H.R. 5263, The Forest Landscape Restoration Act

• This item is from the 110th Congress (2007-2008) and is no longer current. Comments, voting, and wiki editing have been disabled, and the cost/savings estimate has been frozen.

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H.R. 5263 would encourage the collaborative, science-based ecosystem restoration of priority forest landscapes on Federal lands under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service through a joint Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program.

Detailed Summary

Forest Landscape Restoration Act - Directs the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture to establish a Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program to select and fund ecological restoration treatments for priority forest landscapes.

Sets forth provisions concerning the eligibility criteria for, and nomination and selection of, collaborative forest landscape restoration proposals for carrying out such treatments.

Requires the Secretaries to establish a scientific advisory panel to evaluate, and provide recommendations on, any proposal with respect to: (1) the strength of the ecological case of the proposal for landscape restoration and the proposed restoration strategies; and (2) whether the proposal is likely to achieve reductions in long-term wildfire management costs.

Authorizes the Secretaries to establish a technical advisory panel to evaluate, and provide recommendations on, any proposal with respect to whether the proposal is likely to reduce the relative costs of carrying out treatments resulting from the use of woody biomass and small-diameter trees and to provide local economic benefit.

Establishes the Collaborative Forest Landscape Fund, to be used for paying up to 50% of the cost of carrying out ecological restoration treatments on Bureau of Land Management and National Forest System lands for each proposal selected.

Requires the: (1) creation of implementation work plans and budgets to implement proposals; (2) submission of annual reports on the accomplishments of selected proposals; (3) use of a multiparty monitoring, evaluation, and accountability process to assess the ecological, social, and economic effects of projects implementing proposals; and (4) submission of reports every five years on the Program.

Status of the Legislation

Latest Major Action: 4/25/2008: Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry.

Points in Favor

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Points Against

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