H.R. 471 — Fix Our Forests Act

This section designates initial fireshed management areas for the five-year period beginning on the date of enactment, comprised of (1) high-risk landscape-scale firesheds identified in the Forest Service's January 2022 Wildfire Crisis Strategy and (2) the top 20 percent of the 7,688 firesheds published by the Forest Service's Rocky Mountain Research Station in 2019 based on wildfire exposure risks to communities (including life and structures), municipal watersheds (including tribal water supplies), and forest conversion risk. These areas, which may include federal, non-federal, and Indian forest or rangelands and do not overlap, are locations where the Secretary concerned must carry out fireshed management projects. It further requires the Secretary of Agriculture, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior, to submit an updated fireshed map to congressional committees every five years thereafter based on the Fireshed Registry under section 103 and, within 60 days, designate additional top-20-percent at-risk areas using the same criteria. Designations under this section are not subject to the National Environmental Policy Act.

This section establishes an interagency Fireshed Center, jointly led by the Secretary of Agriculture (through the Chief of the Forest Service) and the Secretary of the Interior (through the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey), to assess and predict wildland fire and smoke risks using data tools (including artificial intelligence); provide decision support for land and fuels management, community risk reduction (including community wildfire protection plans), public health (including air quality forecasting), fire response (including prepositioning assets), and post-fire recovery; aggregate and share data; reduce fragmentation across federal agencies; streamline procurement of related technologies; maintain the Fireshed Registry; and disseminate products to federal agencies, Indian Tribes, state and local governments, academic institutions, firefighting entities, and other experts. The Center comprises four divisions (Technology and Engineering; Data Services; Analysis and Prediction; Education and Consultation) and at least one career representative each from 15 specified federal entities (including the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Department of Defense, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), with a Director (from the Forest Service or U.S. Geological Survey, serving an initial term of up to 7 years and one additional term) appointed by majority vote of representatives, associate directors as needed, and additional representatives from other federal agencies, states, Indian Tribes, or local governments. The Center may enter memoranda of understanding, contracts, or agreements with non-federal partners and receive administrative support from the U.S. Geological Survey.

This section establishes a Fireshed Registry on a publicly accessible website, maintained by the Director of the Fireshed Center, that provides interactive geospatial data on individual firesheds (i.e., landscapes where fire risk and spread are analyzed similarly to watersheds for water). The registry includes (1) wildfire exposure by ownership, including utility rights-of-way; (2) hazardous fuels management activities conducted in the past 10 years; (3) risks to communities (life and structures), municipal watersheds (including tribal supplies), and forest conversion; (4) the percentage burned in the past 10 years (with high-severity delineations, to the extent practicable); (5) spatial patterns of exposure, including extreme fire events; and (6) planned fuels management, including fireshed projects. The section further requires the Director to make registry data available to communities developing or updating Community Wildfire Protection Plans; publish fireshed assessments created under section 105; and maintain a searchable database tracking (A) federal environmental reviews, permits, and authorizations for fireshed projects—including permitting timetables, agency compliance, modifications with explanations, and public meetings/hearings/comments in English and the predominant local language; (B) projected project costs; and (C) post-completion effectiveness in reducing specified wildfire exposures. (Thus, the registry supports fuels management planning, accelerates project approvals, and evaluates outcomes.) In implementing the registry, the Director may rely on existing assessments and partnerships, to the extent practicable.

This section requires the Secretary concerned to enter into a shared stewardship agreement (or similar agreement) with the governor of a state or an Indian Tribe, not later than 90 days after receiving a written request, to jointly (1) promote reduction of wildfire exposure—based on criteria in section 101(a)(1)(B)—in fireshed management areas across jurisdictional boundaries; and (2) conduct fireshed assessments under section 105. The section further authorizes the Secretary, if requested, to designate additional fireshed management areas under such an agreement and to update the agreement to address new wildfire threats.

