§2. Nursery and seed orchard support
This section directs the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, to partner with federal and state agencies, Indian Tribes, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, and private nurseries to support nursery and tree establishment programs through training, technical assistance, research, information sharing, international collaboration, workforce development, supply chain expansion, and expedited seed collection permits on National Forest System lands. The section establishes a grant program, to be implemented not later than two years after enactment, to provide funding to state forestry agencies, Indian Tribes, and qualified private nurseries for nursery and seed orchard infrastructure, seed collection and storage, seedling production, quality control, workforce development, and related activities. The section further authorizes the Secretary to obligate up to $5 million per fiscal year from unobligated amounts in the Reforestation Trust Fund—established under 16 U.S.C. 1606a(a) and funded by tariffs on wood products (i.e., Harmonized Tariff Schedule headings 4401–4412 and specified subheadings in chapters 44, 68, and 96)—to carry out these provisions, notwithstanding restrictions in current law (16 U.S.C. 1606a(d)). (As background, the Reforestation Trust Fund supports reforestation, natural regeneration, and related activities on National Forest System lands.)