Forestry Programs

 

STATE AND PRIVATE FOREST LANDSCAPE-SCALE RESTORATION PROGRAM

	CURRENT LAW	SENATE BILL Proposed Changes	HOUSE BILL Proposed Changes
		S. 3042, sec. 8101	H.R. 2, sec. 8104
Establishment/Purpose	Does not exist.	USDA Secretary is to establish a competitive grant program to provide financial and technical assistance to encourage collaborative, science-based restoration of priority landscapes.	Establishes a landscape-scale restoration program to support restoration and management that results in measurable improvements to public benefits derived from State and private forestland
Definitions:	Does not exist.	Private forest land means land that is rural, has existing tree cover or is suitable for growing trees, and is owned by a private individual, group, or Indian tribe. State forest land means land that is rural and is under state or local government ownership and is non-federal.	Private forest land means land that has existing tree cover, is suitable for growing trees, and is owned by either an Indian tribe or a private entity. State forest land means land that is owned by a state or local government.
Eligibility:	Does not exist.	Proposals must be for a multiyear period, cover private forest land or state forest land, be accessible by wood-processing infrastructure, and be based on best available science. Must derive at least 50% of funding from non-federal sources unless overridden by the secretary.	Proposals must include priorities identified in statewide assessments, long term state-wide forest research strategies, identify one or more measurable results to be achieved, include activities on land necessary to accomplish the measurable results, be developed in collaboration with other organizations and communities, derive at least 50% of funding from non-federal sources unless overridden by the secretary
Prioritization:	Does not exist.	Priority is given to plans that further a statewide forest assessment and resource strategy, promote cross-boundary landscape collaboration, and leverage public and private resources	Priority given to plans that carry out priorities identified in statewide assessments, involve public and private partnerships, include cross-boundary activities on any forest land, involve cost-share funding from the natural resources conservation service, protect or improve water quality or quantity, reduce wildfire risk, or are in proximity to other landscape scale projects on other land
Plan Criteria:	Does not exist.	Reduce risk of uncharacteristic wildfires, improve fish and wildlife habitats, including endangered species, maintain or improve water quality and watershed function, mitigate invasive  species, insect infestation, and disease, improve important forest ecosystems, measure ecological and economic benefits, including air quality and soil quality and productivity	Measurably address national private forest conservation priorities, enhance public benefits from trees and forests, protect or improve water quality or quantity, reduce wildfire risk, protect or enhance wildlife habitat, improve forest health and ecosystems, enhance opportunities for new and existing markets in which the production and use of wood products strengthens local and regional economies.
Proposal Review:	Does not exist.	Does not mention anything notable.	The secretary shall establish a process for review of proposals based on the extent to which the proposal achieves the requirements in the eligibility, criteria, and prioritization sections. The Secretary may write the report at the regional or national level.
Report:	Does not exist.	The Secretary shall submit a report within 3 years detailing the status, development, execution, and administration of the project, the accounting of expenditures, and specific accomplishments that have resulted from landscape-scale projects.	No changes.
Appropriations:	Does not exist.	$20 million for each fiscal year until 2023	$10 million for each fiscal year until 2023

 

