Haiti and Armenia Reforestation Act of 2018
This bill authorizes the President to provide certain financial assistance to, and establish grant and pilot programs for, the governments of Haiti and Armenia to address deforestation in their countries.
[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6503 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6503
To authorize the President to provide assistance to the Governments of
Haiti and Armenia to reverse the effects of deforestation, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 25, 2018
Ms. Clark of Massachusetts introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the President to provide assistance to the Governments of
Haiti and Armenia to reverse the effects of deforestation, and for
other purposes.
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 ``Haiti and Armenia Reforestation Act
of 2018''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.
(a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
(1) the established policy of the Federal Government is to
support and seek the protection of forests around the world,
which provide a wide range of benefits by--
(A) harboring a major portion of the biological and
terrestrial resources of Earth;
(B) providing habitats for almost \2/3\ of all
species on Earth, including species essential to
medical research and agricultural productivity;
(C) contributing to the livelihood of more than
1,600,000,000 people through access to food, fresh
water, clothing, traditional medicines, and shelter;
(D) ensuring environmental services, such as
biodiversity, water conservation, soil enrichment,
water supply management, and climate regulation; and
(E) absorbing and storing carbon dioxide, as
deforestation accounts for approximately 12 percent of
the global anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions that
contribute to global warming;
(2) while forests cover a little less than \1/3\ of the
land area on Earth, approximately 85 percent of Earth's
original primary forests have been destroyed, degraded, or
fragmented;
(3) in Haiti--
(A) the destruction of forests began centuries ago,
when 17th century colonists cut down trees for lumber,
fuel, and furniture;
(B) the 18th century plantation economy resulted in
hillsides near towns being stripped of trees;
(C) after gaining independence, deforestation
continued as Haiti rebuilt its local economy by growing
coffee and exporting timber;
(D) in 1923, more than 60 percent of the land was
forested, but by the 1940s and 1950s deforestation was
accelerating as an increasing population put more
pressure on forests;
(E) in recent years, urbanization has expanded
exponentially and growing cities have depended on
charcoal produced by cutting down trees in the
countryside;
(F) poor forestry and land use policies by the
Government of Haiti has exacerbated deforestation, and
by 2014, forest cover had decreased to approximately 9
to 11 percent of the country; and
(G) between 2000 and 2016, 5,430 hectares of forest
cover were lost, equal to 6.3 percent of Haiti's tree
cover;
(4) in Armenia--
(A) while archeological data indicated that
approximately 35 percent of the country was originally
forested--
(i) less than 12 percent of the country was
covered in forest in 1990; and
(ii) less than 6 percent of the country was
covered in forest by 2016; and
(B) in August, 2017, a fire caused significant
damage to the Khosrov Forest, which is among the
world's oldest protected areas, engulfing more than
2,733 hectares in flames and causing substantial harm
to hundreds of unique plant species;
(5) economic pressures, resulting from more than 60 percent
of the population of Haiti living below the poverty line and
29.8 percent of the population of Armenia living below the
poverty line--
(A) are factors contributing to the deforestation
of Haiti and Armenia; and
(B) are manifested particularly through the cutting
of areas of forest for conversion to agricultural and
commercial uses, where wood and charcoal produced from
cutting down trees accounts for a major supply toward
Haiti's and Armenia's energy sectors;
(6) forests provide cover to soften the effect of heavy
rains and reduce erosion by anchoring the soil with tree roots;
(7) a significant effect of the deforestation in Haiti and
Armenia is soil erosion, which has--
(A) lowered the productivity on the land due to the
leaching of nutrients in topsoils;
(B) worsened the severity of droughts and the
effects of landslides and floods;
(C) led to further deforestation due to slash and
burn practices when eroded areas are no longer
productive;
(D) increased the pressure on the remaining land
and trees in Haiti and Armenia; and
(E) significantly decreased water quality and the
quantity of freshwater and clean drinking water
available to populations;
(8) research strongly suggests that deforestation increases
