Good Neighbor Forestry Act

Good Neighbor Forestry Act - Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture (USDA), with respect to National Forest System land, and the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land, to enter into a good neighbor agreement (a cooperative agreement or contract, including a sole source contract) with a governor of a state to coordinate the procurement and implementation of authorized restoration services.

Defines "authorized restoration services" as similar and complementary forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration services carried out on federal land and non-federal land by either the Secretary concerned or a governor pursuant to a good neighbor agreement.

Requires the Secretaries to make good neighbor agreements available to the public.

Makes certain National Forest System timber sales requirements of the National Forest Management Act of 1976 inapplicable to services performed under a cooperative agreement or contract entered into under this Act.

Requires the Secretaries to provide or approve all silviculture prescriptions and marking guides to be applied on federal land in all timber sale projects conducted under this Act.

Prohibits delegation to a governor of any decision required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) with respect to any authorized restoration services to be provided on federal land.

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 327 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 327

  To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the 
  Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with State foresters 
 authorizing State foresters to provide certain forest, rangeland, and 
             watershed restoration and protection services.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 14, 2013

Mr. Barrasso (for himself, Mr. Enzi, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Lee, Mr. Johnson of 
  South Dakota, Mr. Thune, and Mr. Udall of Colorado) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                      Energy and Natural Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To authorize the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the 
  Interior to enter into cooperative agreements with State foresters 
 authorizing State foresters to provide certain forest, rangeland, and 
             watershed restoration and protection services.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Good Neighbor Forestry Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Eligible state.--The term ``eligible State'' means a 
        State that contains National Forest System land or Bureau of 
        Land Management land located west of the 100th meridian.
            (2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means--
                    (A) the Secretary of Agriculture, with respect to 
                National Forest System land; or
                    (B) the Secretary of the Interior, with respect to 
                Bureau of Land Management land.
            (3) State forester.--The term ``State forester'' means the 
        head of a State agency with jurisdiction over State forestry 
        programs in an eligible State.

SEC. 3. COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS AND CONTRACTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary may enter into a cooperative 
agreement or contract (including a sole source contract) with a State 
forester to authorize the State forester to provide the forest, 
rangeland, and watershed restoration and protection services described 
in subsection (b) on National Forest System land or Bureau of Land 
Management land, as applicable, in the eligible State.
    (b) Authorized Services.--The forest, rangeland, and watershed 
restoration and protection services referred to in subsection (a) 
include the conduct of--
            (1) activities to treat insect-infected trees;
            (2) activities to reduce hazardous fuels; and
            (3) any other activities to restore or improve forest, 
        rangeland, and watershed health, including fish and wildlife 
        habitat.
    (c) State as Agent.--Except as provided in subsection (f), a 
cooperative agreement or contract entered into under subsection (a) may 
authorize the State forester to serve as the agent for the Secretary in 
providing the restoration and protection services authorized under 
subsection (a).
    (d) Subcontracts.--In accordance with applicable contract 
procedures for the eligible State, a State forester may enter into 
subcontracts to provide the restoration and protection services 
authorized under a cooperative agreement or contract entered into under 
subsection (a).
    (e) Timber Sales.--Subsections (d) and (g) of section 14 of the 
National Forest Management Act of 1976 (16 U.S.C. 472a) shall not apply 
to services performed under a cooperative agreement or contract entered 
into under subsection (a).
    (f) Retention of NEPA Responsibilities.--Any decision required to 
be made under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 
4321 et seq.) with respect to any restoration and protection services 
to be provided under this Act by a State forester on National Forest 
System land or Bureau of Land Management land, as applicable, shall not 
be delegated to a State forester or any other officer or employee of 
the eligible State.
    (g) Applicable Law.--The restoration and protection services to be 
provided under this Act shall be carried out on a project-to-project 
basis under existing authorities of the Forest Service or Bureau of 
Land Management, as applicable.
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