This section requires the Secretary concerned and a Governor or Indian Tribe, not later than 90 days after entering an agreement under section 104, to jointly conduct fireshed assessments for designated fireshed management areas that (1) identify wildfire exposure risks and at-risk communities using best available science (including scenario planning, hazard mapping, and models); (2) identify potential fireshed management projects, prioritizing primarily those reducing wildfire exposure risks to communities (including life and structures), municipal watersheds (including tribal supplies), and forest conversion, and secondarily those protecting critical infrastructure, wildlife habitats (including Endangered Species Act-listed species), the built environment, and tribal resources; and (3) include strategies to reduce wildfire threats to wildland-urban interface communities and improve firefighting effectiveness (particularly fuels treatments for firefighter safety), implementation timelines, long-term benchmark goals for resilient landscapes, compliance policies using best available science, regular updates, and public availability on the Secretary's website. Local governments may participate upon written request. The Secretary may enter memoranda of understanding to integrate advanced technologies (e.g., remote sensing, geospatial tools, statistical modeling) and must incorporate, to the maximum extent practicable, traditional ecological knowledge, state forest action plans and wildfire risk assessments, Fireshed Registry data, and other government data. Fireshed assessments are not subject to NEPA requirements.

This section directs the Secretary concerned to carry out fireshed management projects—which encompass hazardous fuels management, fuel breaks, removal of hazard or dying trees, vegetation management plans, thinning for overstocking, insect/disease treatments, activities recommended by fireshed assessments or community wildfire protection plans, or combinations thereof—in fireshed management areas designated under section 101. This section applies specified Code of Federal Regulations emergency authorities to such projects; deems them authorized under existing categorical exclusions, including Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (HFRA) §§603(a), 605(a), and 606(b) (16 U.S.C. 6591b(a), 6591d(a), 6591e(b)); Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act §40806(b) (16 U.S.C. 6592b(b)); and Lake Tahoe Restoration Act §4(c)(4); applies Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act §40807(d) (16 U.S.C. 6592c(d)) for additional emergency actions; requires compliance with Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 amendments to the National Environmental Policy Act; and encourages use in combination with other authorities such as good neighbor agreements (16 U.S.C. 2113a, as amended), stewardship contracting (HFRA §604), and tribal agreements. (As background: HFRA categorical exclusions expedite forest thinning and fuels treatments without full environmental reviews to reduce wildfire risks on federal lands.) This section amends HFRA as follows: (1) adds definitions of "local government" (i.e., a county, municipality, or special district) and "special district" (i.e., a state political subdivision with budgetary autonomy for specific functions) to §3 (16 U.S.C. 6502); (2) increases maximum project sizes to 10,000 acres (from 3,000 acres) for insect- and disease-infested areas under §§603(c)(1) and 605(c)(1) (16 U.S.C. 6591b(c)(1), 6591d(c)(1)) and to 10,000 acres (from 4,500 acres) for wildland-urban interface projects under §606(g) (16 U.S.C. 6591e(g)); and (3) expands eligible fire regime groups to Fire Regime I, II, III, IV, or V (from Fire Regime Groups I, II, or III) under §603(c)(2)(B) (16 U.S.C. 6591b(c)(2)(B)). (Thus, these changes allow larger-scale and broader-scope expedited projects to address wildfire hazards.)

This section expands the good neighbor authority by adding Indian tribes and special districts—defined as state political subdivisions with significant budgetary autonomy created for specific governmental functions—as eligible partners alongside governors and counties to perform authorized restoration services (i.e., hazardous fuels reduction, insect and disease treatment, and other forest, rangeland, and watershed health improvements) on federal lands (excluding wilderness, wilderness study areas, and certain protected lands). (As background, the authority enables the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to enter agreements under which partners perform restoration work and retain revenue, such as from timber sales, to fund it.) It further revises revenue retention and use provisions by (1) authorizing partners to use retained funds to construct new permanent roads on federal lands necessary for restoration (approved via environmental analysis or categorical exclusion), to replace and decommission existing permanent roads adversely impacting resources, and for other authorized restoration services and program administration; (2) extending the authority through 2030 (from 2028); and (3) striking a prior paragraph limiting revenue uses. The amendments apply to projects initiated pursuant to good neighbor agreements since the 2018 farm bill or after enactment of this Act.

This section amends the stewardship contracting authority for the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management—under which the agencies may enter into agreements or contracts with private or public entities for land management services (e.g., road maintenance, prescribed fire, vegetation removal to reduce fire hazards, watershed restoration) offset by the value of removed timber or forest products—by (1) expanding authorized project purposes to include retaining and expanding existing forest products infrastructure; (2) increasing the maximum contract term to 20 years (from 10 years); and (3) requiring a 10% payment of the contract amount to the counterparty as cancellation or termination costs for long-term contracts (i.e., those exceeding five years and entered into on or after enactment).