the risk of infectious diseases, including malaria, dengue
fever, SARS, Ebola, Hantavirus, and Zika--
(A) by depriving insect and animal carriers of
habitat; and
(B) by directly increasing their rate of exposure
to human populations who are susceptible to zoonotic
pathogens;
(9) both Haiti and Armenia have faced natural disasters in
recent years, the effects of which have been exacerbated by
deforestation, such as--
(A) flooding in Armenia that has swept away or
damaged thousands of homes, schools, health clinics,
and other institutions, partly because of damage to
forests through illegal logging, landslides, and soil
erosion;
(B) hurricanes in Haiti that have killed thousands
and displaced hundreds of thousands more, partly
because the clearing of large hillsides enabled
rainwater to run off directly into settlements located
at the bottom of slopes, causing severe flooding; and
(C) the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, which
destroyed much of the infrastructure of Port-au-Prince,
reduced hillside stability and increased the likelihood
of mudslides, soil erosion, and flooding factors, which
negatively impacted the water supply and heightened
concerns for the spread of waterborne diseases;
(10) economic benefits for local communities from
sustainable uses of forests are critical for the long-term
sustainable management of forests in Haiti and Armenia;
(11) for fiscal years 2015, 2017, and 2018, Congress
appropriated funding for market-based reforestation programs in
Haiti which have resulted in successful agroforestry
activities, increasing crop production and profit, as well as
tree cover; and
(12) reforestation efforts would provide new sources of
jobs, income, and investments in Haiti and Armenia by--
(A) providing employment opportunities in tree
seedling programs, contract tree planting and
management, sustainable agricultural initiatives,
sustainable and managed timber harvesting, and wood
products milling and finishing services; and
(B) enhancing community enterprises that generate
income through the trading of sustainable forest
resources, many of which exist on small scales.
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to provide assistance to
the Government of Haiti and the Government of Armenia to develop and
implement, or improve, nationally appropriate policies and actions--
(1) to reduce deforestation and forest degradation, and
improve forest management and natural regeneration;
(2) to increase annual rates of afforestation and
reforestation in a sustainable, measurable, reportable, and
verifiable manner;
(3) to restore social and economic conditions for the
environmental recovery of the forest cover of Haiti and Armenia
to at least 7 percent of total land mass in Haiti and 12
percent of total land mass in Armenia (as determined under
section 302(a)) not later than 10 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act; and
(4) to improve sustainable resource management at the
watershed level.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Afforestation.--The term ``afforestation''--
(A) means the establishment of a new forest through
the planting of trees on a parcel of land not
previously forested; and
(B) includes--
(i) the introduction of a tree species to a
parcel of nonforested land in which the species
is not a native species; and
(ii) the increase of tree cover through
plantations.
(2) Agroforestry.--
(A) In general.--The term ``agroforestry'' means
systems in which perennial trees or shrubs--
(i) are integrated with crops or livestock;
and
(ii) constitute a minimum 10 percent of
ground cover.
(B) Inclusion.--Actual forest cover resulting from
agroforestry programs may be counted toward the total
forest cover goal set forth in section 2(b)(3).
(3) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term
``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
(A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the
Senate;
(B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
(C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House
of Representatives; and
(D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives.
(4) Deforestation.--The term ``deforestation'' means--
(A) the conversion of forest to another land use;
or
(B) the long-term reduction of the tree canopy.
(5) Forest.--The term ``forest''--
(A) except as provided in subparagraph (B), means a
terrestrial ecosystem containing native tree species
generated and maintained primarily through natural
ecological and evolutionary processes, which spans more
than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a
canopy cover of more than 10 percent or trees able to
reach these thresholds in situ; and
(B) does not include--
(i) plantations, such as crops of trees
planted primarily by humans for the purposes of
harvesting; or
(ii) land that is predominantly under
agricultural or urban land use.