COMMUNITY WOOD ENERGY AND WOOD INNOVATION PROGRAM

	CURRENT LAW	SENATE BILL Proposed Changes	HOUSE BILL Proposed Changes
		S. 3042, Sec. 8641, 8642, 8643	H.R. 2, sec. 8106
Definitions:	Program does not exist.	Innovative Wood Product mans a type of building component or system that uses large panelized wood construction. Mass timber includes cross-laminated timber, nail laminated timber, glue laminated timber, laminated strand lumber, and laminated veneer lumber. A Tall Wood Building means a building designed to be constructed with mass timber and no more than 85 feet in height.	The term 'community wood energy system' means an energy system that produces thermal energy, services public facilities owned or operated by state or local governments or private or nonprofit facilities, uses wood biomass. The term 'community wood energy system' includes single-facility central heating, district heating systems serving multiple buildings, combined heat and electric systems where thermal energy is the primary energy output, and other biomass systems. An 'innovative wood product facility' is a manufacturing or processing plant that produces building components or systems that use large panelized wood construction, wood products derived from nanotechnology or other new technology processes, or other innovative wood products that use low value, low-quality wood, as determined by the Secretary. 'Mass timber' includes cross-laminated timber, nail-laminated timber, glue-laminated timber, laminated strand lumber, and laminated veneer lumber.
Grants:	Program does not exist.	Secretary may make a wood innovation grant to 1 or more eligible entities each year for the purpose of advancing the use of innovative wood products.	A competitive grant program known as the 'Community Wood Energy and Wood Innovation Program' will be established that makes grants to cover less than or equal to 35% of the capital cost for installing community wood energy system or building an innovative wood product facility (under special circumstances chosen by the Secretary, this share may be bumped up to 50%). The non-matching funds must be derived from non-federal sources. Grants may not exceed $1 million (1.5 million in special circumstances)
Criteria:	Program does not exist.	An eligible entity shall provide funds equal to the amount received by the entity under the grant, derived from non-federal sources.	Criteria considered: energy efficiency of proposed community wood energy system/innovative wood product facility, the cost-effectiveness of the proposed system or facility, the extent to which the system or facility represents the best available technology, the and chance of project success.
Priorities:	Program does not exist.	Priorities considered: ways to improve commercialization of innovative wood products, analyzing the safety of tall wood building materials, calculations by the Forest Products Laboratory of the lifecycle environmental footprint, analyzing methods to reduce the lifecycle environmental footprint of tall wood building construction, analyzing the potential implications of the use of innovative wood products in building construction on wildlife, proposals that include the use or retrofitting of existing sawmill facilities located in counties in which the average unemployment rate exceeded the national unemployment rate by more than 1 percent the previous year.	Priorities considered: carried out in location where markets are needed for low-value, low-quality wood, carried out in location with limited access to natural gas pipelines, include use or retrofitting of existing sawmill facilities located where average unemployment exceeds national average by more than 1% during previous calendar year, would be carried out in location with aid for forest restoration.

 

USE OF RESERVED FUNDS FOR TITLE II PROJECTS ON FEDERAL LAND / SECURE RURAL SCHOOLS

	CURRENT LAW	SENATE BILL Proposed Changes	HOUSE BILL Proposed Changes
		S. 3042	H.R. 2, secs. 8201, 8202, 8203
Use of funds:		No changes.	At least 50% of the project funds reserved by a participating county whose boundaries include Federal land the Secretary determines has been subject to timber or other forest products program within 5 fiscal years shall be available only for projects that include the sale of timber or other forest products, reduce fire risks, or improve water supplies, and implement stewardship objectives that improve land health and water quality.
Resource Advisory Committees:	Program expires in 2018. 15 members on a committee overall, 5 must represent 'community interests'. Members don't have to reside in the jurisdiction. The Secretary is in charge of the RACs.	No changes.	Resource Advisory Committee extended to 2023. The number of members on a Resource Advisory Committee is reduced to 9 and the number that must represent 'community interests' falls to 3. Members must reside in the county or adjacent county to the RAC jurisdiction. There can be an 'applicable designee' who runs the RACs.
Self-Sustaining Resource Advisory Committees:	There was previously no 'self-sustaining resource advisory committee program'	No changes.	The Chief of the Forest Service can choose ten RACs that may retain revenue from projects to fund future projects that accomplish forest management objectives. These projects must accomplish forest management objectives or support community development, and must generate receipts.

 

