Haiti Reforestation Act of 2010

Bill: 111-s-1183
Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]
Introduced: 2009-06-04 in the Senate
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Caribbean area
Congressional oversight
Foreign aid and international relief
Foreign loans and debt
Forests, forestry, trees
Haiti
Latin America
Watersheds

Summary:
action_date: 2009-06-04
text: 
Haiti Reforestation Act of 2009 - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to offer to enter into agreements with the government of Haiti to provide financial assistance, technology transfers, or capacity building assistance to reduce deforestation and increase reforestation in Haiti. Authorizes appropriations.
 
Directs the Secretary to establish a grant program to carry out such activities. Authorizes appropriations.
 
Amends the the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to: (1) direct the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to invite the government of Haiti to submit a list of areas in which tropical forests are seriously degraded or threatened; (2) authorize USAID to make grants to nongovernmental organizations to purchase discounted commercial debt of the government of Haiti in exchange for government commitments to restore identified forests or to develop plans for their sustainable use; and (3) authorize appropriations.

action_date: 2010-11-18
text: 
Haiti Reforestation Act of 2010 - 
Title I: Forestation and Watershed Management Assistance to Government of Haiti
 - (Sec. 101) Authorizes the President to provide the government of Haiti with financial assistance, technology transfers, or capacity building assistance to reduce deforestation and increase afforestation and reforestation. 
 
 
Conditions assistance upon development and implementation of a proposal by the government of Haiti which may include: (1) provision of technologies and associated support for activities to reduce deforestation or increase afforestation and reforestation rates; (2) enhancement of governmental and nongovernmental institutional capacity to design and implement a proposal; (3) development and support of institutional capacity to measure and verify deforestation reduction and afforestation and reforestation activities; and (4) development of, and coordination with, watershed restoration programs.
 
Requires the President, in cooperation with the government of Haiti, to develop proposal performance metrics.
 
Sets forth reporting requirements.
 
Authorizes the President to provide financial and other assistance to the government of Haiti, local government bodies, or nongovernmental organizations to: (1) provide local communities with information relating to each policy and initiative to be carried out by the government of Haiti; (2) promote effective participation by local communities in the design, implementation, and monitoring of each policy and initiative; and (3) promote enhanced watershed governance, national planning, and community action programs. 
 

Title II: Grants for Reforestation
 - (Sec. 201) Authorizes the President to establish a grant program to carry out the purposes of this Act, including reversing deforestation and improving reforestation and afforestation in Haiti.
 
Limits a grant to three years and not more than $500,000 per year, with an exception if the President determines that the recipient has demonstrated prior project success. 
 
States that a grant application should be consistent with the 2007 United States Agency for International Development (USAID) report &quot;Environmental Vulnerability in Haiti: Findings and Recommendations.&quot;
 
Gives preference to applicants that propose to: (1) develop market-based solutions to reforestation in Haiti, including the use of conditional cash transfers and similar financial incentives to protect reforestation efforts; (2) partner with local communities and cooperatives; and (3) focus on efforts that build local capacity to sustain post-grant project growth.
 
(Sec. 202) Amends the the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to: (1) direct USAID to invite the government of Haiti to submit a list of areas in which tropical forests are seriously degraded or threatened; and (2) authorize USAID to make pilot program grants to nongovernmental organizations to purchase discounted commercial debt of the government of Haiti in exchange for government commitments to restore identified forests or to develop plans for their sustainable use. 
 
Terminates grant authority five years after the date of enactment of this Act. Permits grant authority to be renewed for one additional five-year period upon a specified USAID certification to Congress. 
 

Title III: Administrative Provision
 - (Sec. 301) Authorizes the President to delegate authorities and duties under this Act to the Administrator of USAID or the Secretary of State.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2010-11-18
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 649.
action_date: 2010-11-18
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Kerry with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 111-352.
action_date: 2010-11-18
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Reported by Senator Kerry with an amendment in the nature of a substitute and an amendment to the title. With written report No. 111-352.
action_date: 2010-09-21
text: Committee on Foreign Relations. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2009-06-04
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations. (text of measure as introduced: CR S6191-6193)
action_date: 2009-06-04
text: Introduced in Senate