sequoias; and
                    (B) Protection Projects are necessary to control 
                the immediate impacts of the emergency described in 
                subparagraph (A) and to mitigate harm to life, 
                property, or important natural or cultural resources on 
                covered public lands and covered National Forest System 
                lands.
            (2) Application.--The emergency determination established 
        under paragraph (1)(A) shall apply to all covered public lands 
        and covered National Forest System lands.
            (3) Effect.--The emergency determination established under 
        paragraph (1)(A) shall go into effect on the date the Coalition 
        submits the Assessment.
            (4) Expiration.--The emergency determination established 
        under paragraph (1)(A) shall expire on the earlier of--
                    (A) the date that is 10 years after the effective 
                date of that emergency determination; and
                    (B) the date on which the Secretary and the 
                Secretary of Agriculture jointly--
                            (i) determine that such an emergency no 
                        longer exists;
                            (ii) certify that at least 90 percent of 
                        giant sequoia groves are not under the threat 
                        of stand-replacing wildfire; and
                            (iii) submit the determination and 
                        certification described in clauses (i) and 
                        (ii), respectively, to the relevant 
                        congressional committees.
    (b) Implementation.--While the emergency determination established 
under subsection (a) is in effect--
            (1) a responsible official may carry out a Protection 
        Project described in subsection (c) in accordance with--
                    (A) section 220.4(b) of title 36, Code of Federal 
                Regulations (or a successor regulation);
                    (B) section 800.12 of title 36, Code of Federal 
                Regulations (or a successor regulation);
                    (C) section 1506.12 of title 40, Code of Federal 
                Regulations (or a successor regulation); and
                    (D) section 46.150 of title 43, Code of Federal 
                Regulations (or a successor regulation); and
            (2) the informal consultation requirements under sections 
        402.05 of title 50 and 800.12 of title 36, Code of Federal 
        Regulations (or successor regulations), shall apply to 
        Protection Projects.
    (c) Requirements.--A Protection Project referred to in subsection 
(b)(1) is a Protection Project or reforestation or rehabilitation 
activity that--
            (1) covers an area of not more than--
                    (A) 2,000 acres within giant sequoia groves where a 
                grove-specific hazardous fuels reduction plan has been 
                developed by the relevant land management agency or on 
                lands identified under section 5(a)(1)(B); and
                    (B) 3,000 acres on lands identified under section 
                5(a)(1)(C);
            (2) was--
                    (A) proposed by the Assessment under section 
                5(a)(3);
                    (B) developed through a collaborative process; or
                    (C) proposed by a resource advisory committee (as 
                defined in section 201 of the Secure Rural Schools and 
                Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 
                7121));
            (3) as practicable, incorporates prescribed fire as a 
        component of the grove-specific hazardous fuels reduction plan; 
        and
            (4) occurs on Federal land or non-Federal land with the 
        consent of the non-Federal landowner.
    (d) Use of Other Authorities.--To the maximum extent practicable, 
the Secretary concerned shall use the authorities provided under this 
section in combination with other authorities to carry out Protection 
Projects, including--
            (1) good neighbor agreements entered into under section 
        8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a); and
            (2) stewardship contracting projects entered into under 
        section 604 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 
        U.S.C. 6591c).
    (e) Savings Clause.--With respect to joint Protection Projects and 
reforestation and rehabilitation activities involving a Tribe, nothing 
in this section shall be construed to add any additional regulatory 
requirements onto the Tribe.

SEC. 7. FUELS REDUCTION IN VULNERABLE HABITAT.