HEALTHY FORESTS RESERVE PROGRAM

	CURRENT LAW	SENATE BILL Proposed Changes	HOUSE BILL Proposed Changes
		S. 3042	H.R. 2, sec. 8107
Purpose:	Purposes include recovery of threatened and endangered species, improving biodiversity, and enhancing carbon sequestration.	No changes.	Additional purpose: to conserve forest land that provides habitat for species described in section 502(b)(1) of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act
Eligibility:	The previous version did not clarify that it has to be forest land or private land returning to forest land.	No changes.	Land must be private forest land, or private land being restored to forest land that will increase the likelihood of recovery of a species that is listed as endangered or threatened, improves the well-being of a species that is not endangered or threatened but is a candidate for such designation, or is a special concern species, or is deemed a species of greatest conservation need by a state wildlife plan, or can provide habitat for these species described.
Enrollment Changes:	Only 60% of funding can be used for easements.	No changes.	No limitations on use of easements, and easements can now be enrolled by Indian tribes.
Practices:	Excluded collaborative restoration projects are 3,000 acres.	No changes.	Land management practices, vegetative treatments, structural practices and measures, and other practices and measures are now required to qualify as 'habitat-enhancing' for species restoration. Collaborative restoration practices now are up to 6,000 acres.
Funding:	Ends in 2018.	No changes.	Funded through 2023 at $12 million per year

 

TRIBAL FORESTRY PARTICIPATION & PROTECTION

	CURRENT LAW	SENATE BILL Proposed Changes	HOUSE BILL Proposed Changes
		S. 3042	H.R. 2, sec. 8401, 8402, 8403
Analyses:	No specific time limit on reviews.	No changes.	Land management agencies have 2 years to complete analyses/environmental reviews requested by Native American tribes.
Authority:	Tribes could not request authority to conduct forest management activities.	No changes.	Indian tribes may request authority to conduct forest management activities on federal land where they have a Tribal interest. Usually, this will be land that presents a feature or involves circumstances relevant to that tribe such as land ceded by treaty, federal forest land within the boundaries of a current or former reservation, or federal forest land adjudicated to be tribal homelands.
Requirements:	Tribes could not request authority to conduct forest management activities.	No changes.	a)The Indian tribe making the request must provide for continued public access to the federal forest land, b) continue sharing revenue generated by forest land with state and local governments on terms applicable to the  land prior to the agreement or at the option of the Indian tribe on terms agree upon by the Indian tribe and state and county governments participating in a revenue-sharing agreement for the federal forest land c) comply with applicable prohibitions on the export of unprocessed logs harvested from the federal forest land d) recognize right-of-way agreements in place on federal forest land prior to commencement of Tribal management activities e) ensure all commercial timber removed from federal forest land is sold on a competitive bid basis, f) cooperate with appropriate state fish and wildlife agencies to achieve mutual agreement on the management of fish and wildlife
Demonstration Projects:	N/A	No changes.	Indian tribes may be contracted to carry out demonstration projects at the request of the Secretary.

 

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR WOOD BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

	CURRENT LAW	SENATE BILL Proposed Changes	HOUSE BILL Proposed Changes
		S. 3042	H.R. 2, sec. 8501
General:	No specific time limit on reviews.	No changes.	The Secretary shall conduct performance-driven research and development, education, and technical assistance for the purpose of facilitating the use of innovative wood products in wood building construction.
Activities:	Tribes could not request authority to conduct forest management activities.	No changes.	1) conduct research and development education and technical assistance that meets measurable performance goals 2) make competitive grants to institutions of higher education to conduct research and development, education, and technical assistance that meets measurable performance goals
Priorities:	Tribes could not request authority to conduct forest management activities.	No changes.	1) ways to improve the commercialization of innovative wood products 2) analyze the safety of tall wood building materials 3) calculations by the Secretary of the life cycle environmental footprint, from extraction of raw materials through manufacturing the manufacturing process 4) analyzing methods to reduce the life cycle environmental footprint of tall wood building construction, 5) analyzing the potential implications of the use of innovative wood products in building construction on wildlife and 6) other research areas identified by the Secretary
Timeframe:	N/A	No changes.	Shall be completed within a 5 year period.

 

UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE RIGHTS-OF-WAY VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PILOT PROGRAM