(6) Reforestation.--The term ``reforestation''--
(A) means the establishment of forest on lands that
were previously considered as forest, but which have
been deforested; and
(B) includes the increase of tree cover through
plantations.
TITLE I--FORESTATION AND WATERSHED MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE TO THE
GOVERNMENT OF HAITI AND THE GOVERNMENT OF ARMENIA
SEC. 101. FORESTATION ASSISTANCE.
(a) Authority.--
(1) In general.--In accordance with section 118 of the
Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151p-1) and
consistent with paragraph (2), the President is authorized to
provide financial assistance, technology transfers, or
capacity-building assistance to the Government of Haiti and to
the Government of Armenia for activities to develop and
implement 1 or more forestation proposals described in
paragraph (2)--
(A) to reduce the deforestation of Haiti or
Armenia; and
(B) to increase the rates of afforestation and
reforestation in Haiti or Armenia.
(2) Proposals.--
(A) In general.--Assistance may be provided under
this section to the Government of Haiti and to the
Government of Armenia to implement 1 or more proposals
submitted by either country that contain--
(i) a description of each policy and
initiative to be carried out with such
assistance;
(ii) adequate documentation to ensure, as
determined by the President, that--
(I) each policy and initiative--
(aa) will be carried out
and managed in accordance with
widely accepted,
environmentally sustainable
forestry and agricultural
practices; and
(bb) will be designed and
implemented in a manner that
improves the governance of
forests by building local
capacity to be transparent,
inclusive, accountable, and
coordinated in decision-making
processes and the
implementation of the policy or
initiative; and
(II) the proposals will further
establish and enforce legal regimes,
standards, and safeguards designed to
ensure that members of local
communities in affected areas, as
partners and primary stakeholders, will
be engaged in the design, planning,
implementation, monitoring, and
evaluation of the policies and
initiatives; and
(iii) a description of how the proposal
supports and aids forest restoration efforts in
accordance with the purpose set forth in
section 2(b).
(B) Determination of compatibility with certain
programs.--In evaluating each proposal submitted under
subparagraph (A), the President shall ensure that each
policy and initiative described in such proposal is
compatible with--
(i) broader development, poverty
alleviation, sustainable energy usage, and
natural resource conservation objectives and
initiatives in Haiti or in Armenia;
(ii) the development, poverty alleviation,
disaster risk management, and climate
resilience programs of the United States Agency
for International Development, including
program involving technical support from the
United States Forest Service; and
(iii) activities of international
organizations and multilateral development
banks.
(b) Eligible Activities.--Any assistance received by the Government
of Haiti or by the Government of Armenia under subsection (a)(1) shall
be conditional upon the development and implementation of a proposal
submitted under subsection (a)(2), which may include--
(1) the provision of technologies and associated support
for activities to reduce deforestation or increase
afforestation and reforestation rates, including--
(A) fire reduction initiatives;
(B) sustainable land use management initiatives;
(C) initiatives to increase agricultural
productivity;
(D) forest law enforcement initiatives;
(E) the development of timber tracking systems;
(F) the development of cooking fuel substitutes;
(G) tree-planting initiatives; and
(H) programs that are designed to focus on market-
based solutions to reduce deforestation and increase
reforestation and afforestation, including programs
that leverage the international carbon-offset market;
(2) the enhancement and expansion of governmental and
nongovernmental institutional capacity to effectively design
and implement a proposal developed under subsection (a)(2)
through initiatives, including--
(A) the establishment of transparent, accountable,
and inclusive decision-making processes relating to all
stakeholders (including affected local communities);
(B) the promotion of enhanced coordination among
ministries and agencies responsible for agro-ecological
zoning, mapping, land planning and permitting,
sustainable agriculture, forestry, mining, and law
enforcement; and
(C) the clarification of land tenure and resource
rights of affected communities, including local
communities;
(3) the development and support of institutional capacity
to measure, verify, and report the activities carried out by
the Government of Haiti and by the Government of Armenia to
reduce deforestation and increase afforestation and
reforestation rates through the use of appropriate methods,
including--
(A) the use of best practices and technologies to
monitor land use change in Haiti and in Armenia, and
changes in the extent of natural forest cover,
protected areas, mangroves, agroforestry, and
agriculture;