    (a) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) fire regimes in giant sequoia groves are dominated by 
        fire regime I and fire regime III (as defined in section 101 of 
        the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511));
            (2) fire regime IV (as defined in that section) occurs 
        incidentally within or adjacent to giant sequoia groves; and
            (3) to ensure that the restoration of giant sequoia groves 
        meets forest health and wildfire resiliency goals, ecological 
        restoration of ecosystem types that are fire regime IV (as so 
        defined) should be considered for Protection Projects.
    (b) Definition of Fire Regime IV.--Section 101 of the Healthy 
Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6511) is amended--
            (1) by redesignating paragraphs (11) through (16) as 
        paragraphs (12) through (17), respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after paragraph (10) the following:
            ``(11) Fire regime iv.--The term `fire regime IV' means an 
        area in which historically there are stand replacement severity 
        fires with a frequency of more than 35 and less than 200 
        years.''.
    (c) Restoration in Fire Regime IV.--
            (1) Authorized hazardous fuel reduction projects.--Section 
        102(a)(3) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 
        U.S.C. 6512(a)(3)) is amended by striking ``or fire regime 
        III'' and inserting ``fire regime III, or fire regime IV''.
            (2) Administrative review.--Section 603(c) of the Healthy 
        Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591b(c)) is amended 
        by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
            ``(2) Location.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A project under this section 
                shall be located in an area that is--
                            ``(i) in the wildland-urban interface; or
                            ``(ii)(I) outside the wildland-urban 
                        interface;
                            ``(II) in condition class 2 or condition 
                        class 3; and
                            ``(III) in fire regime I, fire regime II, 
                        fire regime III, or fire regime IV (subject to 
                        the condition that not more than 30 percent of 
                        the area may be in fire regime IV).
                    ``(B) Definitions.--In this paragraph, the terms 
                `condition class 2', `condition class 3', `fire regime 
                I', `fire regime II', `fire regime III', `fire regime 
                IV', and `wildland-urban interface' have the meanings 
                given those terms in section 101.''.
            (3) Wildfire resilience projects.--Section 605(c) of the 
        Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591d(c)) is 
        amended by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
            ``(2) Location.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A project under this section 
                shall be--
                            ``(i) prioritized within the wildland-urban 
                        interface;
                            ``(ii) if located outside the wildland-
                        urban interface, located in an area--
                                    ``(I) in condition class 2 or 
                                condition class 3;
                                    ``(II) in fire regime I, fire 
                                regime II, fire regime III, or fire 
                                regime IV (subject to the condition 
                                that not more than 30 percent of the 
                                area may be in fire regime IV); and
                                    ``(III) that contains a very high 
                                wildfire hazard potential; and
                            ``(iii) limited to areas designated under 
                        section 602(b) as of the date of enactment of 
                        this Act.
                    ``(B) Definitions.--In this paragraph, the terms 
                `condition class 2', `condition class 3', `fire regime 
                I', `fire regime II', `fire regime III', `fire regime 
                IV', and `wildland-urban interface' have the meanings 
                given those terms in section 101.''.
            (4) Establishment of fuel breaks in forests and other 
        wildland vegetation.--Section 40806(d) of the Infrastructure 
        Investment and Jobs Act (16 U.S.C. 6592b(d)) is amended--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) by striking subparagraph (B) and 
                        inserting the following:
                            ``(ii) if located outside the wildland-
                        urban interface or a public drinking water 
                        source area, an area--
                                    ``(I) in condition class 2 or 
                                condition class 3;
                                    ``(II) in fire regime I, fire 
                                regime II, fire regime III, or fire 
                                regime IV (subject to the condition 
                                that not more than 30 percent of the 
                                area may be in fire regime IV); and
                                    ``(III) that contains a very high 
                                wildfire hazard potential; or''; and
                            (ii) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) and 
                        (C) as clauses (i) and (iii), respectively, and 
                        indenting appropriately;
                    (B) by redesignating paragraphs (1) through (3) as 
                subparagraphs (A) through (C), respectively, and 
                indenting appropriately;
                    (C) by striking ``Treatments'' in the matter 
                preceding subparagraph (A) (as so designated) and 
                inserting the following:
            ``(1) In general.--Treatments''; and
                    (D) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Definitions.--In this subsection, the terms 
        `condition class 2', `condition class 3', `fire regime I', 
        `fire regime II', `fire regime III', `fire regime IV', and 
        `wildland-urban interface' have the meanings given those terms 
        in section 101 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 
        (16 U.S.C. 6511).''.

SEC. 8. PROJECTS IN INSECT- OR DISEASE-AFFECTED TREATMENT AREAS.

