Good Neighbor Forestry Act

Bill: 113-s-327
Sponsor: Sen. Barrasso, John [R-WY]
Introduced: 2013-02-14 in the Senate
Policy area: Public Lands and Natural Resources
Subjects: Ecology
Fires
Forests, forestry, trees
Insects
Intergovernmental relations
Pest management
State and local government operations
Water quality
Watersheds
Wildlife conservation and habitat protection

Summary:
action_date: 2013-02-14
text: 
Good Neighbor Forestry Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), with respect to National Forest System land, and the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, to enter into cooperative agreements and contracts with state foresters to provide forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration and protection services that include: (1) activities to treat insect infected trees; (2) activities to reduce hazardous fuels; and (3) any other activities to restore or improve forest, rangeland, and watershed health, including fish and wildlife habitat. 
 
Permits state foresters to enter into subcontracts to provide such restoration and protection services. 

action_date: 2013-09-10
text: 
Good Neighbor Forestry Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), with respect to National Forest System land, and the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, to enter into a good neighbor agreement (a cooperative agreement or contract, including a sole source contract) with a governor of a state to coordinate the procurement and implementation of authorized restoration services. 
 
Defines &quot;authorized restoration services&quot; as similar and complementary forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration services carried out on federal land and non-federal land by either the Secretary concerned or a governor pursuant to a good neighbor agreement. 
 
Requires the Secretaries to make good neighbor agreements available to the public. 
 
Makes certain National Forest System timber sales requirements of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 inapplicable to services performed under a cooperative agreement or contract entered into under this Act. 
 
Requires the Secretaries to provide or approve all silviculture prescriptions and marking guides to be applied on federal land in all timber sale projects conducted under this Act. 
 
Prohibits delegation to a governor of any decision required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) with respect to any authorized restoration services to be provided on federal land.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2013-09-10
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 175.
action_date: 2013-09-10
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Wyden with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 113-97.
action_date: 2013-09-10
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Reported by Senator Wyden with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 113-97.
action_date: 2013-06-18
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
action_date: 2013-04-25
text: Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 113-28.
action_date: 2013-02-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
action_date: 2013-02-14
text: Introduced in Senate