(B) the monitoring of the impacts of policies and
initiatives on--
(i) affected communities;
(ii) the biodiversity of the environment of
Haiti and Armenia; and
(iii) the health of the forests of Haiti
and Armenia; and
(C) independent and participatory forest
monitoring; and
(4) the development of and coordination with watershed
restoration programs in Haiti and Armenia, including--
(A) agreements between the Government of Haiti or
the Government of Armenia and nongovernmental
organizations or private sector partners to provide
technical assistance, capacity building, or technology
transfers which support the environmental recovery of
Haiti's and Armenia's watersheds through forest
restoration activities if such assistance will--
(i) strengthen economic drivers of
sustainable resource inventory mapping and
management;
(ii) reduce environmental vulnerability; or
(iii) improve governance, planning, and
community action of watersheds in Haiti and
Armenia;
(B) actions to support economic incentives for
sustainable resource management, including enhanced
incentives for the replacement of annual hillside
cropping with perennial and non-erosive production
systems;
(C) enhanced extension services supporting the
sustainable intensification of agriculture to increase
farmer incomes and reduce pressure on degraded land;
and
(D) investments in watershed infrastructure to
reduce environmental vulnerability, including the
establishment of appropriate erosion control measures
through reforestation activities in targeted watersheds
or sub-watersheds.
(c) Development of Performance Metrics.--
(1) In general.--If the President provides assistance to
the Government of Haiti or the Government of Armenia under
subsection (a)(1), the President, in cooperation with such
government, shall develop appropriate performance metrics to
measure, verify, and report--
(A) the implementation of each policy and
initiative to be carried out by the Government of Haiti
or the Government of Armenia, as the case may be;
(B) the progress of each policy and initiative with
respect to the forests of Haiti and Armenia; and
(C) impacts of reforestation policies and
initiatives on the local communities of Haiti and
Armenia.
(2) Requirements.--Performance metrics developed under
paragraph (1) shall include, to the maximum extent practicable,
short-term and long-term metrics to evaluate the implementation
of each policy and initiative contained in each proposal
developed under subsection (a)(2).
(d) Reports.--
(1) Initial report.--Not later than 18 months after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit a
report to the appropriate committees of Congress that describes
the actions the President has taken, or plans to take--
(A) to engage with the Government of Haiti and the
Government of Armenia, nongovernmental stakeholders,
civil society, and public and private nonprofit
organizations to implement this section; and
(B) to enter into agreements with the Government of
Haiti and with the Government of Armenia under
subsection (a)(1).
(2) Biennial reports.--Not later than 2 years after the
date on which the President first provides assistance to the
Government of Haiti or the Government of Armenia under
subsection (a)(1), and biennially thereafter, the President
shall submit a report to the appropriate committees of Congress
that describes the progress made by the Government of Haiti and
by the Government of Armenia in implementing each policy and
initiative contained in the proposal submitted by each such
government under subsection (a)(2).
(e) Additional Assistance.--
(1) In general.--The President is authorized to provide
financial and other assistance to the Government of Haiti, the
Government of Armenia, local government bodies, or
nongovernmental organizations--
(A) to provide information to local communities
relating to each policy and initiative to be carried
out by the Government of Haiti or by the Government of
Armenia with assistance made available under subsection
(a)(1);
(B) to promote effective participation by local
communities in the design, implementation, and
independent monitoring of each policy and initiative;
(C) to promote, in support of sustainable
forestation activities, enhanced watershed governance,
national planning, and community action programs that
increase--
(i) the development of national watershed
management policies for Haiti and for Armenia
by the appropriate government ministries and
agencies;
(ii) the establishment of an effective
forum for donor coordination related to
management and reforestation in Haiti and
Armenia;
(iii) support for the Centre National de
l'Information Geo-Spatiale (CNIGS), the Center
for Ecological-Noosphere Studies (CENS), and
the United States Forest Service to provide
technology, data, and monitoring support for
improved watershed and forest resource
management at a national scale in Haiti and in
Armenia; and
(iv) development of effective governance
structures in Haiti and in Armenia for
stakeholder engagement, coordination of
approaches, land use planning, and disaster
mitigation at the watershed scale; and
(D) to meet the goals of this Act.