This section establishes intra-agency strike teams within the relevant federal land management agencies (Secretaries concerned) to assist with (1) environmental reviews and consultations under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA), and Endangered Species Act (ESA), with the intent to accelerate and streamline interagency processes; (2) site preparation work ahead of or during fireshed management projects; and (3) implementation of such projects. The teams may include up to 10 members consisting of agency employees, employees from other federal agencies (with consent), private contractors, and volunteers from nonprofits, state or local governments, Indian Tribes, quasi-governmental agencies, academic institutions, or private organizations. The authority terminates 7 years after enactment.

This section amends section 14(d) of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 to (1) increase from $10,000 to $55,000 the appraised value threshold below which the Secretary of Agriculture need not advertise National Forest System timber sales (with annual adjustments for changes in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers beginning January 1, 2027); and (2) require the Secretary, beginning 30 days after enactment, to solicit bids under such timber sale authorities for fireshed management projects authorized under section 106 of this Act.

This section amends the Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership program—under which the Secretary of Agriculture coordinates Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service activities across National Forest System, state, tribal, and private lands to improve forest health and resilience—by (1) expanding eligible activities to include wildfire recovery and enhancement of soil, water, and related natural resources; (2) revising evaluation criteria for project proposals to prioritize reduction of wildfire risk and post-wildfire impacts in municipal watersheds or the wildland-urban interface, and alignment of wildlife habitat improvements with state forest action plans or similar priority plans (e.g., state wildlife or water plans); (3) requiring reports to Congress for FY2022 and FY2023 and at least once every two fiscal years thereafter; and (4) extending program authorization through FY2030 (from FY2022 and FY2023).

This section revises the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP)—which authorizes the Forest Service to select and fund collaborative proposals for landscape-scale projects on National Forest System lands to restore forest health, reduce wildfire risks, and improve watersheds, among other purposes—by (1) expanding selection criteria in subsection (b)(3) to include addressing species or pathogens and standardized monitoring questions and indicators; (2) requiring proposals under subsection (c)(3)(A) to include plans supporting collaboratives established under subsection (b)(2); (3) adding to subsection (d)(2) priority criteria for proposals that (A) use innovative mechanisms including good neighbor agreements under 16 U.S.C. 2113a, (B) remove or treat insects or diseases such as bark beetles in specified western states, (C) facilitate sales of firewood and Christmas trees, (D) reduce uncharacteristic wildfire risks or increase restoration across land ownerships (including in the wildland-urban interface), and (E) enhance watershed health and drinking water sources; (4) limiting funding in subsection (d)(3) to 4 proposals per National Forest System region per fiscal year; and (5) reauthorizing the program through 2030 (from 2023).

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service and in coordination with holders of grazing permits on federal lands, to develop a strategy to increase opportunities to utilize livestock grazing as a wildfire risk reduction measure. The strategy must include (1) completion of National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) reviews to permit grazing on vacant allotments during droughts, wildfires, or other natural disasters disrupting permitted allotments; (2) targeted grazing (i.e., livestock use for specific vegetation management); (3) increased use of temporary permits for targeted fuels reduction and invasive annual grass control; (4) increased use of grazing for postfire recovery and restoration where appropriate; and (5) use of all applicable legal authorities.

This section revises the Water Source Protection Program under the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (i.e., collaborative projects between the Forest Service and municipal or other water users to protect and restore National Forest watersheds that supply drinking or agricultural water). Specifically, it (1) adds a definition of "adjacent land" (i.e., non-Federal land in the same watershed as the relevant National Forest System land) and expands the list of eligible collaborators to include acequia associations, entities managing stormwater or wastewater, land-grant mercedes, and private water delivery entities; (2) specifies project requirements to protect watershed health, water supply and quality, water infrastructure, and forest health from insects, disease, or wildfire; establishes selection priorities for projects addressing risks such as drought, wildfire, flooding, and climate change, supporting aquatic restoration, or using nature-based solutions like wetland restoration; and conditions projects on adjacent land to require landowner consent as a willing partner without altering ownership or management; (3) authorizes collaborative agreements, including good neighbor agreements, to protect watersheds and adjacent lands benefiting end water users or others, and directs cooperation with non-Federal partners on assessments and implementation; (4) requires water source management plans to restore ecological integrity using best available science and consistent with applicable forest plans, and allows use of existing watershed plans to reduce redundancy; and (5) revises authorized project purposes to align with the new requirements in subsection (b)(2).