    (a) Designation of Treatment Areas.--Section 602 of the Healthy 
Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591a) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1) and (2) as 
                subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and indenting 
                appropriately;
                    (B) by striking the subsection designation and 
                heading and all that follows through ``In this section, 
                the term'' in the matter preceding subparagraph (A) (as 
                so redesignated) and inserting the following:
    ``(a) Definitions.--In this section and section 603:
            ``(1) Declining forest health.--The term''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(2) Secretary concerned.--The term `Secretary concerned' 
        means--
                    ``(A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to 
                land of the National Forest System described in section 
                3(1)(A); and
                    ``(B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect 
                to covered public lands (as defined in section 2 of the 
                Save Our Sequoias Act).'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``of 
                Agriculture'' after ``Secretary''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ``concerned'' 
                after ``Secretary'';
            (3) in subsection (c)(1), by inserting ``of Agriculture or 
        the Secretary of the Interior'' after ``Secretary'';
            (4) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), in the matter preceding 
                subparagraph (A), by striking ``Secretary may carry out 
                priority projects on Federal land'' and inserting 
                ``Secretary concerned may carry out priority projects 
                on land described in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of 
                subsection (a)(2)'';
                    (B) by redesignating paragraph (4) as paragraph 
                (5);
                    (C) by inserting after paragraph (3) the following:
            ``(4) References.--For purposes of this subsection, any 
        reference contained in section 101(2), subsection (b), (c), or 
        (d) of section 102, or section 104, 105, or 106 to `Federal 
        land' shall be considered to be a reference to land described 
        in subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (a)(2).''; and
                    (D) in paragraph (5) (as so redesignated), by 
                inserting ``concerned'' after ``Secretary'' each place 
                it appears; and
            (5) in subsection (e), by inserting ``concerned'' after 
        ``Secretary''.
    (b) Administrative Review.--Section 603 of the Healthy Forests 
Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591b) is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``concerned'' after ``Secretary'' each 
        place it appears;
            (2) in subsection (d)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``Federal land'' 
                and inserting ``land described in subparagraph (A) or 
                (B) of section 602(a)(2)''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (4), by inserting ``or land use 
                plan'' before the period at the end;
            (3) in subsection (e), by inserting ``, or the land use 
        plan established under section 202 of the Federal Land Policy 
        and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712) for the unit of 
        public lands,'' after ``National Forest System''; and
            (4) in subsection (g)(2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (D), by striking ``and'' at the 
                end;
                    (B) in subparagraph (E), by striking the period at 
                the end and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(F) the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources 
                of the Senate.''.

SEC. 9. GIANT SEQUOIA REFORESTATION AND REHABILITATION STRATEGY.

    (a) Reforestation and Rehabilitation Strategy.--
            (1) In general.--In accordance with the timeline and 
        agreement established in section 3(a)(3), the Secretary and the 
        Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the other 
        parties to such agreement, shall jointly develop and implement 
        a strategy, to be known as the ``Giant Sequoia Reforestation 
        and Rehabilitation Strategy'', to enhance the reforestation and 
        rehabilitation of giant sequoia groves that--
                    (A) identifies giant sequoia groves in need of 
                natural or artificial regeneration, giving highest 
                priority to groves identified under section 
                5(a)(1)(A)(i);
                    (B) creates a priority list of reforestation and 
                rehabilitation activities;
                    (C) identifies and addresses--
                            (i) barriers to reforestation or 
                        rehabilitation including--
                                    (I) regulatory barriers;
                                    (II) seedling shortages or related 
                                nursery infrastructure capacity 
                                constraints;
                                    (III) labor and workforce 
                                shortages;
                                    (IV) technology and science gaps; 
                                and
                                    (V) site preparation challenges;
                            (ii) potential public-private partnership 
                        opportunities to complete high-priority 
                        reforestation or rehabilitation projects;
                            (iii) a timeline for addressing the backlog 
                        of reforestation for giant sequoias in the 10-
                        year period after the agreement is entered into 
                        under section 3; and
                            (iv) strategies to ensure genetic diversity 
                        across giant sequoia groves; and
                    (D) includes program and policy recommendations 
                needed to improve the efficiency or effectiveness of 
                the Strategy.
            (2) Assessment.--The Secretary may incorporate the Strategy 
        into the Assessment under section 5.
    (b) Priority Reforestation Projects Amendment.--Section 
3(e)(4)(C)(ii)(I) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources 
Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1601(e)(4)(C)(ii)(I)) is amended--
            (1) in item (bb), by striking ``and'';
            (2) in item (cc), by striking the period and inserting ``; 
        and''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
                                            ``(dd) shall include 
                                        reforestation and 
                                        rehabilitation activities 
                                        conducted under section 9 of 
                                        the Save Our Sequoias Act.''.

