Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act in plain language
1: Short title
This section would let the Act be called the Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025.
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Act of 2025 .
2: Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Program
This section would require the Secretary of the Interior, working with the heads of covered agencies, to identify covered lands that need reforestation and restoration following unplanned disturbances, such as a wildfire, an insect or disease infestation, or a weather event, when those lands are unlikely to recover on their own without help. The Secretary would have to do this within 1 year after the Act becomes law and then every year after that. Each fiscal year, the Secretary, in consultation with the heads of covered agencies, would have to propose a list of priority reforestation and restoration projects. The Secretary could carry out these priority projects using competitively awarded grants, contracts, contracts made under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, or cooperative agreements awarded under requirements the Secretary sets. The Secretary could also fund any grant, contract, or cooperative agreement needed to make sure enough of the right seed and seedlings are available to support the priority projects. To carry out these duties, the heads of covered agencies would have to reach out to Indian Tribes, States, territories, units of local government, Alaska Native organizations, Native Hawaiian organizations, institutions of higher education, other federal agencies that have jurisdiction over federal land next to or near the priority projects, and any other stakeholders the Secretary decides to include. In this outreach list, Indian Tribes is a defined term limited to an Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community that is individually identified, including in a parenthetical, on the most recent list published as of the Act's enactment under section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994. Starting 2 years after the Act becomes law and every year after that, the Secretary would have to send a report to the relevant Congressional committees that accounts for all covered lands needing reforestation and restoration, lists the priority projects and progress made on them, accounts for the grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements set up to support them, describes the outreach efforts covered agencies have made, and assesses gaps in seed, seedling, and implementation capacity along with recommendations for dedicated funding to address any backlog of reforestation and restoration work. For purposes of this section, a covered agency means each federal land management agency as defined in the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, plus the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and covered lands means federal land or an interest in land administered by a covered agency, plus Indian Forest Land or Rangeland. Restoration means assisting the recovery of a degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystem, including reestablishing the appropriate mix and structure of plant species. Reforestation and natural regeneration would carry the meanings already given to those terms in the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974.
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2. Post-Disaster Reforestation and Restoration Program (a) In general Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the Secretary, in coordination with the heads of the covered agencies, shall identify covered lands requiring reforestation and restoration following unplanned disturbances that are unlikely to experience natural regeneration without assistance. (b) Priority projects In consultation with the heads of covered agencies, the Secretary— (1) shall propose a list of priority projects for reforestation and restoration for each fiscal year; (2) may carry out priority projects through— (A) competitively awarded grants; (B) contracts; (C) contracts established under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act ( 25 U.S.C. 5301 et seq. ); and (D) cooperative agreements, to be awarded in accordance with applicable requirements established by the Secretary; and (3) may support any grant contract or cooperative agreement that may be necessary to ensure adequate and appropriate seed and seedling availability to further the objectives of priority projects. (c) Outreach To fulfill requirements of this section the heads of covered agencies shall conduct outreach to— (1) Indian Tribes; (2) States; (3) territories; (4) units of local government; (5) Alaska Native organizations; (6) Native Hawaiian organizations; (7) institutions of higher education; (8) Federal agencies with jurisdiction over Federal land adjoining or proximal to priority projects; and (9) other stakeholders as determined by the Secretary. (d) Reports and recommendations Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the relevant Congressional Committees a report that includes the following: (1) An accounting of all covered lands requiring reforestation and restoration. (2) A list of priority projects and implementation progress to address reforestation and restoration objectives identified. (3) An accounting of grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements established in furtherance of priority projects. (4) Outreach efforts by covered agencies to advance priority projects. (5) Assessments of, and recommendations relating to seed, seedling, and implementation gaps to advance priority projects and opportunities to establish dedicated funding necessary to address any backlog of reforestation and restoration needs. (e) Definitions In this section: (1) Covered agency The term covered agency means— (A) each Federal land management agency (as such term is defined in the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act ( 16 U.S.C. 6801 )); and (B) the Bureau of Indian Affairs. (2) Covered lands The term covered lands means any Federal land or interest in land administered by a covered agency and Indian Forest Land or Rangeland. (3) Indian tribe The term Indian Tribe means any Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, or community individually identified (including parenthetically) in the list published most recently as of the date of enactment of this Act pursuant to section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 ( 25 U.S.C. 5131 ). (4) Natural regeneration The term natural regeneration has the meaning given the term in section (e)(4) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (U.S.C. 36 1601). (5) Reforestation The term reforestation has the meaning given the term in section (e)(4) of the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974 (U.S.C. 36 1601). (6) Restoration The term restoration means assisting the recovery of an ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed, including the reestablishment of appropriate plant species composition and community structure. (7) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Interior. (8) Unplanned disturbance The term unplanned disturbance means any unplanned disturbance that disrupts ecosystem structure or composition and may include a wildfire, an infestation of insects or disease, or a weather event.