(2) Termination of direct funding.--If the President
determines that the goals of this Act are not being
appropriately and efficiently met with the assistance provided
under this section, the President may terminate such assistance
to either the Government of Haiti or the Government of Armenia,
as appropriate.
(f) Minimum Country Reforestation Fund Percentage.--Not less than
85 percent of amounts provided for programs under this section shall be
spent on actual reforestation activities in Haiti and Armenia, which
may include the protection of reforested areas.
(g) Sunset.--
(1) In general.--The authority under this section shall
terminate on the date that is 10 years after the date of the
enactment of this Act, or the date that is 10 years after an
extension under paragraph (2), unless the President certifies
to the appropriate committees of Congress that--
(A) effective and sustainable programs are in place
through the Government of Haiti, the Government of
Armenia, or local governments in Haiti or in Armenia,
in potential partnership with international donors,
nongovernmental organizations, or civil society groups,
to protect and manage areas reforested with assistance
provided under this Act; and
(B) additional time is necessary to accomplish the
goals of this Act.
(2) Extensions.--If a certification is made under paragraph
(1), the authority under this section shall be extended for an
additional 10-year term. Not more than 2 extensions are
permitted under this paragraph.
TITLE II--GRANTS FOR REFORESTATION
SEC. 201. REFORESTATION GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Establishment.--The President is authorized to establish a
grant program to carry out the purpose described in section 2(b),
including reversing deforestation and improving reforestation and
afforestation in Haiti and in Armenia.
(b) Grants Authorized.--
(1) In general.--The President is authorized to award
grants and contracts, for a period not to exceed 3 years, to
carry out projects that, in the aggregate, reverse
deforestation and improve reforestation and afforestation in
Haiti or in Armenia.
(2) Maximum amount.--
(A) In general.--Except as provided in subparagraph
(B), the President may not award a grant under this
section in an amount greater than $500,000 per year.
(B) Exception.--The President may award a grant
under this section in an amount greater than $500,000
per year if the President determines that the recipient
of the grant has demonstrated success with respect to a
project that was funded under this section.
(c) Use of Funds.--
(1) In general.--Grants awarded pursuant to subsection (b)
may be used--
(A) to provide a financial incentive to protect
forests;
(B) to provide hands-on management and oversight of
replanting efforts;
(C) to support sustainable, income-generating,
forest-related economic growth;
(D) to provide--
(i) seed money to start cooperative
reforestation and afforestation efforts; and
(ii) subsequent conditional funding for
such efforts contingent upon required tree care
and maintenance activities;
(E) to promote the widespread use of--
(i) improved cooking stove technologies
that do not involve the harvesting of forest
growth; and
(ii) other renewable fuel technologies that
reduce deforestation and improve human health;
and
(F) to secure the involvement and commitment of
local communities--
(i) to protect forests in existence as of
the date of the enactment of this Act; and
(ii) to partner in and carry out
afforestation and reforestation activities.
(2) Local community participation.--Activities to secure
the participation of local communities under paragraph (1)(F)
should include 1 or more of the following activities:
(A) Creation of local jobs involving establishing,
protecting, and managing reforested areas.
(B) Collaboration to analyze biodiversity and
ecosystem services integral to sustainability and
business decisions.
