“A bill to reauthorize the Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership program, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section revises the Joint Chiefs Landscape Restoration Partnership program, which coordinates Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service activities to improve forest landscape health and resilience across National Forest System lands and state, tribal, and private lands, as follows: (1) expands eligible activities to include recovery from wildfires and enhancement of soil, water, and related natural resources (in addition to reducing wildfire risk, protecting water quality and supply, and improving at-risk species habitat); (2) requires the Chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service, in carrying out the program, to consider Forest Service management plans and collaborate with the Forest Service using best available science on forestry practices; (3) modifies evaluation criteria for project proposals to include reductions in post-wildfire impacts (in addition to wildfire risk) in municipal watersheds or wildland-urban interfaces and alignment with state forest action plans or similar priority plans (e.g., state wildlife or water plans); (4) revises the specification that program activities are not conducted inconsistently with the Forest Service roadless area conservation rule (66 Fed. Reg. 3244 (Jan. 12, 2001)) and related regulations at 36 C.F.R. pts. 294, subpts. C and D; and (5) extends applicable authorizations through 2029 (from 2023).