Forest Landscape Restoration Act of 2008

Bill: 110-s-2593
Sponsor: Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM]
Introduced: 2008-02-05 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Animals
Commerce
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency Management
Environmental Protection
Federal advisory bodies
Fire prevention
Forest conservation
Forest ecology
Forest fires
Forest health
Forest roads
Government Operations and Politics
Government trust funds
Habitat conservation
Labor and Employment
Lumber trade
National forests
Non-native species
Old growth forests
Performance measurement
Private forests
Restoration ecology
Small business
Transportation and Public Works
Trees
Water pollution control
Water quality
Wood

Summary:
action_date: 2008-02-05
text: 
Forest Landscape Restoration Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program to select and fund ecological restoration treatments for priority forest landscapes. 

Sets forth provisions concerning the eligibility criteria for, and nomination and selection of, collaborative forest landscape restoration proposals for carrying out such treatments. 

Requires the Secretary to establish a scientific advisory panel to evaluate, and provide recommendations on, any proposal with respect to: (1) the strength of the ecological case of the proposal for landscape restoration and the proposed restoration strategies; and (2) whether the proposal is likely to achieve reductions in long-term wildfire management costs.

Authorizes the Secretary to establish a technical advisory panel to evaluate, and provide recommendations on, any proposal with respect to whether the proposal is likely to reduce the relative costs of carrying out treatments resulting from the use of woody biomass and small-diameter trees and to provide local economic benefit. 

Establishes the Collaborative Forest Landscape Fund, to be used for paying up to 50% of the cost of carrying out ecological restoration treatments on National Forest System land for each proposal selected. 

Requires: (1) creation of implementation work plans and budgets to implement proposals; (2) submission of annual reports on the accomplishments of selected proposals; (3) use of a multiparty monitoring, evaluation, and accountability process to assess the ecological, social, and economic effects of projects implementing proposals; and (4) submission of reports every five years on the Program. 

action_date: 2008-06-16
text: 
Forest Landscape Restoration Act of 2008 - Directs the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Chief of the Forest Service, to establish a Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program to select and fund ecological restoration treatments for priority forest landscapes. 

Sets forth provisions concerning the eligibility criteria for, and nomination and selection of, collaborative forest landscape restoration proposals for carrying out such treatments. 
 
Requires the Secretary to establish a scientific advisory panel to evaluate, and provide recommendations on, any proposal. Requires the panel to include experts in ecological restoration, fire ecology, fire management, rural economic development, strategies for ecological adaptation to climate change, fish and wildlife ecology, and woody biomass and small-diameter tree utilization. 
 
Establishes the Collaborative Forest Landscape Fund, to be used for paying up to 50% of the cost of carrying out and monitoring ecological restoration treatments on National Forest System land for each proposal selected. Permits, the cost of carrying out ecological restoration treatments, as the Secretary determines to be appropriate, to include cancellation and termination costs required to be obligated for contracts to carry out such treatments for each such proposal. 

Sets forth limitations on expenditures made from the Fund. 

Requires establishment of an accounting and reporting system for the Fund. 

Authorizes appropriations for the Fund. 

Requires: (1) creation of implementation work plans and budgets to implement proposals; (2) submission of annual reports on the accomplishments of selected proposals; (3) use of a multiparty monitoring, evaluation, and accountability process to assess the ecological, social, and economic effects of projects implementing proposals; and (4) submission of reports every five years on the Program. 

Authorizes appropriations to carry out this Act. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2008-06-16
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 802.
action_date: 2008-06-16
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 110-370.
action_date: 2008-06-16
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Bingaman with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 110-370.
action_date: 2008-05-07
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2008-04-01
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 110-453.
action_date: 2008-02-06
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S681)
action_date: 2008-02-05
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (text of measure as introduced: CR S660-662)
action_date: 2008-02-05
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S659-660)
action_date: 2008-02-05
text: Introduced in Senate