(C) Cooperative conservation programs, including--
(i) working with local water sources to
ensure clean water through improved forestland
and watershed; or
(ii) working with food suppliers to ensure
sustainable agroforestry products.
(3) Consistency with proposals.--To the maximum extent
practicable, projects using grant funds shall support, and be
consistent with, the proposal developed under section 101(a)(2)
that is the subject of the project.
(d) Application.--
(1) In general.--An entity desiring a grant under this
section shall submit an application at such time, in such
manner, and containing such information as the President may
reasonably require.
(2) Content.--Each application submitted under paragraph
(1)--
(A) should be consistent with the findings,
recommendations, and ongoing work relating to--
(i) the United States Agency for
International Development Haiti Reforestation
Project for Haiti; or
(ii) the 2009 United States Agency for
International Development report entitled
``Biodiversity Analysis Update for Armenia
Final Report: Prosperity, Livelihoods, and
Conserving Ecosystems (PLACE) IQC Task Order
#4''; and
(B) shall include--
(i) a description of the objectives to be
attained;
(ii) a description of the manner in which
grant funds will be used;
(iii) a plan for evaluating the success of
the project based on verifiable evidence; and
(iv) to the extent that the applicant
intends to use nonnative species in
afforestation efforts--
(I) an explanation of the benefit
of using nonnative species rather than
native species; and
(II) verification that the species
to be used are not invasive.
(3) Preference for certain projects.--In awarding grants
under this section, preference shall be given to applicants
that propose--
(A) to develop market-based solutions to the
challenges of reforestation in Haiti and Armenia,
including the use of conditional cash transfers and
similar financial incentives to protect reforestation
efforts;
(B) to partner with local communities and
cooperatives; and
(C) to focus on efforts that build local capacity
to sustain growth after the completion of the
underlying grant project.
(e) Dissemination of Information.--The President shall collect and
widely disseminate information about the effectiveness of the
demonstration projects assisted under this section.
SEC. 202. FOREST PROTECTION PROGRAMS.
Chapter 7 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22
U.S.C. 2281 et seq.) is amended--
(1) by redesignating sections 461 through 466 as sections
471 through 476, respectively; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 477. PILOT PROGRAM FOR HAITI.
``(a) Submission of List of Areas of Severely Degraded Natural
Resources.--The President, in cooperation with nongovernmental
conservation organizations, shall invite the Government of Haiti to
submit a list of areas within Haiti in which forests are seriously
degraded or threatened.
``(b) Review of List.--The President shall--
``(1) analyze the areas on the list submitted by the
Government of Haiti under subsection (a); and
``(2) seek to reach an agreement with the Government of
Haiti to assist with the restoration and future sustainable use
of such areas.
``(c) Grant Program.--
``(1) Grants authorized.--The President is authorized to
award grants to nongovernmental organizations, on such terms
and conditions as may be necessary, for the purchase on the
open market of discounted debt of the Government of Haiti, if a
market is determined to be viable, in exchange for commitments
by the Government of Haiti--
``(A) to restore forests identified pursuant to
subsection (a); or
``(B) to develop plans for sustainable use of such
forests.
``(2) Management of protected areas.--Each recipient of a
grant under this subsection shall participate in the ongoing
management of the area or areas protected pursuant to such
grant.
``(3) Matching of grant funds.--Any United States funding
provided to a nongovernmental organization under this
subsection should be matched by an equal or greater amount of
funding from the nongovernmental organization. Such matching
funds may include funding provided by other international
donors, nongovernmental organizations, philanthropic bodies,
corporations or other private entities, institutions of higher
learning, the Government of Haiti, or other non-United States
Government sources.
``(4) Minimum country reforestation fund percentage.--Not
less than 85 percent of grant funds provided under this
subsection shall be spent on actual reforestation activities in
Haiti, which may include the protection of reforested areas.