This section limits judicial review of covered agency actions for fireshed management projects (i.e., actions establishing, documenting under NEPA, or otherwise implementing such projects) as follows: (1) prohibits courts from enjoining such actions unless the plaintiff demonstrates likely success on the merits; (2) requires courts considering injunctions to balance short- and long-term ecosystem effects of undertaking versus not undertaking the action; (3) bars courts from holding unlawful, vacating, or enjoining such actions unless they pose a risk of proximate and substantial environmental harm with no other equitable remedy available, otherwise limiting remedies to remand for agency correction within 180 days (during which the agency may continue the action and issue simple corrections such as errata sheets); and (4) bars claims unless filed within 120 days of relevant notice or publication, by a party that participated in public comments with sufficiently detailed comments on the issue raised. This section defines "covered agency action" and "agency document" (i.e., record of decision, environmental document, or programmatic environmental document) for these purposes, incorporating NEPA terms such as categorical exclusion and environmental document (per 42 U.S.C. 4336e). (Thus, these reforms expedite NEPA-related wildfire risk reduction projects by curbing litigation delays.)

This section prohibits reinitiation of consultation under section 7(a)(2) of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1536(a)(2)) or 50 C.F.R. 402.16 (or successor regulation) on (1) Forest Service land management plans approved, amended, or revised under the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (16 U.S.C. 1604), and (2) Bureau of Land Management land use plans approved, amended, or revised under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1712), when a new species is listed or critical habitat is designated under the Endangered Species Act or new information reveals previously unconsidered effects of the plan on listed species or critical habitat. (Thus, these programmatic plans guiding project-level decisions on approximately 440 million acres of national forest system lands and 245 million acres of BLM public lands are categorically exempt from reconsultation triggered by new listings, designations, or information.)

This section establishes a program, not later than two years after enactment and subject to appropriations, for the covered Secretaries to partner with eligible entities on biochar demonstration projects in each Forest Service region and Bureau of Land Management region, to the maximum extent practicable. The program prioritizes projects that create jobs (particularly in rural areas), demonstrate innovative uses or restorative benefits of biochar, or are located in high-wildfire-risk or feedstock-rich areas; authorizes uses including feedstock testing, production unit development, facility construction, and market demonstrations; requires at least 50% of feedstocks from National Forest System or public lands; directs research on biochar effects (e.g., on forest health, carbon sequestration, agriculture, grazing, and remediation); limits funding for new facilities to 35% of capital costs; and requires data sharing with grant recipients under subsection (b). This section further directs the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Energy, to establish or expand a competitive grant program for eligible institutions to conduct applied research on biochar effects on forest health and resiliency (accounting for variations in biochar, soil, climate, and other factors).

This section requires the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior (Secretary concerned) to include in materials supporting the President's annual budget submission under 31 U.S.C. §1105(a)—beginning with the first fiscal year after enactment and each fiscal year thereafter—a report on acres of federal lands where hazardous fuels reduction activities (i.e., vegetation management to reduce wildfire risk, including mechanical treatments, grazing, and prescribed burning) were completed in the preceding fiscal year. (Thus, the report counts each completed acre once regardless of multiple activities; specifies wildland-urban interface location, wildfire risk level (high, moderate, or low) at period start and end, activity type (in wildfire managed for resource benefits or planned project), cost per acre, region or system unit, and effectiveness in reducing wildfire risk; and must be posted publicly on department websites.) This section further directs the Secretary concerned to implement, not later than 90 days after enactment, standardized procedures for tracking such activities—including data reviews and verification, effectiveness analysis, and wildland-urban interface delineation—and to report those procedures and related recommendations to Congress not later than two weeks thereafter. This section requires the Government Accountability Office, not later than two years after enactment, to study implementation of these requirements, including reporting and data limitations, and report results to Congress. No additional funds are authorized for these requirements.

