S. 2643 — Seedlings for Sustainable Habitat Restoration Act of 2025

This section authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, under the ecosystem restoration authorities of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (16 U.S.C. 6592a)—which authorize $2,130,000,000 for FY2022 through 2026 for activities including restoration contracts on at least 10,000 acres of federal land, good neighbor agreements with states and tribes, byproduct processing assistance, and Interior Department grants—to enter into contracts, grants, or agreements with state forestry agencies, local private or nonprofit entities, institutions of higher education, Indian Tribes, and multistate coalitions for (1) collection and maintenance of native seeds, including from managed seed orchards, and (2) production of seedlings for revegetation. It also expands the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (16 U.S.C. 7303)—which supports science-based restoration of fire-prone forest landscapes across multiple ownerships—to authorize challenge cost-share agreements for native seed collection/maintenance for revegetation and seedling production, and adds institutions of higher education to the list of eligible partners (previously limited to states, nonprofits, tribes, and others).