SEC. 10. GIANT SEQUOIA STRIKE TEAMS.

    (a) Establishment.--Each Secretary concerned shall establish a 
Giant Sequoia Strike Team to assist the Secretary concerned with the 
implementation of--
            (1) primarily, section 6; and
            (2) secondarily, section 9.
    (b) Duties.--Each Strike Team shall--
            (1) assist the Secretary concerned with any reviews, 
        including analysis under the National Environmental Policy Act 
        of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), consultations under division 
        A of subtitle III of title 54, United States Code, and 
        consultations under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 
        U.S.C. 1531 et seq.);
            (2) implement any necessary site preparation work in 
        advance of or as part of a Protection Project or reforestation 
        or rehabilitation activity;
            (3) implement Protection Projects under section 6; and
            (4) implement reforestation or rehabilitation activities 
        under section 9.
    (c) Members.--The Secretary concerned may appoint not more than 10 
individuals each to serve on a Strike Team comprised of--
            (1) employees of the Department of the Interior;
            (2) employees of the Forest Service;
            (3) private contractors from any nonprofit organization, 
        State government, Tribal government, local government, academic 
        institution, or private organization; and
            (4) volunteers from any nonprofit organization, State 
        government, Tribal government, local government, academic 
        institution, or private organization.

SEC. 11. GIANT SEQUOIA COLLABORATIVE RESTORATION GRANTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, in consultation with the other 
parties to the agreement under section 3, shall establish a program to 
award grants to eligible entities to advance, facilitate, or improve 
giant sequoia health and resiliency.
    (b) Eligible Entity.--The Secretary may award grants under this 
section to any nonprofit organization, Tribal government, local 
government, academic institution, or private organization to help 
advance, facilitate, or improve giant sequoia health and resiliency.
    (c) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary 
shall give priority to eligible entities that--
            (1) primarily, are likely to have the greatest impact on 
        giant sequoia health and resiliency; and
            (2) secondarily--
                    (A) are small businesses or Tribal entities, 
                particularly in rural areas; and
                    (B) create or support jobs, particularly in rural 
                areas.
    (d) Use of Grant Funds.--Funds from grants awarded under this 
section shall be used to--
            (1) create, expand, or develop markets for hazardous fuels 
        removed under section 6;
            (2) facilitate hazardous fuel removal under section 6, 
        including by reducing the cost of transporting hazardous fuels 
        removed as part of a Protection Project;
            (3) expand, enhance, develop, or create permanent or 
        temporary facilities or land that can store or process 
        hazardous fuels removed under section 6; and
            (4) establish, develop, expand, enhance, or improve nursery 
        capacity or infrastructure necessary to facilitate the Strategy 
        established under section 9.

SEC. 12. GOOD NEIGHBOR AUTHORITY FOR GIANT SEQUOIAS.

    Section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113a) is 
amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (4)(A)--
                            (i) in clause (ii), by striking ``and'' at 
                        the end;
                            (ii) by redesignating clause (iii) as 
                        clause (iv);
                            (iii) by inserting after clause (ii) the 
                        following:
                            ``(iii) activities conducted under section 
                        6 of the Save Our Sequoias Act;'';
                            (iv) in clause (iv), as so redesignated, by 
                        striking the period at the end and inserting 
                        ``; or''; and
                            (v) by adding at the end the following:
                            ``(v) any combination of activities 
                        specified in clauses (i) through (iv).''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (10)(B) by striking ``land.'' and 
                inserting ``land, Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia 
                National Park, and Yosemite National Park.''; and
            (2) in subsection (b)(2), by striking subparagraph (C) and 
        inserting the following:
                    ``(C) Treatment of revenue.--Funds received from 
                the sale of timber by a Governor or county under a good 
                neighbor agreement shall be retained and used by the 
                Governor or county--
                            ``(i) to carry out authorized restoration 
                        services under such good neighbor agreement; 
                        and
                            ``(ii) if there are funds remaining after 
                        carrying out the services under clause (i), to 
                        carry out authorized restoration services under 
                        other good neighbor agreements.''.