This section establishes a public-private deployment and demonstration pilot program (Pilot Program) for new and innovative wildfire prevention, detection, communication, and mitigation technologies, to be established by the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, in coordination with specified covered agencies (i.e., federal land management agencies, NOAA, USFA, FEMA, NASA, BIA, DOD, certain state/local fire entities, and other federal wildfire response agencies), not later than 1 year after enactment of this Act. In implementing the Pilot Program, the Secretaries must (1) incorporate it into the National Wildfire Coordinating Group; (2) identify and advance key technology priority areas, including hazardous fuels reduction, dispatch communications, remote sensing/detection/tracking, safety equipment, common operating pictures/operational dashboards, and interoperable commercial data; and (3) connect selected covered entities (i.e., private entities, nonprofits, or institutions of higher education) with appropriate covered agencies for real-time testing during wildland fire mitigation and training. The Secretaries must prioritize covered entities that have participated in NOAA's Fire Weather Testbed or are developing emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum sensing/computing, thermal mid-wave infrared low-earth orbit satellites, augmented reality, 5G private networks, and device-to-device nomadic mesh networks; conduct public outreach on priority areas to solicit applications; and submit annual reports to specified congressional committees through the Pilot Program's duration, detailing participating entities, deployed technologies, acquisition costs, outreach, technology assessments/recommendations, and coordination with NOAA activities. The authority for the Pilot Program terminates 7 years after enactment.

This section directs the Comptroller General of the United States to conduct a study, not later than three years after enactment, evaluating (1) the effectiveness of Forest Service wildland firefighting operations; (2) transparency and accountability measures in the Forest Service's budget and accounting process; and (3) the suitability and feasibility of establishing a new federal agency responsible for responding to and suppressing wildland fires on federal lands; and to submit to Congress a report describing the results.

This section directs the Chief of the Forest Service, not later than 5 years after enactment, to conduct a study evaluating (1) potential locations for a Western headquarters in at least three states west of the Mississippi River and (2) potential benefits of such a headquarters, including improvements to customer service, employee recruitment and retention, and operational efficiencies and cost savings; and to submit to Congress a report describing the results.

This section directs the Secretary, to the greatest extent practicable and subject to available appropriations, to (1) ensure forest plans for units of the National Forest System comply with the 15-year revision requirement of 16 U.S.C. 1604(f)(5)(A) and (2) prioritize revising noncompliant plans. The section further clarifies that failure to revise a plan within 15 years does not alone constitute a violation of that requirement; requires submission to congressional committees, not later than 120 days after enactment, of the most recent revision, amendment, or modification date for each forest plan; directs publication of a complete new version of any court-ordered amended, revised, or modified forest plan within 60 days (subject to appropriations); and requires maintenance of a central public website linking to such plans and the most recent monitoring report for each National Forest System unit. Additionally, if the Secretary fails to act expeditiously and in good faith within available funding, these provisions are void for that plan and a court may order its accelerated completion; and the Secretary must submit an implementation report to congressional committees within one year of enactment.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the National Interagency Aviation Committee and the Interagency Airtanker Board, to jointly (1) evaluate the Container Aerial Firefighting System (CAFFS) for use in mitigating and suppressing wildfires within 90 days of enactment and (2) submit a report on the evaluation to the relevant congressional committees within 120 days of enactment.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, to conduct a study on the causes, effects, and solutions for pine beetle infestation in the Northeastern United States and to submit a report on the study to the relevant congressional committees not later than one year after enactment of this Act.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, in special use permits or easements on National Forest System lands provided to electrical utilities, to permit the cutting and removal of trees or other vegetation near distribution or transmission lines without a separate timber sale, if consistent with the applicable land and resource management plan and other environmental laws. Such permits or easements must require the utility to provide the Forest Service with proceeds from any sale of the removed material, less transportation costs. This section specifies that the removed material need not be sold.

This section establishes the White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition as a voluntary group of Federal, State, Tribal, local governments, and private and nongovernmental organizations to coordinate restoration of white oak across the United States and to make policy and program recommendations on (1) revising policies impeding white oak health, resiliency, and regeneration; (2) adopting policies to increase regeneration and resiliency; (3) enhancing cross-boundary coordination among landowners; (4) addressing research gaps; (5) conducting outreach to landowners; and (6) improving white oak availability in nurseries. The section directs the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to provide administrative support, technical services, and staff to the coalition. The section authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to transfer funds from the Commodity Credit Corporation account for conservation technical assistance (16 U.S.C. 3841(f)), subject to appropriations, to support coalition activities.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, to establish and carry out five pilot projects in national forests to restore white oak through restoration and natural regeneration practices consistent with applicable forest management plans. At least three projects must occur on national forests reserved or withdrawn from the public domain, and the Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements for implementation. The authority sunsets seven years after enactment.