``(5) Retention of proceeds.--Notwithstanding any other
provision of law, a grantee (or any subgrantee) under this
subsection may retain, without deposit in the Treasury of the
United States and without further appropriation by Congress--
``(A) interest earned on the proceeds of any
resulting debt-for-nature exchange pending the
disbursements of such proceeds; and
``(B) interest for approved program purposes, which
may include the establishment of an endowment, the
income of which is used for such purposes.
``(6) Sunset.--
``(A) In general.--The authority to award grants
under this subsection shall terminate on the date that
is 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act
unless the President determines and certifies to
Congress that--
``(i) the grant program under this
subsection has been effective in meeting the
goals of the Haiti and Armenia Reforestation
Act of 2018; and
``(ii) the Government of Haiti has
committed to returning land in Haiti to long-
term sustainable forests.
``(B) Renewal.--If the President makes a
certification under subparagraph (A), the authority to
award grants under this subsection may be renewed for 1
additional 5-year period.
``SEC. 478. PILOT PROGRAM FOR ARMENIA.
``(a) Submission of List of Areas of Severely Degraded Natural
Resources.--The President, in cooperation with nongovernmental
conservation organizations, shall invite the Government of Armenia to
submit a list of areas within the territory of Armenia in which forests
are seriously degraded or threatened.
``(b) Review of List.--The President shall--
``(1) analyze the areas on the list submitted by the
Government of Armenia under subsection (a); and
``(2) seek to reach an agreement with the Government of
Armenia for the restoration and future sustainable use of such
areas.
``(c) Debt Forgiveness Agreement.--
``(1) Debt forgiveness.--The President is authorized to
forgive debt owed to the United States by the Government of
Armenia in exchange for commitments by the Government of
Armenia--
``(A) to restore forests identified by the
Government under subsection (a); or
``(B) to develop plans for sustainable use of such
forests.
``(2) Management of protected areas.--The Government of
Armenia shall participate in the ongoing management of the area
or areas protected pursuant to such debt relief.
``(3) Minimum country reforestation fund percentage.--Not
less than 85 percent of funds that qualify under a debt relief
agreement under this section shall be spent on actual
reforestation activities in Armenia, which may include the
protection of reforested areas or of existing forests.
``(4) Termination of program.--
``(A) In general.--The authority to offer debt
relief under this subsection shall terminate on the
date that is 5 years after the date of the enactment of
this Act unless the President determines and certifies
to Congress that--
``(i) the debt forgiveness pilot program
under this subsection has been effective in
meeting the goals of the Haiti and Armenia
Reforestation Act of 2018; and
``(ii) the Government of Armenia has
committed to returning land in Armenia to long-
term sustainable forests.
``(B) Renewal.--If the President makes a
certification under subparagraph (A), the authority to
forgive debt under this subsection may be renewed for 1
additional 5-year period.''.
TITLE III--ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISION
SEC. 301. DELEGATION.
The President, or the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development or the Secretary of State, acting as the
President's delegate, may draw on the expertise of the United States
Forest Service and the United States Agency for International
Development in designing and implementing programs under this Act
relating to reforestation, watershed restoration, and monitoring of
land use change.
SEC. 302. DETERMINATION AND MONITORING OF FOREST LEVELS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 6 months after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Chief of the United States Forest Service,
in consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development, using the latest available Landsat data,
shall--
(1) determine the current level of forest cover in Haiti
and the current level of forest cover in Armenia, expressed as
a percentage of each country's total land mass; and
(2) submit this information to the appropriate committees
of Congress.
(b) Updates.--The Chief of the United States Forest Service, in
consultation with the Administrator of the United States Agency for
International Development, shall submit an annual report to the
appropriate committees of Congress that contains an updated
determination, using the latest available Landsat data, of the level of
forest cover in Haiti and the level of forest cover in Armenia.
(c) Use of Determinations.--Each determination under subsection
(a)(1) and each updated determination under subsection (b) shall be
used for the purposes of setting and achieving the goals described in
section 2(b)(3).
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Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
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