SEC. 13. STEWARDSHIP CONTRACTING FOR GIANT SEQUOIAS.

    (a) National Park Service.--Section 604(a) of the Healthy Forests 
Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(a)) is amended--
            (1) by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
            ``(2) Director.--The term `Director' means the Director of 
        the Bureau of Land Management with respect to Bureau of Land 
        Management land and the Director of the National Park Service 
        with respect to land within Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia 
        National Park, and Yosemite National Park.''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Public lands.--The term `public lands' means--
                    ``(A) Bureau of Land Management land; and
                    ``(B) land within Kings Canyon National Park, 
                Sequoia National Park, and Yosemite National Park.''.
    (b) Giant Sequoia Stewardship Contracts.--Section 604(c) of the 
Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591c(c)) is amended 
by adding at the end the following:
            ``(8) Promoting the health and resiliency of giant 
        sequoias.''.

SEC. 14. GIANT SEQUOIA EMERGENCY PROTECTION PROGRAM AND FUND.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 1011 of title 54, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 101123. Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection Program and Fund
    ``(a) Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection Program.--The National 
Park Foundation, in coordination with the National Forest Foundation, 
shall design and implement a comprehensive program to assist and 
promote philanthropic programs of support that benefit--
            ``(1) primarily, the management and conservation of giant 
        sequoias on Service land and covered National Forest System 
        lands to promote resiliency to wildfires, insects, and drought; 
        and
            ``(2) secondarily, the reforestation of giant sequoias on 
        Service land and covered National Forest System lands impacted 
        by wildfire.
    ``(b) Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection Fund.--The National Park 
Foundation, in coordination with the National Forest Foundation, shall 
establish a joint special account, to be known as the `Giant Sequoia 
Emergency Protection Fund' (referred to as `the Fund' in this section), 
to be administered in support of the program established under 
subsection (a).
    ``(c) Funds for Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection.--The following 
shall apply to the Fund:
            ``(1) The Fund shall consist of any gifts, devises, or 
        bequests that are provided to the National Park Foundation or 
        National Forest Foundation for such purpose.
            ``(2) The National Park Foundation and National Forest 
        Foundation shall deposit any funds received for the Fund in a 
        federally insured interest-bearing account or may invest funds 
        in appropriate security obligations, as mutually agreed upon.
            ``(3) Any accrued interest or dividends earned on funds 
        received for the Fund shall be added to the principal and form 
        a part of the Fund.
    ``(d) Use of Funds.--Funds shall be available to the National Park 
Foundation and National Forest Foundation without further appropriation 
for projects and activities approved by the Chief of the Forest Service 
or the Director, as appropriate, or their designees, to--
            ``(1) primarily, support the management and conservation of 
        giant sequoias on Service land and covered National Forest 
        System lands to promote resiliency to wildfires, insects, and 
        drought; and
            ``(2) secondarily, support the reforestation of giant 
        sequoias on Service land and covered National Forest System 
        lands impacted by wildfire.
    ``(e) Summary.--Beginning 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this section, the National Park Foundation and National Forest 
Foundation shall include with their annual reports a summary of the 
status of the program and Fund created under this section that 
includes--
            ``(1) a statement of the amounts deposited in the Fund 
        during the fiscal year;
            ``(2) the amount of the balance remaining in the Fund at 
        the end of the fiscal year; and
            ``(3) a description of the program and projects funded 
        during the fiscal year.
    ``(f) Covered National Forest System Lands Defined.--In this 
section, the term `covered National Forest System lands' has the 
meaning given such term in section 2 of the Save our Sequoias Act.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for subchapter II 
of chapter 1011 of title 54, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following:

``101123. Giant Sequoia Emergency Protection Program and Fund.''.

SEC. 15. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to carry 
out this Act and the amendments made by this Act--
            (1) for fiscal year 2024, $10,000,000;
            (2) for fiscal year 2025, $25,000,000;
            (3) for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2028, 
        $30,000,000; and
            (4) for each of fiscal years 2029 through 2033, 
        $40,000,000.
    (b) Limitation.--Of the amounts authorized under subsection (a), 
not less than 90 percent of funds shall be used to carry out sections 6 
and 9 and the amendments made by those sections.
                                 <all>