This section directs the Secretary of the Interior to assess land under department jurisdiction—including fish and wildlife refuges and abandoned mine lands—for white oak presence and restoration potential, using information from external sources such as the White Oak Initiative and Forest Service as needed, and to submit a report to Congress within 90 days of enactment. After report submission, the section requires the Secretary to carry out 5 pilot projects on such lands to restore and naturally regenerate white oak and authorizes cooperative agreements to implement the pilots. The authority sunsets 7 years after enactment.

This section establishes a non-regulatory White Oak and Upland Oak Habitat Regeneration Program, to be administered by the Secretary of Agriculture acting through the Chief of the Forest Service not later than 180 days after enactment of this Act. The program requires the Secretary to (1) identify, prioritize, and implement science-based restoration activities for white oak species; (2) collaborate with the White Oak Restoration Initiative Coalition; (3) adopt a restoration strategy emphasizing cost-effective projects with measurable results and no net increase in federal full-time equivalent employees; and (4) consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and relevant state governors. The program's purposes include coordinating restoration among federal, state, local, Tribal, and private entities; regenerating white oak forests and wildlife habitat; enhancing resilience to climate change; public engagement; and building scientific capacity for monitoring and research. This section further directs the Secretary to establish a voluntary grant and technical assistance program, to be managed via cooperative agreement by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)—a congressionally chartered nonprofit that administers conservation grants—which shall receive advance payments of appropriated funds annually on October 1 (or soon thereafter), subject to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act except its appropriations and matching provisions (16 U.S.C. 3709(a)). The program's authority terminates 7 years after enactment.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, to develop and implement, not later than one year after enactment, a national strategy to increase the capacity of federal, state, tribal, and private tree nurseries to address nationwide tree seedling shortages. The strategy must be based on best available science and data; identify and address (1) regional shortages of bareroot and container tree seedlings, (2) regional reforestation opportunities and required seedling supply, (3) opportunities to enhance seedling diversity and seed inventory gaps, and (4) barriers to expanding, enhancing, or creating nursery infrastructure; and be coordinated with the Forest Service's national reforestation strategy and each regional National Forest implementation plan.

This section authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to enter into a memorandum of understanding with an Indian tribe or institution, including a covered land-grant college (i.e., 1862 Institution, 1890 Institution, or 1994 Institution), to collaboratively conduct research on white oak trees, including (1) genes with resistance or tolerance to stress, (2) trees exhibiting vigor for survival and growth, (3) establishing a genetically diverse seed bank, (4) sustainable supply of seedlings and genetic resources, (5) aligning seed sources with future climate at planting sites, (6) reforestation through natural and artificial regeneration, (7) retaining and increasing white oak in forests, (8) reforesting abandoned mine land sites, and (9) economic and social aspects of management across land ownerships. The collaborating entity may consult with states, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and other scientific bodies as appropriate. This authority terminates 7 years after enactment.

This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service and in coordination with the Chief of the Forest Service, to establish a formal white oak initiative to (1) re-establish white oak forests where appropriate; (2) improve management of existing white oak forests to foster natural regeneration; (3) provide technical assistance to private landowners to re-establish, improve management of, and naturally regenerate white oak; (4) improve and expand white oak nursery stock; and (5) adapt and improve white oak seedlings. The authority under this section sunsets 7 years after enactment.

This section directs the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior, to the maximum extent practicable, to use the authorities provided under this title in combination with other authorities—including good neighbor agreements under section 8206 of the Agricultural Act of 2014 (16 U.S.C. 2113) (i.e., agreements authorizing the Forest Service to partner with state foresters or Indian tribes for authorized restoration on National Forest System lands) and stewardship contracting projects under section 604 of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 (16 U.S.C. 6591) (i.e., contracts authorizing retention of timber sale receipts for restoration services), both as amended by this Act—to carry out projects.