	CURRENT LAW	SENATE BILL Proposed Changes	HOUSE BILL Proposed Changes
		S. 3042	H.R. 2, sec. 8501
General:	Program did not exist.	No changes.	To encourage owners or operators of rights-of-way on National Forest System land to partner with the Forest Service to voluntarily perform vegetation management on a proactive basis to better protect utility infrastructure from potential passing wildfires, the Secretary shall conduct a limited, voluntary pilot program, in the manner described in this section, to permit vegetation management projects on National Forest System land adjacent to or near such rights-of-way.
Activities:	Program did not exist.	No changes.	Vegetation management activities that (1) shall create the least amount of disturbance reasonably necessary to protect utility infrastructure from passing wildfires based on applicable models, including Forest Service fuel models; (2) may include thinning, fuel reduction, creation and treatment of shaded fuel breaks, and other measures as appropriate (3) shall only take place adjacent to the participant’s right-of-way or within 75 feet of the participant’s right-of-way;(4) shall not take place in any designated wilderness area, wilderness study area, or inventoried roadless area; and (5) shall be subject to approval by the Forest Service
Eligibility:	Program did not exist.	No changes.	Must have a right-of-way on National Forest System land. Priority given to holders of right-of-way who have worked with Forest Service fire scientists and used technologies to improve utility infrastructure protection prescriptions.
Costs:	Program did not exist.		Participant in pilot program is responsible for all costs unless the Secretary determines that it is in the public interest for the Forest Service to contribute funds. Participant is not liable for damage proximately caused by activities conducted pursuant to approved vegetation management plan unless activities are carried out in a grossly negligent or illegal manner
Timeframe:	Program did not exist.	No changes.	Shall be completed by 12/21/2027, and shall submit a report to Congress on the program no later than 12/31/2019 and every 2 years thereafter.

 

Miscellaneous Repealed Programs:

	CURRENT LAW	SENATE BILL Proposed Changes	HOUSE BILL Proposed Changes
		S. 3042, secs. 8201, 8202, 8301, 8404, 8406	H.R. 2, sec. 2203
Recycling Research:	Program is maintained	Section 9 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978 is repealed.	No changes.
Forestry Student Grant Program:	Program is maintained	Section 10 of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Research Act of 1978 is repealed.	No changes.
G CCPA:	Program is maintained	Section 2410 of the Global Climate Change Prevention Act is repealed	No changes.
Forestry Inventory:	Program is maintained	Section 8301, the Revision of Strategic Plan for Forest Inventory and Analysis is repealed.	No changes.
Biomass Commercial Utilization Grant Program:	Program is maintained	Section 8404, program is repealed.	No changes.
Insect and Disease Treatment Areas:	Program is maintained	Section 8406, program repealed, although Section 8405 authorizes appropriations to combat insect infections and related diseases
Forestry Inventory:	Program is maintained	Section 8301, the Revision of Strategic Plan for Forest Inventory and Analysis is repealed.	No changes.

 

Miscellaneous Re-authorized Programs:

	CURRENT LAW	SENATE BILL Proposed Changes	HOUSE BILL Proposed Changes
		S. 3042, secs. 8402, 8502, 8503, 8504, 8625	H.R. 2, secs. 8101, 8102, 8103, 8105, 8106, 8108
Semiarid Agroforestry:	Program ends in 2019	Semiarid Agroforestry Research Center is re-authorized through 2023, amends the Food, Agriculture, Conservation and Trade Act of 1990	No changes.
Nat'l Forest Foundation:	Program ends in 2018	Reauthorizes the National Forest Foundation at $3 mil annually through 2023	Reauthorizes the National Forest Foundation through 2023
Forest Service Admin sites:	Program ends in 2016	Conveyance of Forest Service Administrative sites are reauthorized through 2023.	No changes.
State Assessments and Strats:	Program ends in 2018	No changes.	Support for State Assessments and strategies for forest resources continues through 2023
Forest Legacy Program:	Program ends in 2019	No changes.	Support for Forest Legacy Program authorized at $35 mil per year through 2023
Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program:	Program ends in 2019	No changes.	Support for Community Forest Program authorized at $5 mil per year through 2023
Rural revitalization technologies	Program ends in 2018	No changes.	Rural Revitalization Technologies is reauthorized until 2023.
Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program:	Program ends in 2019	Program ends in 2023. Also increased from $40 million per year to $80 million.
Hazardous Fuel Reduction:	Program ends in 2018	Program continued annually at $660 million through 2023. Also, the Secretary shall prioritize the expenditure of hazardous fuels funding for projects within the wildland-urban interface.	No changes, but this is partially rolled into the State and Private Forest Landscape-Scale Restoration Program